Paths of Glory (1957)

Paths of Glory (1957), directed by Stanley Kubrick, is a terse, hard-hitting World War I drama that exposes the cruelty and hypocrisy of military command. Set in 1916 trench warfare, ambitious high-ranking officers order an almost certainly suicidal assault on a well-defended German position called the “Anthill.” Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads the doomed attack; when parts of his regiment fall back under fire, three men are randomly selected as scapegoats and put on trial for cowardice. Dax refuses to abandon his men and mounts a passionate, moral defense against generals more concerned with glory and promotion than human life. Watching Paths of Glory, you’ll experience a lean, furious indictment of class, power and the expendability of ordinary soldiers. The film shifts from the claustrophobic horror of the trenches to a cold, Kafkaesque courtroom, creating mounting anger and sadness as injustice unfolds. Performances (especially Douglas’s) are powerful and the black‑and‑white cinematography and spare direction give the movie a bleak, haunting clarity. Expect to come away unsettled, emotionally moved, and compelled to reflect on the human cost of hierarchical authority and the futility of war.

Actors: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Runtime: 88 min

Genres: Drama, War

8.4 /10 90 /100 8.4 /10 8.6 /10