Paths of
Glory defies easy conventions of genre. It is a war film, of course,
but one in which we never see an enemy soldier, even in the battle
for the “Anthill” scene. It is a courtroom drama,
but one in which the verdict has been decided before the trial begins,
the brilliant defense attorney is consistently denied permission to
be brilliant, and the trial itself takes up little screen time. It has dramatic elements, tragic elements, and — like just about
all Kubrick films — even occasional moments of black (exceedingly
black) humor. How would you describe this film to a friend who
asked you “What kind of film is it?”
Does Paths
of Glory have a villain? If so, who is it? And if
more than one, who is the most villainous of the villains?
One clear theme
of this film is the Social Darwinist idea, prevalent at the time (and
I should emphasize that it has no real connection to Darwin
except that it is based on Herbert Spencer’s misunderstanding
and misapplication of Origin of Species), that society was
filled with “undesirables.” Consider the attitude
General Mireau displays toward the men under his command, especially
contrasted with his initial description of them to General Broulard.
The scene that
ends the film has no connection to the rest of the film’s plot.
Except for Kirk Douglas, who is only an observer to the scene, to
my recollection not one character in it has even appeared earlier
in the film. Why does Kubick end this film with this scene?
(Notable bit of trivia: the singer, Susanne Christian, became
Christiane Kubrick the next year, and they remained married until
his death.)