Paths of Glory
| Paths of Glory | |
|---|---|
| File:PathsOfGloryPoster.jpg | |
| Directed by | Stanley Kubrick |
| Written by | Stanley Kubrick, Jim Thompson, Calder Wilingham, Humphrey Cobb (novel) |
| Produced by | James B. Harris |
| Starring | Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates | 25 December, 1957 |
Running time | 86 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $935,000 |
Paths of Glory (1957) is an anti-war film by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb. Kubrick and his partners purchased the film rights from Cobb's widow for $10,000.
The book had no title when it was finished, so the publisher held a contest. The winning entry comes from the ninth stanza of the famous Thomas Gray poem Elegy Written in a Country Church-yard:
- The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
- And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
- Awaits alike th'inevitable hour.
- The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Plot Summary
Paths of Glory is based loosely on the true story of five French soldiers executed for mutiny during World War I; their families sued, and while the executions were ruled unfair, two of the families received one franc each, while the other three families received nothing.
The movies begins with an expositionary scene of a World War I battlefield with French General Mireau, played by George Macready, is making a trip through the trench to address his men. He asks three soldiers the question, "Are you ready to kill more Germans?"
Mireau, seeking a promotion, orders a regiment on a suicidal mission to take a hill, a common occurence during World War I. The mission is a failure, with one third of the soldiers refusing to leave the trench. The general orders his artillery to open fire on his own troops that remained in trenches, although the artillery man refuses to follow through with the heinous act.
As a result of the failure, the general wants to displace blame from himself to the soldiers, so he wants to publicly execute 100 soldiers as an example. The number is eventually brought to three with one from each company. One man is chosen because his captain has a personal vendetta towards him. Another is chosen by his peers because he is a social outcast. The last man is chosen randomly, despite him being one of the best and most courageous soldiers. This makes note that no matter how the men are selected, it will always be unfair who is chosen to die.
Kirk Douglas portrays Colonel Dax, who leads the soldiers in the attack and defends three soldiers to be court-martialed on charges of cowardice. The trial is heavily in the state's favor, and he inevitably loses the case. Although Dax does reveal the general's treachery to his higher-ups, complete with witness signatures about his attempted artillery barrage on his own men, he ends up disillusioned with the army's leadership and refuses a promotion to the general's old position. His superior does not understand his idealism.
The final scene is in a bar where a captured German waif is forced to sing in front of French troops. When she comes on stage, the soldiers begin to jeer and make charged statements that demean her nationality because she is German. She begins to sing a German song "The Faithful Hussar". Though the soldiers do not know German, they become emotionally touched and absorbed by the song, and overwhelmed by the melancholic and haunting beauty of the melody, they begin to hum along. Dax then gets word that they are returning to the front, and leaves his men for a moment of pleasure before they go back into combat.
Trivia
- The original 1935 novel by Humphrey Cobb was a minor success at the time, with a film planned. However, it was soon forgotten until Stanley Kubrick decided to adapt it to the screen, remembering the book from his childhood.
- In October and November of 2004 the movie was shown at the London Film Festival by the British Film Institute. It was carefully remastered over a period of several years; the original film elements were found to be damaged. However with the aid of several modern digital studios in Los Angeles the film was completely restored and remastered for modern cinema. In addition, Stanley Kubrick's wife made a guest appearance at the start of the performance.
- The only female character in the film, the waif who sings "The Faithful Hussar," was portrayed by German actress Susanne Christian. She later married director Stanley Kubrick, and the couple remained married until his death in 1999.
- Production took place entirely in Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany.
- The French authorities considered the film an offense to the honor of their army and prohibited its exhibition in France until 1975.
- In Germany the film wasn't allowed to be shown for a couple of years after its release to avoid any strain in relations with France.
- The movie was officially censored in Spain by the government of Francisco Franco for its anti-military content, and was not released in that country until 1986, 11 years after Franco's death.
- Paths of Glory is also the name of a card-driven strategy game covering World War I in Europe and the Near East, developed by game designer Ted Raicer and published by GMT Games.
See also
- All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel and film with similar themes