RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES (This article originally ran in October 2010)
By
Raymond Benson
Often
called one of the best, if not the best,
anti-war movie ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths
of Glory solidified the director’s standing in Hollywood as a talent to be reckoned
with. The second film in Kubrick’s collaboration with producer James B. Harris
(the first was the excellent The Killing),
and released in 1957, the picture demonstrated Kubrick’s flair for camerawork,
composition, and controversial subject matter. Certainly Paths of Glory stands out among his early works as a monumental
achievement.
Based
on true events during World War I, the story concerns how three innocent French
privates are court-martialed for “cowardice†simply to set an example after a
devastating defeat on the battlefield. Their commander (Kirk Douglas, in one of
his best performances) must defend them. Thus, the film is part war movie and
part courtroom drama.
Upon
release, the French government pressured United Artists not to exhibit the
film, so it wasn’t seen in France for nearly twenty years. It was critically
received in America and Britain, although it curiously failed to garner any
Academy Award nominations. (BAFTA nominated it for Best Picture, and Time Magazine cited it in their annual
“Ten Best†list.)
Paths of Glory’s battle scenes
are remarkably realistic and choreographed. The trademark Kubrick forward and
backward tracking shots, as Douglas marches through the trenches, are
particularly striking. The court-martial sequence, staged on a chessboard-like
floor, displays the director’s penchant for orderly, symmetrical composition.
The
film also contains some of the best acting in any Kubrick film—besides Douglas,
who carries the picture, there are strong performances from George Macready as
the general who insists on the court-martial, Adolphe Menjou as his superior,
and the three unfortunate privates—Ralph Meeker, Timothy Carey, and Joseph
Turkel (who was interviewed in Cinema
Retro #16). The only female in the film, Christiane Harlan (billed as
Susanne Christian), plays a German barmaid persuaded to sing to the troops. After
the film’s production, she became Mrs. Stanley Kubrick.
As
usual, Criterion does a splendid job in its presentation of the film on both
Blu-Ray and DVD. The restored, high-definition digital transfer results in a
crisp, clear picture unseen since the film’s release. Extras include an audio
commentary by film critic Gary Giddins; an excerpt from a 1966 audio interview
with Kubrick; a 1979 television interview with Kirk Douglas; and, more
importantly, brand new video interviews with producer Harris, Christiane
Kubrick, and Kubrick’s longtime executive producer, Jan Harlan. Also of great
interest in a vintage French television piece about the real-life World War I
execution that partly inspired the film.
This
is a must-purchase for any serious Kubrick fan, as well as for all aficionados
of cinema history.
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