The above image occurs not long into Stanley Kubrick's rather intimate anti-war film "Paths of Glory" (1957), and occurs during one of the late director's much loved tracking shots. It's one of the earliest examples of what would become a signature of the director, and a much referenced signature at that (see "Atonement"). I use intimate because, like with Melville's French resistance masterpiece "Army of Shadows", Kubrick's interest is in his protagonists' reactions to the context of warfare, and not just explosions and gunfire, making it rather contained for a war epic.
Kirk Douglas stars as Col. Dax, a principled man trapped in the French war machine during World War One. When told that he and his men need to take the German stronghold called "The Anthill" in less than two days from now, Dax understandably has his doubts. There to make sure that all goes according to plan is the dubious Gen. Mireau (George Macready), who seems to epitomise the hunger for war felt by those who never get into the fighting themselves but prefer to direct it from afar, impeccably dressed and enjoying some tea. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the tension between Mireau and Dax will come to erupt, and indeed it happens most significantly after the battle is over and the lives of the some French soldiers hang in the balance.
Anti-war films would become something of a habit for Kubrick, whose "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) remains, like "Paths of Glory", a timeless indictment of the absurdity of war and those who manage it. With "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), Kubrick took aim on the dehumanising effect that the Vietnam war had on young American men, and shows us that the dehumanisation started on home ground already. "Paths of Glory" is easily as powerful as these films, and bears the advantage of, like "Dr. Strangelove", coming in at around 90 minutes.
This is far from the indulgences of "Barry Lyndon" and "Eyes Wide Shut", both testing my patience with their adoration of themselves. It's a lean film with the clear aim of breaking down the dominant (at the time) mythology of French heroism (which resulted in many European countries banning the film for many years). Kubrick never shows us the apparent evil, the Germans, because he is concerned with what the 'good guys' were doing to themselves. "Paths of glory" has dated incredibly well because of Kubrick's near timeless visual style, and his focus on character and theme over spectacle.
The film was a testing ground to further develop Kubrick cine-eye. Consider the image below, and see how a master arranges a shot:
Click below to watch a key scene from the film where two soldiers discuss whether death by machine gun or bayonet would be best. Ebert describes the dialogue here as approaching Shakespearean:
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