Paths of Glory

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Paths of Glory

1957

1h 26m

War

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

78 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his subordinate, General Mireau (George Macready), to attack a German trench position, offering a promotion as an incentive. Though the mission is foolhardy to the point of suicide, Mireau commands his own subordinate, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), to plan the attack. When it ends in disaster, General Mireau demands the court-martial of three random soldiers in order to save face.

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Critics Consensus

Paths of Glory is a transcendentally humane war movie from Stanley Kubrick, with impressive, protracted battle sequences and a knock-out ending.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

03/01/2024

5/5

The director Stanley Kubrick and the producer-star Kirk Douglas anticipated the countercultural energy of the 1960s with this angry anti-war parable.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

02/19/2024

...the real enemy here is the French officer class who, from their opulently appointed chateau, use infantry as pawns in pursuit of personal promotion and in covering up of their own highly consequential failures.

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

06/02/2015

4/5

Those who are used to 2001: A Space Odyssey or A Clockwork Orange will initially find this black-and-white First World War drama starring Kirk Douglas rather traditional, until its radical content is revealed.

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Pat Padua

Washington City Paper

May 5

A taut 88-minute drama of meaningless brutality, managerial ineptitude, and gross injustice.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

03/12/2024

Paths of Glory was too sobering to be a popular success, but it established Kubrick as a leading director.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/25/2022

4/4

Arguably the greatest antiwar film ever made, Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory feels like a mule kick to the stomach no matter how many times one has seen it (in my case, too many to recall).

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Chris W

@chriswerner83 8h

Excellent filming style. Great acting. Feels like a pleasure just watching this.

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Alejandro E

@Alex970 6d

Directed by a then-debutant Stanley Kubrick, this war drama based on real events was one of the first to break with convention, functioning more as an anti-war statement, with an outstanding performance by Kirk Douglas.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Jun 26

Movie carries a good message about war. Pacing is bearable given the short runtime. As a product of Kubrick's early career, it doesn't display the masterfulness that makes his other classics timeless.

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Matthew J L

@matthewjloller Apr 23

My first Kubrick. My impression from the bits of his films I had seen was that he was a calculated filmmaker but still cold. Sure enough that’s pretty much exactly what Paths of Glory is. Technical precision in a condemning portrayal of military incompetence. Yet still by the end of the film, hope is so lacking that one feels only despair and cold. This was the reality of WW1 and so it’s hard to fault Kubrick for such a portrayal but I also have to admit it was still cold and distant and that’s off putting to some degree.

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acsdoug D

@acsdoug Apr 11

More than a mere war movie, it is a near perfect drama.

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Tom C.

@tac2005 Mar 23

One of Kubricks finest. Truly powerful with Kirk Douglas performance and cinematography.

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

Kirk Douglas

Col. Dax

Ralph Meeker

Cpl. Philip Paris

Adolphe Menjou

Gen. George Broulard

George Macready

Gen. Paul Mireau

Wayne Morris

Lt. Roget

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - The Execution

1:48

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Your Men Died Very Well

2:16

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Maintaining Discipline

2:09

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Closing Argument

1:59

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - They're Going to Kill Us

0:53

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - A Controversial Order

2:18

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - The Faithful Hussar

3:44

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - Charging the Ant Hill

2:36

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - A Stroll Through the Trenches

2:10

Paths of Glory: Official Clip - We'll Take the Ant Hill

2:10

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Synopsis

During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his subordinate, General Mireau (George Macready), to attack a German trench position, offering a promotion as an incentive. Though the mission is foolhardy to the point of suicide, Mireau commands his own subordinate, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), to plan the attack. When it ends in disaster, General Mireau demands the court-martial of three random soldiers in order to save face.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: Kirk Douglas, James B. Harris
Screenwriter: Humphrey Cobb, Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson
Distributor: United Artists, Criterion Collection, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Bryna Productions
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 26m
Sound Mix: Mono, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1), 35mm