![]() The taut screenplay deals almost exclusively in irony. The ancient palaces are as much of a holdover from the decadent past as the antiquated military system itself. The troops suffer and die in filthy conditions while the generals meet for lunch in regal chateaus. ![]() Making good use of his photographic skills, Kubrick's vision of trench warfare resembles authentic photographs. On a meager budget, Kubrick constructs an impressive, gritty battle scene that holds its own against the benchmark set by Lewis Milestone's classic All Quiet on the Western Front. The theme is consistent in his work, from the robbers of The Killing to the spacemen in 2001 betrayed by their own computer. Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is a superb film about the failure of human effort and institutions. as Dax has documented the General's attempt to fire on his own troops. But Broulard also lays a trap for Mireau. General Broulard sees the entire issue in political terms, and coldly assumes that Dax's spirited defense is a maneuver for personal advancement. General Mireau has equated his personal pride with the honor of the army. Roget chooses the third to die: Corporal Paris, the witness to Roget's cowardice.Ĭolonel Dax defends the three in the court-martial, despite the fact that the outcome is a foregone conclusion. One victim is selected by lot and another is singled out because he's unpopular. The number of men to be shot is narrowed to just three, to be chosen by the trench officers. To save face and "teach his men a lesson", the petulant Mireau demands that executions be carried out. Seeing that some soldiers never left the trenches, Mireau directs his own artillery to fire on them, but his orders are refused. The attack fails, after many of Colonel Dax's men are killed in a pointless frontal assault. The utterly unprincipled General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders the incompetent, arrogant General Mireau (George Macready) to take The Anthill at all costs. He silences the only witness, Corporal Paris (Ralph Meeker) by pulling rank - the enlisted man's word will never be accepted over his. Roget (Wayne Morris) panics and kills one of his own men. On a reconnaissance patrol, the cowardly Lt. Kubrick directs for maximum intellectual outrage at the plight of soldiers betrayed by a decadent and cynical officer corps.Ī lawyer in civilian life, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) accepts orders to take an enemy position called The Anthill. Paths of Glory makes a searing statement about the callous inhumanity of World War 1, where millions of men were killed in suicidal charges against machine guns. Robert Aldrich's Attack! promised a raw indictment of a corrupt and cowardly chain of command, but finished up applauding the U.S. War was Hell but it also delivered exciting entertainment, hopefully with a little sex to attract female audiences. The 1950s didn't really produce anti-war films as we now define them. ![]() Rather than swim upstream, the director gave Douglas what he wanted - big Oscar-bait dramatic scenes - and concentrated on the daunting challenge of making an intelligent anti-war film. Kirk Douglas claimed a third of Paths of Glory's budget as his salary, and Kubrick was practically working for free. Kubrick stayed independent and kept his focus on the long goal. Others like Sam Peckinpah fought with their producers and were fired from their own films. Many film directors opted for the security of studio contracts or retreated to television when feature work dried up. ![]() Stanley Kubrick managed his career brilliantly. Impressed by an obvious new talent, Kirk Douglas secured a production deal for 1957's Paths of Glory and the director was off and running again. ![]() Harris assembled a package to attract a big star. Rather than remain in the B-picture ghetto, Kubrick and his producer James B. Kubrick's third feature The Killing had garnered critical attention but was still a small film with limited earning potential. The Criterion Collection has been releasing Stanley Kubrick films on video since the days of laserdisc, and now turns its attention to one of the director's early artistic successes. Written by Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson from the book by Humphrey Cobb Starring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Timothy Carey, Christiane Kubrick, Jerry Hausner, Emile Meyer, Bert Freed. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |