Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Short Review: Paths of Glory

The Path of the Unfair Man


Paths of Glory (1957) - Stanley Kubrick

War, at its very core, pitting man opposite man, nation against nation, ideology vs. ideology,  is objectionable; gainful byproducts—heroism, courage, honor, and freedom—materialize only in the absence of tyranny. Kubrick's Paths of Glory is a luminous albeit controversial examination of this very conflict, in the face of suffering, behind a facade of honor, amidst a path of overwhelming destruction. The real cost of war is not measured in any dollar investment, but in stark contrast, by the morbid tabulations of human loss. World War I drastically altered the landscape of aggression, as trench warfare disintegrated notions of civility. An imprint of cynicism piggybacked victory, as beleaguered soldiers, dehumanized by the brutality of war, were forced to confront an abject reality bound by their corrupt leaders' miserly aims. While Glory, focusing on the plight of soldiers in battle, avoids any inspection of civilian life (The Deer Hunter offers an honest, gut-wrenching glimpse into the plight of veterans' post-war assimilation), it does provide a lens into the fragile psyche of men who are victimized by injustice. Combine the nuanced, harrowing dichotomies of war with Kubrick's uncanny visual eye and Kirk Douglas' impeccable, layered performance, and what emerges is a mesmerizing battlefield of horror. There can be no doubt: Stanley Kubrick is a visual dynamist, an aesthetic raconteur who imparts meaning through image with seldom a word to rely. And, lest I forget, the ending of Kubrick's anti-war yarn is one of the greatest in cinema's glorious history.  10 out of 10

8 comments:

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    1. I encourage you to rectify that ASAP. It carries my highest endorsement!

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  2. Ah, Matty! Great review! Such a wonderful film! Thanks for featuring Timothy Carey in that big picture - he's a truly great and iconoclastic character actor who went from films like this to Frankie and Annette Beach movies - with stops at The Killing and his own starring role in The World's Greatest Sinner - a definite recommendation for you, Mr. V! And many years later, Tales from the Crypt paid homage to this movie by casting Kirk (and one of his non-Michael sons) in a World War I story called Yellow! Cheers all around!

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    1. Ha, thanks, Craig! You are quite the connoisseur of Tim Carey. He is a remarkable character actor. Your description befits his legacy perfectly. Featuring his mug was an easy decision. And, because I admire your appraisal, I will add The World's Greatest Sinner to my Watch List.

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  3. I'm so happy you really liked this and gave it such a huge score. It is one of my favorite war movies and perhaps my favorite Kubrick film. World War I is so often overlooked in terms of film because we instead focus on the horrors of WWII. But these men and women faced some of the most hellish conditions ever imaginable. It was a war in which technology far outstripped battle tactics and you had cavalry charging machine guns with swords.

    The movie is loosely based on the Humphrey Cobb novel which retells the true story of four French soldiers executed to set an example for their fellow soldiers. Their families sued and while the executions were ruled unfair, two of the families received one franc each and the other two nothing. Kubrick purchased the rights from Cobb's widow after he remembered reading the book when he was younger.

    This movie gets me every time I watch it. I think this one and All Quiet on the Western Front are two of the most haunting war films ever made.

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    1. Your luminous recommendation was the impetus, Mel, only I was shocked it took me this long. What an incredible experience. I can finally say, with great virtual pomp and circumstance, that I've seen ALL of Kubrick's films at least twice :)

      Though I wouldn't call it my favorite Kubrick film, I can certainly understand your enthusiastic response. And Kubrick's focus, borrowing from Cobb's novel, was the pivotal factor. Their collective undressing of the "real" horrors of World War I painted such a harrowing picture; the images are indelible. Now I want to read Cobb's novel in its entirety as I've only glimpsed snippets.

      And All Quiet on the Western Front is, as any film enthusiast could attest, brilliant. I may just have to revisit it. Thanks for your detailed thoughts, Mel :)

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  4. I have never seen Paths of Glory. With the emergence of "Downton Abbey", my interest in that time period has really grown. My grandfather was partnered with another sniper, and they were in deep re-con during WW1. He told some stories to my oldest brother, which I tried to understand in my pre-teen mind.

    The last living WW1 veteran, a WAC from England, just died. That closes the door to all that first hand information.

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    1. Very interesting, Susan! I would've loved to talk about your grandfather's WWI experiences. He sounds like a courageous man.

      And it is a sad observation indeed. There is no longer a living combatant from WWI. All of those great, inspiring anecdotal stories will have to come through a non-WWI source.

      Thanks for sharing :)

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