Paths of Glory (film)

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Paths of Glory (Directed by Stanley Kubrick)/1957



My love for Stanley Kubrick’s movies developed through exposure to his most crafted, aesthetic works: in particular, Barry Lyndon and 2001 Space Odyssey. These movies showcased Kubrick’s amazing eye for detail and his ability to weave music into elegant cinematography to create something uniquely beautiful. 

Paths of Glory is one of Kubrick’s lesser known movies. It's not as crafted as his later movies and is more concerned with making a moral statement than creating something aesthetically perfect. However, the battle scenes that occur show glimpses of later Kubrick: meticulously crafted scenes that use music to create an enhanced emotional response.

The movie is set during the First World War and follows a group of French soldiers that are sent on a suicidal mission to take a key tactical position held by the Germans called the ‘Ant Hill’. The mission is conducted less to advance the French troop’s position than to promote the careers of those that ordered the mission.

What is particularly abhorrent about the decision to take the Ant Hill is that the soldiers are told they are doing it for their country and the values it stands for when in reality the decision was made out of naked ambition. We see here Nietzsche’s idea of ideology and "morality" being used as a control mechanism by those in power to fulfil their self-interested agenda. The irony however is that while Nietzsche focused on the use of Christian virtues as a social-control mechanism, Paths of Glory demonstrates how "warrior virtues" are abused in the same manner.

Kirk Douglas plays Colonial Dax. Dax leads the troops’ mission to take the Ant Hill while sceptical of the intentions behind the invasion. When the soldiers fail to take the Ant Hill and are tried in Military Court for cowardice, Dax acts as their defence lawyer (his profession in civilian life). One could argue that the movie presents characters in a black and white fashion. The generals are comical personifications of ruthless self-interest; Dax a human of only pure motive and universal concern for others; the soldiers presented as innocent victims of natural human emotion and the propaganda of courage and patriotism. On the other hand, the movie is not attempting to present a full account of the motives operating during the First World War, but is a metaphorical message about the wastage of war, and the deceptions that lead individuals to throw their lives away to promote the interests of others.

Paths of Glory presents something different to many contemporary war movies. It operates on a moral level, and its intention is to recreate the ideas at play during war rather than the physical environment. While not a perfect display of subtlety, Paths of Glory presents a powerful criticism of the evils involved war: in particular, the use of morality and patriotism by cynics to manipulate people into a violence that is against their better interests.

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