Paths of Glory (1957)

Paths of Glory

• Stanley Kubrick is an absolute genius on every level, and let’s just consider the fact that he made this when he was only 28. Even though I’m 22 and on the other side of the 20’s, I couldn’t imagine making something this impressive and astounding in just six years from now. I’ll start by saying this: I was recognizing how masterful this was for most of the first half, though I wasn’t mind blown or anything. But once it came to the firing squad scene…….geez. My heart was pounding through my chest and I was so completely absorbed in the film, I think a tornado could’ve knocked out my house and I wouldn’t have noticed. This was certainly an anxiety inducing film, in both the war scenes and the trial/legal scenes. I had no idea what I was in store for. And in terms of anti-war, this is among one of the greatest of all time. It’s easily on the same tier of films like ‘Come and See’, ‘Apocalypse Now’, and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022). The writing is immaculate and even though nobody had a French accent (while being portrayed as French), the dialogue is still natural and connects the second half of the film very well. The crazy thing is that this is only an hour and half, too. While it doesn’t feel long, it still has so much detail and emotion in it that you get a complete, fleshed out representation of humanity in times of conflict (both physical and mental). I could’ve easily watched another two hours of it, yet I’m still very satisfied with what I saw. Of course, it left me shaken and disturbed, but also in awe and admiration. Kubrick is the MAN. The performances were all fantastic, and every single character has something important to add and represent. It’s visually stunning, it’s realistically shot (while still being almost surreal), and the costume and sets seemed very authentic. My final thought is that this isn’t just a war film…..it’s a message and a warning. It’s a perfect film in basically every sense and I’m extremely disappointed that I haven’t watched this sooner. I would recommend this to everyone and anyone. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!