30 years before Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick created a war film masterpiece – Cinema News

During his immense career Stanley Kubrick made several war films, two of which became classics of the seventh art: Full Metal Jacket and Paths of Glory. Although the latter is often less well regarded than the first, it nonetheless remains a pure masterpiece.

Made in 1957, then released in theaters in 1975, Paths of Glory takes place during the year 1916, during the First World War. It is in this virulent context that French General Broulard (played by Adolphe Menjou) orders General Mireau (played by George Macready) to launch a suicidal offensive against an impregnable German position: “The Anthill”.

Colonel Dax is in charge of this operation, which turns into a disaster. To set an example, General Mireau decides to sentence three “poilus” to the death penalty. Masterfully played by Kirk Douglas, the character of Colonel Dax commands respect by opposing the injustice of the military hierarchy wanting to sacrifice men.

A monument to war films

Paths of Glory is the adaptation of a novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb published in 1935. For Stanley Kubrickwho was deeply affected by this book in his youth, paying homage to it was obvious.

And the least we can say is that the American filmmaker was right to listen to himself! Because after eighteen years of bad reviews in France (soldiers and veterans saw it as a direct criticism of the French army during the First World War) the film Paths of Glory finally received the expected success.

Driven by an exceptional performance of Kirk Douglasrealistic trial scenes, and one of the most beautiful death sentence sequences, it is today considered a war film masterpiece. Because what really differentiates it from other feature films of the genre is that it never reveals the enemy. A bias that makes this film unique.

With its rating of 4.6 out of 5 by the press, and 4.4 out of 5 by Internet users, Paths of Glory is therefore one of the greatest war films ever made.

Among the best comments published on AlloCiné, we can read: “Another pearl of the 7th art for Stanley Kubrick“, “A monumental film, both poignant and politically powerful, which does not forget to be a true formal masterpiece”, or “Kirk Douglas exceptional in an intense, moving film filmed with masterful splendor. Everything is said!

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