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The 1950s marked a pivotal era for Stanley Kubrick, transitioning from a photographer to a renowned filmmaker. His initial ventures, the experimental “Fear and Desire” and the underappreciated noir “Killer’s Kiss,” showcased his distinctive approach to film as a visual art form. However, it was the 1956 heist thriller “The Killing” that first earned him significant acclaim. Kubrick’s true breakthrough came in 1957 with the anti-war epic “Paths of Glory,” which has now secured its place in cinematic history. This masterpiece is available for free streaming on platforms like Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Tubi.
United Artists
In “Paths of Glory,” Kubrick presents a gripping tale of corruption and cowardice during World War I. The film begins with Major General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) commanding General Mireau (George Macready) to undertake the near-impossible task of capturing a German stronghold known as the Anthill. When the mission predictably fails, Mireau, among other dubious actions, decides to court-martial three innocent soldiers—Private Pierre Arnaud (Joe Turkel), Private Maurice Ferol (Timothy Carey), and Corporal Philippe Paris (Ralph Meeker)—for cowardice. Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), leading the 701st Infantry Regiment, steps in as their defense, only to discover his role is merely ceremonial.
Despite being released 69 years ago, “Paths of Glory” remains as powerful and relevant as ever. Its incisive critique of bureaucratic cruelty is as impactful today, drawing strength from its foundation in historical events.
In 1915, 24 soldiers from the 21st Company faced court-martial after refusing to attack a heavily fortified German position under relentless artillery fire. Four corporals were executed by firing squad in Sourain, although these men were eventually pardoned. This historical miscarriage of justice inspired Humphrey Cobb’s 1935 novel “Paths of Glory,” which profoundly affected a young Stanley Kubrick and later motivated him to adapt it into a film.
The film’s production was initially seen as a gamble by United Artists due to its controversial topic. However, the project moved forward thanks to Kirk Douglas’ strong interest in the screenplay, co-written by Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson, and Kubrick himself. “Paths of Glory” foreshadows Kubrick’s later work like “Full Metal Jacket” by dividing the narrative into two distinct halves. The initial setup features breathtaking visuals of French soldiers in the claustrophobic trenches, juxtaposed against the desolate expanse of No Man’s Land.
Paths of Glory is Stanley Kubrick’s first true masterpiece
United Artists
Kubrick masterfully contrasts these scenes with the grandeur of an 18th-century castle where the soldiers’ sham trial takes place, alongside the Major General’s opulent gatherings. This theme of absurdly inept bureaucracy would later be sharpened in his 1964 satirical film “Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”
The 1957 film was seen as a risk by United Artists, especially with the subject matter, but it ultimately got made on account of Kirk Douglas’ interest in the screenplay, which was co-written by Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson and Kubrick. “Paths of Glory” parallels what Kubrick would accomplish later in his career with “Full Metal Jacket,” in that the film is split into two distinctive halves. The eventual conflict is set up by awe-inspiring vistas of French soldiers engulfed in the cramped trenches, creating a thin line between them and the muddy graveyards of No Man’s Land.
Kubrick then makes a brilliant juxtaposition with the opulent 18th-century castle that houses the three soldiers’ sham trial, in addition to the Major General’s lively parties. You can see the throughline of the comically cruel bureaucratic ignorance that Kubrick would later refine in the 1964 satire “Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”
Paths of Glory tackles the horrors of failed leadership and misguided accountability
United Artists
It’s no wonder “Paths of Glory” is considered among the best films of Kirk Douglas’ career, given that he commands the screen with a simmering contempt towards the central injustice. When it comes time for the execution, not even a head injury prevents the French Army from propping up Joe Turkel’s Private Arnaud against the firing squad pole while he’s unconscious on a stretcher. Among other things, this fictional depiction of their cruelty led to the film being banned in France, in addition to several other countries. But tensions have fizzled in the decades since, with “Paths of Glory” now being recognized as one of the best anti-war movies ever made.
The most interesting companion piece to Kubrick’s masterpiece is the double-length “Tales from the Crypt” episode “Yellow.” Based on a tale of the same name published in the 1950s comic magazine “Shock SuspenStories,” the Robert Zemeckis-directed episode tells the tale of scared WWI Lieutenant Kalthropp (Eric Douglas) having to face similar accusations of cowardice, with his superior officer and father played by none other than his real-life dad, Kirk Douglas.
General Kalthropp is a fascinating inversion of the Colonel Dax character, as he’s the one who ultimately sentences his son to the firing squad. The tension-laden family war drama angle may not make it immediately jump out as a “Tales from the Crypt” story, but “Yellow” very much plays into the brand of mean-spirited dark humor the horror series excelled at. It’s a cleverly-staged homage to “Paths of Glory,” while the casting of the elder Douglas adds a great deal of weight and suspense to the proceedings.
