Paths of Glory

I watched an excellent old movie entitled "Paths of Glory", from world-class director/writer Stanley Kubrick. In the movie, Kirk Douglas plays French WWI Colonel Dax who is given a direct order from his front lines General to take the German Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure.

To cover-up their fatal blunder, the Generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, one from each of Colonel Dax three company's, charging them with cowardice in the face of the enemy and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men's defense but soon realizes that unless he can prove that the Generals were to blame, nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad.

If you like a good black&white war movie which is not your typical blow'em up gun'em down war movie, then I'd recommend you check this one out. The politics of war and the lowly worth put on a soldier's life in times of war are all exposed in this great film. I found myself rewinding to get a better look at the up close shots of soldiers faces. Somehow, the director captured a look in the soldier's faces, though really actors, that reflected the coldness and ugliness of living in a front line trench during WWI.

Though many parts were what I'd consider great scenes, two really stick out in my mind. One scene reminds me of that scene in Shawshank Redemption when the prisoners are awestruck by the sound of a woman's voice singing the italian opera Figaro. For that moment in Shawshank Redemption and in the scene in this movie these hardened men are reminded of what it is to be human with family and loved ones.

The other scene is more of a quote than the scene itself. When the General, in trying to convince Colonel Dax to lead the suicide mission, shouts that patriotism is old fashion but patriots are honest, Colonel Dax says "not everyone always thought so. Samuel Johnson said something else." When the General forces Colonel Dax to tell him who Samuel Johnson was and what it was he said the Colonel replies with this famous quote from English writer Samuel Johnson:

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel



The Motion Picture Guide review gave the movie five stars with the statement: "One of the greatest anti-war films ever made."

Newsweek review stated: Paths of Glory is a blistering indictment of military politics and "an unforgettable movie experience."

The politics and cover-ups could be compared to the situation the U.S. finds itself in over in Iraq today. Watch the movie and judge for yourself.