Paths of Glory: A Take on World War I like what you’ve never seen before

Paths of Glory: A Take on World War I like what you’ve never seen before.

Warfare and emotions—those are two words that describe very well Stanley Kubrick’s movie, Paths of Glory. It was released on March 26, 1975, and had great success at the box office. The movie takes place during World War I and focuses on French soldiers who refuse to go in for a suicidal attack. Later, Colonel Dax stands up in their favor and defends them against the charge of cowardice in court.

Kubrick sheds light on themes such as injustice, sacrifice, and the brutal realities of war. He explains well what life in the trenches looked like and the emotions that soldiers went through. Most importantly, the movie gives us an idea of what happens behind closed doors during a war. We do not realize the number of things that are hidden from us, the public. The military hierarchy is critiqued, and the ethics of warfare are questioned. General Mireau is a perfect example of the high-ranking officers who are willing to sacrifice their own soldiers to further their careers. Not only does the movie portray the bad sides of the war, but it also brings out the very few good sides of it. For that, we could simply look at the example of colonel Dax, who’s ready to risk his own position for his soldiers.

The decor and costumes of the movie are extremely accurate to the time of the war. The actors were perfectly chosen, as they played their roles like they were made for them. Through their words and expressions, we can be completely submerged in the movie and feel all the emotions. It is quite hard as it portrays reality; however, it is a good way of learning about World War I without having to open boring textbooks. Kubrick’s direction and the choice of his actors really bring out a different and more entertaining image of the war.

The movie is quite short, only an hour and twenty-six minutes; thus, it goes by fast and leaves us craving for more. This quote from Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) is a perfect representation of the film’s message: “The loss of empathy is the greatest casualty of warfare." Although the number of casualties was significant, the way that the war changed soldiers, high-ranking officers, or even the people who stayed in the back is truly unmatched. It drives some of them insane; fear and anger can really transform one’s way of acting. That is well shown with the three soldiers who were accused of cowardice: one of them turned to God, another couldn’t bear the idea of dying and panicked severely, and finally the last one of them only accepted his fate.

I am not usually fond of war movies, perhaps because they don’t sound entertaining and usually feel very long. However, I really appreciated this one; it goes into the depths of warfare, which I learned about only at school. It was hard to watch because of the violence and injustice that are hard to accept. I do understand why this movie was a success at the box office, as it can be appreciated and understood by a teenager as well as an older person. I thought the costumes, the decor, the lighting, and, overall, just the actors and atmosphere were very accurate to the story. It brings tears to the eyes with all the emotions and the feeling of being powerless over the situation. This film made me want to know more about World War I, especially the German side, as it only gives us an idea of what the French side looked like. I would recommend this movie and wish to see more of Kubrick’s movies.

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