Paths of Glory (1957)

Paths of Glory (1957)

starring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready

directed by Stanley Kubrick

88 minutes

French Brigadier General Mireau (George Macready), in the midst of the First World War, indignant after one of his regiments fails to achieve, what was deemed from the outset to be an unachievable goal, insists on court martialing three rank and file members of the regiment. Major General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) agrees with Mireau's reaction to the defeat and thinks it will be good for morale if three soldiers are executed. Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), the regiment's commander, who was present on the battlefield at the time of the attack insists on defending the three men in what turns out to be nothing but a show trial in which he is given no opportunity to provide the three soldiers with a proper defense.

Thoughts

This was my second time watching this movie. I last watched this film it was at home in 2002, on DVD. This time around I watched it at the AFI Silver Theater.

The story is the screen adaptation of a novel written by Humphrey Cobb, a Canadian veteran of the First World War. The novel was published in 1935. The novel, unlike the film, focuses primarily on the three soldiers put on trial.

The movie received a lot of negative feedback from veterans groups in France and wasn't shown there until 1975. It was also not very well received in the United States.

I was very impressed by this movie. Most of the performances are good to great. It moves at a brisk pace. I believe I liked it the first time I saw it but I don't have any clear memories of what I thought of it when I watched it 24 years ago.

Notes

I've seen Kirk Douglas in several other films but the only other ones I've seen in recent years are The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) and Out of the Past (1947). The only other movie I've seen in which Aolphe Menjou appeared was You Were Never Lovelier (1942). 

George Macready has been in one other movie I have seen in recent years, The Big Clock (1948). He was in three episodes of Four Star Playhouse, the first of which was 1.06 The Island. He was in three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock presents, including 1.13 The Cheney Vase. He was also in episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), The Outer Limits (1963), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and Night Gallery.

Ralph Meeker played the part Corporal Paris, one of the three men put on trial. I've seen him most recently in episodes of The Outer Limits (1.13 Tourist Attraction) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1.01 Revenge).

One of the other soldiers put on trial was played by Timothy Carey. I've seen him most recently in The Killing (1956), also directed by Stanley Kubrick, and One-Eyed Jacks (1961).

Richard Anderson also had a small part in this movie.

I have seen about a third of Stanley Kubrick's directorial output but I've only seen two of his other films in recent years, Dr. Strangelove (1964) and The Killing (1956).