Paths Of Glory (1957)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
With recent events in Iraq, the relevance of Paths Of Glory grows year on year. Kirk Douglas excels as Colonel Dax, defending three soldiers up for court martial, to cover up a military mistake on World War I’s Western Front. The film was banned in France until 1975, yet is far more anti-establishment than it is anti-war or anti-France. If unsung Kubrick, it’s the first movie to reveal the director’s true colours, blessed with a cool, intellectual thrill, spare economical characterisation and precise tracking shots. Cementing Kubrick’s relationship with Douglas, it led to him taking over Spartacus, but more importantly, in the small role of ‘German Singer’, Kubrick found Christiane Harlan, who became his wife up until his death. Sometimes, war is swell. Read Review