Obada Kurdi The movie has good writing, directing, acting, and style. First time I see Kirk Douglas, or young Kirk Douglas, and I was pleased with his performance. Maybe this is the oldest trial I have seen in a movie, along 12 angry men, and it was preformed very well. The movies tackles issues with war such as cruel leaders, brutality of war, the army system, and the soldiers hesitation in war, whom you can't really blame because of the horrifying enemy's machinery and weapons firing in-front of them. The movies also shows the loyalty and honesty of some generals that they are ready to defend their soldiers in front of the leaders in trial, and refusing to be a under a system which condemn their soldiers lives just for reputation. It also shows the extent at which some leaders are ready to go to protect their reputation. Also, the grey area that the top leader hide in, not offending or denying the leader, nor protecting him. The before execution atmosphere is well done in the movie. All in all, a very good movie.

travisyoung War produces the true natures of men: some lose their humanity altogether and become monsters, while others embrace a kind of moral courage that cannot be defined or explained. So it's astonishing that a considerably intellectual filmmaker like Stanley Kubrick could distill this principle in such a visceral way.Make no mistake, Paths of Glory is a film of high concept and blinding idealism, but composed simply and without plot complication. It's World War I: Upon the orders of his superior officers, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads his entrenched regiment of the French Army into a battle to take "The Anthill", an impenetrable German stronghold. It's a suicide mission, and everyone knows it. Of course Dax protests that the attack would only weaken the French Army, but General Mireau (George Macready) does not care. Indeed, Mireau has made the same conclusion, only the promise of a juicy promotion (by the equally unscrupulous General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou)) and his own Machiavellian ambition have already persuaded him to command others to certain and purposeless death.Unlike the amoral executives who command him, Dax does not lounge in extravagant mansions and eat gourmet meals with fine silver; he lives in the trenches with his men, a lawyer compelled by war to root in a festering wound of dirt and death dug by politicians who have never gazed upon a battlefield. As he dutifully proceeds to prepare the attack, fear abounds among the soldiers he leads, with deadly results.It is here that the film begins to challenge how we define courage. We see Dax advance while hundreds of others die horrifically around him. Some do not leave their trenches, so intense is the firefight on the battlefield. A safe distance away, Mireau orders his artillery to fire upon their own army to force them out of the trenches. Meanwhile, without support, Dax falls back into the trenches in a rain of dead bodies without making it to the Anthill, unable to convince anyone else to climb back out with him into oblivion. So galvanized is Mireau's rage at the prospect of losing his promotion that he demands one hundred men from the regiment be executed for cowardice. General Broulard convinces him to merely court martial three men chosen at random, and even allows Colonel Dax to defend them against the death penalty. The trial is a farce to say the least, and although the outcomes are sadly predictable, that doesn't mean the final journey we take with this movie is less than we can anticipate.Paths of Glory is a technically perfect film. As the camera seamlessly glides through the twists and turns of grimy trenches, horror and fear visually unfold like flowing tapestries along a magnificent human hallway. That nature and realism dominate the production design does not make the lens any less subjective or the images of war in all its boundless evil less beautiful. The booming cacophony of the battle scene has a aural texture that damns us to imagine the true nightmare actual combat must be. The acting is superb as well, every actor delivering his best work, Kirk Douglas in particular; despite his inclination for ham and bravado, Douglas' characterization of Dax is intense yet authentic and anything but a caricature. Colonel Dax's ability to maintain composure while evincing contempt and moral outrage is a script requirement, but the horror sculpted upon Douglas' face when confronted with the evil of men and the spiritual burden revealed in his posture and gait are the work of an artist. As I said, this would seem at the outset like a philosophical film crafted by a director who demands his audience intellectually grapple with the moral implications of what is provocative material to say the least. Perhaps it does accomplish that; certainly, if you watch this movie and fail to think about the message the film delivers, you are not only brain dead but morally bankrupt as well. But please watch the final scene, a brief coda after the main plot of the movie has concluded: An achingly beautiful German girl held as an enemy captive is made to sing before the rowdy French troops. As the war begets monsters, sometimes men of real courage are able to rediscover their own humanity. Any movie can make you think. But in that last moment, if you can see more than a singing peasant and weary soldiers, if you are able to hear more in the simple folk song than the lyrics, then you, like Dax, can discover that the only true path to glory is not in war or ambition, but in hope and innocence that sometimes may only be found in the most unlikely of places.

TerryTolkin What could I possibly add to the culture or knowledge of this film? To me, on certain days, this is Kubrick's finest achievement. Without a doubt this is the most impactful anti-war film ever produced. Kubrick i employs an unwaveringly documentarian approach in recounting this fictionalized amalgam of what could have been any battle on the Western Front. Portraying the ruthless mundanity and senseless destruction of human life in those trenches is done so effectively that he's succeeded in making such an abhorrent level of violence seem routine. You accept it as a norm. Something that we should never let it become. But we have , we have to in order to devote full and complete attention to the mental insanity that is unfolding in the upper ranks of France's military-industrial complex. A Dance of Death is unfolding over the failure of yet another Offensive. Heads must roll. Three enlisted men are essentially randomly selected for summary execution before a Firing Squad. During the battle and desperate to make good on his predictions for a glorious French victory over the hated Huns, an order is issued to the French artillery gunners .Confused, the targeting Corporal requests confirmation of the coordinates. Surely this must be an error. These numbers would put all of our largest shells right on top of our own French positions!! Timothy Carey plays one of the three enlisted men. Pvt. Maurice Ferol. The man was born to play this role. Carey's delivery is the most devastating Supporting Actor performance I've ever witnessed on the big screen. I'm neither kidding you nor am I exaggerating. Tell me if I'm wrong, go ahead and tell me.

Tyson Hunsaker It took a while to see the film that put Stanley Kubrick on the map as a force to be reckoned with. Paths of Glory was a war film with an interesting premise and has the reputation for being an "anti-war" piece on the dehumanization of soldiers. With Kirk Douglas as the star, the plot centers around prideful and power-hungry French military officers who order an impossible mission from a battalion who fleas upon defeat and is accused of cowardice. Many other films by Kubrick shows his powerful and masterful filming style and Paths of Glory is no different. The focus is strong and it's difficult to take your eyes off the screen throughout the picture. Good use is made of these phenomenal actors who give heartfelt performances and deliver strong and emotionally piercing lines. The film is a short and crisp 88 minutes so it's easy to watch anytime. This also makes the pacing clean and the viewer will know every scene, shot, and frame is completely intentional and justified. Not a single moment of this fascinating and well done film is wasted and the talented actors are utilized to their fullest. Perhaps any downside to this film is the first 20-30 minutes in which the viewer may be wondering what kind of film they're watching and for what purpose. It's easy to see how upon release, however received with high regard, was met with some confusion as to the substance of the story and what it was trying to say. It's not a film that glorifies war or conflict; in fact, the concept of battle (physical or psychological) can cause some irritation for the viewer. This was most likely intended and it was probably a good move in the long run.Personally, I enjoyed Paths of Glory throughout the picture and found it as important as it is beautifully directed. However, the most impactful piece of the story is the final scene in which a woman is singing to a group of soldiers in a bar. Not many other scenes have had so much emotional impact and beauty that it truly made Paths of Glory a personal favorite. Really no complaints about the quality of this film or the personal pressure points it wasn't afraid to touch. It's also amazing how those emotions can be pierced so powerfully more than 50 years after this was released. It's a grand milestone in filmmaking that deserves much more attention and is highly recommended to anyone who has the chance to see it. It's simply amazing!