The Moral Landscape of Kubrick’s Paths of Glory

Information Conveyed in the First Minutes of Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory Before the Battle Begins 

Against a black background we see the United Artists logo in blue with the name in white in a sans serif font. This fades and then the words Bryna Productions present in a serif font appear. The name Kirk Douglas replaces that, with a very large font, followed then by Paths of Glory, with a fine line of print beneath that reads: 
© COPYRIGHT MCMLVII HARRIS-KUBRICK PICTURES CORPORATION.

Co-stars and other featured stars are listed, followed by other staff, art director, screenwriters and the novel it is based on, "Paths of Glory" by Humphrey Cobb.

The opening shot appears at one minute and nineteen seconds into the film. We see what appears to be a scene on the order of Versailles. There are officers on horseback near the foreground, a man on a bicycle to the left, and a few clusters of persons both in the foreground and further away. The scene is black and white, and the words France 1916 are superimposed over it. 

Voiceover: "War began between Germany and France on August 3, 1914." 

The camera follows the bicycle to the foreground which turns to the left. Soldiers bearing arms are marching by as the narrator states that "the German army, five weeks later, had smashed its way to within 18 miles of Paris. There the battered French miraculously rallied their forces at the Marne River, and then a series of unexpected counter attacks drove the Germans back. The front was stabilized, and shortly developed into a continuous line of heavily fortified trenches zigzagging their way 500 miles from the English Channel to the Swiss frontier." 

During this narration soldiers line up in front of this stately French estate which may be the equivalent of our Capitol. A jeep approaches, the men present arms as a person of importance disembarks and strides into the building, accompanied by his aides.

Narrator: "By 1916, after two grisly years of trench warfare, the battle lines had changed very little. Successful attacks were measured in hundreds of yards and paid for in lives numbering hundreds of thousands."

The person of importance is General George Broulard who has come to call on General Paul Mireau. After a little small talk, Gen. Broulard cuts to the chase. "Paul, I've come to see you about something big." 

General Mireau has already heard rumors of what is coming. The Ant Hill has been the key to the whole sector. The Germans have held it for a year and will hold it for another if they want. 

"Paul, I have formal orders to take the Ant Hill no later than the tenth. That's the day after tomorrow," General Boulard says.

"That comes pretty close to being ridiculous, don't you think?" General Mireau replies. 

"I wouldn't be here if I thought that," Gen. Broulard says. He then begins his pitch. "If there's one man who could do this it would be you."

Mireau expresses frankly, "That's out of the question. Absolutely out of the question. My division has been cut to pieces. What's left of it is in no condition to hold the Ant Hill, let alone take it. I'm sorry, but that's the truth."

Gen. Broulard brings out his carrot, dangles a promotion and another star before him, but Mireau remains realistic. It can't be accomplished and he asserts that for him, "My men come first of all, George, and those men know it." And furthermore, "The life of one of those soldiers means more to me than all the stars and decorations and honors in France."

"So, you think this is absolutely beyond the ability of your men at this time," Broulard replies.

General Mireau, tilting his head and making direct eye contact, says, "I didn't say that, George."

And so it begins. The cat and mouse dialogue ends with a decision to make it happen, not for personal glory, but for France. 

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SPOILER ALERT

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At six minutes, eight seconds, we cut to the battlefield. Or rather, we see a desolate view of no man's land with the Ant Hill as a backdrop. The camera pulls back and we see that this is a view from an observation window. There's a bomb crater, naked trees stripped of leaves by artillery fire, a dank mist hovering across the blasted terrain.

The camera pulls back to reveal that we are in a concrete bunker, with a soldier standing there viewing the scene through a horizontal notch. He wears a grim expression as he turns away.

Cut to: General Mireau and his chief aide are walking through the trench, Mireau cheerful and with smug purposefulness as he greets the soldiers he passes. The soldiers bolt to attention as he approaches. At intervals he stops to engage in what he imagines to be an inspirational chat. It's not a real dialogue because he is clueless as to the interior condition of these men In point of fact he cares nothing for their welfare, as will become apparent later.

The first two men he stops to talk with will be unjustly placed before a firing squad by the film's end. The third soldier he stops to exchange banter with is clearly shell-shocked. When another soldier standing at this man's side says he's shell-shocked, the general declares that there is no such thing as shell shock. One more signal indicating how removed and out of touch the generals are.

The general, outraged, slugs the shell-shocked soldier in the face, then orders him removed from the regiment. As they continue on their way his aide says, "General, I'm convinced that these tours of your have an incalculable effect on morale. In fact, I think the fighting spirit of the 701st derives from it."

That scene is devastating.

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Kubrick is doing something subtle in these opening scenes. Before the battle even begins, he is already making a visual argument about war.

The first technique is camera movement. When General Mireau walks through the trench, Kubrick places the camera in front of him and tracks backward as he advances. The shot lasts far longer than most directors would allow. As the general strides forward confidently, soldiers snap to attention one after another, the muddy trench walls pressing in on both sides.

What makes the shot powerful is the contrast it creates. The general moves smoothly through space, confident and purposeful. The soldiers cannot move at all. They are wedged into the trench like parts in a broken machine. The camera forces us to look directly into their faces—tired, anxious, hollow. Mireau sees soldiers. We see human beings.

Kubrick used variations of this technique throughout his career. In The Killing, for example, the camera follows characters through corridors and racetrack passageways in long, deliberate movements that quietly build tension and reveal character. The motion of the camera itself becomes part of the storytelling.

The second technique in Paths of Glory is architectural contrast. The film opens in a grand French chateau where generals discuss strategy beneath high ceilings, polished floors, and ornate walls. War here is calm, civilized, almost elegant. Maps are studied, promotions hinted at, decisions made over polite conversation.

Then Kubrick cuts to the trenches.

The world changes instantly. The ceilings disappear. The sky is gray. The ground is muck. The soldiers live like burrowing animals in narrow corridors carved into the earth. The contrast is unmistakable: the war planned in the palace is fought in the mud.

Kubrick doesn’t have to say what he thinks about war. The camera has already told us. But as anyone knows who has seen this film the dialogue is priceless, especially the manner in which the lines are delivered.

Near the film's conclusion, Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax delivers this indictment of what was is and does:

"Gentlemen of the court, there are times when I am ashamed to be part of the human race, and this is one of them... I can't believe that the noblest impulse of man, his compassion for another, can be completely dead here."

At this instant my mind goes immediately to the people of Gaza, and the common people of all the other failed states that have been dismantled by imperialist aggression. 

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Related Link
Poilu -- A Grisly WWI Memoir from the Trenches

1917 Is a Breathtaking, Visually Stunning Masterpiece

As the film opens you see the words April 6 in small letters above a large 1917. This film is about a single day in the Great War. 

The opening shot begins with a view of a green field lush with wildflowers, slowly pulling back to reveal two weary British soldiers resting, one lying on his back, helmet over his eyes, and the other leaning against a tree. A third soldier enters the frame--we only see his legs--gently kicks the first soldier to wake him, and says, "Blake. Pick a man. Bring your kit."

The two soldiers stand up and begin walking. The camera doesn't blink as they proceed to walk through a camp where other soldiers are busy with various activities, and then proceed into the trenches, the camera eye still open, a single long shot from the first, first leading them and then following them. They arrive at an underground bunker to report to the general -- who would rarely come in person to this position so near to the front. "It must be something important."

As it turns out, it is very important. The Germans have withdrawn from their lines and appear to be on the run, but British reconnaissance has revealed that they've set up a trap, dug in new entrenchments 9 miles back. There is a British wing that intends to pursue the retreating Germans without knowing they will be massacred. And there is no way to communicate with them because their communication lines have been cut by the enemy. Blake's brother is one of those 1600 men who will be wiped out should the next day's attack be undertaken.

Your job, boys, is to bring this memo to the commanding officer Major Stevens, to stop the invasion before it begins. "You think you can get there in time?"

The camera has yet to break. They leave the command center and return to the crowded trench, making haste to get on with the mission, Blake driven by a need to save his brother. You can see Blake's agitation as he pushes through the trench, increasingly disturbed.

Ten minutes in and this whole intro is clearly a tribute to previous masters of film. The long opening shot from Orson Welles' Touch of Evil comes to mind, given a nod again in The Player. And it's impossible not to be reminded of Kirk Douglas walking through the trenches in Kubrick's Paths of Glory.  

The soundtrack's ebb and flow is fairly tense throughout. The scenery is an epic re-creation of what it must have been like in that horrorshow of a war. As the two young men begin their journey, everything they see and experience is undoubtedly the way it was, a stomach-wrenching scene of death and decay. 

The film won three academy awards. It's easy to see why. In a hundred ways the film shows us how awful war can be, but also what heroism is. The latter is why the film garnered such praise.

What is heroism? It begins with a clear sense of purpose, and a commitment to do whatever it takes to attain that objective. 

Unlike the objective in Paths of Glory, capturing an ant hill, the hero here is risking everything to save the lives of 1600 fellow soldiers. The manifold obstacles between him and his goal are what drive the story.  

Lance Corporal Blake is played by Dean-Charles Chapman, his companion Lance Corporal Schofield played by George MacKay. 

There are so many features that make this a great film. The directing, cinematography, acting, soundtrack, the storyline and the emotions it invokes all contribute. The simple, subtle manner in which you find yourself drawn into the story is utterly brilliant, a sleight of hand maneuver that effectively weds you to these two young men who must carry out an impossible mission.

In short, the film is an achievement of the first order, and as grisly and gritty as it was, it leaves you rewarded for having invested the time to see it. 10 stars out of 10.

The "Art Top 5" Project

This past week I learned a project called called the "Art Top 5" in which some people were looking for bloggers to create a blog post that shares their favorites art or artists in each of 5 categories: paintings, photography, film, song or song artist, and performing art. Making lists is something I like to do anyways, so here is my contribution.

painting:  Guernica by Picasso

In the 1970's the Guernica hung at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Purportedly Picasso refused to allow its return to Spain until his homeland was a republic. All who had the opportunity to see the 11 foot tall by nearly 26 feet wide painting in person were rightfully moved. I certainly was.

The painting is a statement against fascism, showing the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country village in northern Spain, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces on 26 April 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.(1)

It's quite impossible to really select a single painting out of the vast sea of historically significant works. Nevertheless, there are certain artists who have produced a remarkable impact on the times they lived in, and the artists who lived in those times. In the 20th century few have equalled the output and influence of Pablo Picasso.

photography: Matthew Brady 

I tip my hat to the photographers whose devotion to capturing the glory that is nature has resulted in the enrichment of all of us. Growing up on reading National Geographic, we didn't catch their names but the work produced created images we never forgot. Of peers I tip my hat to the work of John Heino, who has been capturing and sharing (via social media) images of astonishing beauty.

Matthew Brady once said, "My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history." Any student of the Civil War will have become familiar with the black and white reproductions of his work, especially the battlefield shots. The camera never flinched. He captured generals, soldiers and presidents, and though the brutal honesty of the camera never made him rich, he served an important role in the history of photojournalism. By means of graphic imagery it was photojournalists who helped bring the war home to the American public.

movie:  Groundhog Day or Paths of Glory

I've had quite a few favorite movies over the years. There are simply a lot of great films. Twenty years ago my list of "Favorites" -- which included books, stories and music -- looked like this. At the top is a list of favorite films. There are quite a few additionals that would have been added since then, but here are two that have stood the test of time.

Paths of Glory is an early film by Stanley Kubrick that foreshadows all that made Kubrick's future films classic. Groundhog Day is an equally compelling film with an altogether different form, style and message. Each has continued to bring rewards upon subsequent viewings.

song or song artist: Bob Dylan, game changer

There are many who would declare Bob Dylan to be the most significant person in music of the past fifty years. By the 1990’s Dylan had been the most re-recorded songwriter in rock history. I don’t have the data on hand but his songs have appeared in conjunction with Hollywood films more than anyone I know of other than pro score composers like John Williams and Ennio Morricone. From Poor Little Rich Girl (1965) and Easy Rider (1968) to Henry Poole Is Here (2008) and The Help (2010), Dylan’s music has been used to bring home just the right mood and moment in so many varieties of film and television scenes. In light of the global reach of Hollywoo
d, in a culture that is increasingly splintered Dylan’s influence is a fluid thread that permeates all media forms.

To be asked to pick a single song or album would be a difficult -- if not impossible -- task for anyone, yet that smack of the drumstick that opens "Like A Rolling Stone" would have to be among the chosen few. For more than this, read my notes on Five Qualities Shared by Balzac, Picasso and Dylan.

performing arts: Cirque du Soleil

This was perhaps the most difficult. My thoughts slid from modern dance to symphony to theater with nothing really standing out, until I reflected on Cirque du Soleil. Circuses in America have a long history that goes all the way back to shortly after the Revolution, offering the masses a source of diversion and entertainment unlike anything else. In the days before radio and television there were as many as a hundred circuses weaving their way about the land. But circus was not just about spectacular entertainment. At the heart of the circus was an innovative showmanship and entrepreneurism.

The the advent of television, and moreso with Hollywood special effects, circuses would have to step up their game in order to compete. Cirque du Soleil has done exactly that, creating spectacle in altogether new ways leaving impressions not readily forgotten.

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You like looking at art and reading about what's happening in the visual/fine arts scene? Visit the artdaily.org

Meantime, art goes on all around you... in a whole variety of forms. Celebrate it.

(1) Wikipedia

Paths of Glory

I have placed this early Kubrick anti-war statement on my top ten list both for its originality, great acting, compelling story line, plot twists, and surprisingly beautiful and inspired ending. This one is a heart-breaker account of a moment in history that must have repeated itself endlessly in that horrific bloodfest called the trenches of World War I. To some extent Kubrick returned to the theme in various ways with Full Metal Jacket. Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax is perfect here, demonstrating the challenge of maintaining honor within a system that has turned values on its head. The story illumines a crisis point in the life and career of Colonel Dax, who has lived by the watchword of Duty with a capital D throughout his career while holding fast to his ideals as regards faithfulness to his men. The army's absurd effort to capture "the Anthill" results in a tear in the fabric of his idealism. The ugliness he sees is an eye opener for both Dax and the audience, who sees the political machinations behind the scenes with tragic clarity.

Colonel Dax, identifying with his men, is an inspiration in contrast to an empty culture of power and prestige cut loose from its ethical moorings.

The following is a review from imdb.com which gives a fairly good summation of the film.

"Let the men have a few minutes more", 15 October 2006
Author: nora_nettlerash from Ruritania

Although Kubrick's films are marked by their massive variation of genre and tone, one theme that crops up again and again is a strong anti-war sentiment, and this was never stated more strongly than in Paths of Glory. A relatively early Kubrick picture and, despite coming before what is considered his classic period, it is one of his best.

In contrast to his previous picture, The Killing, a definite Kubrick style is beginning to emerge now. One notable example is the scene in which General Mireau tours the trenches, walking towards the audience with the camera retreating away from him. This technique would be repeated years later in Kubrick's other war film, Full Metal Jacket. There is also something about the arrangement of objects in the frame, as well the tracking and dollying which hints towards his more familiar later style. His recurring chess motif appears as well, albeit subtly. At the court martial the floor is chequered, and the soldiers on trial are seated with guards standing behind them as if they are pawns about to be sacrificed.

The light and contrast in this picture is put to good effect. The palatial officers' headquarters is light and airy with few shadows. The trenches are gloomy and cramped. Kubrick was becoming a real master at contrasting locations and getting the look of a place just right.

The use of music in Paths of Glory is bold and brilliant. The pre-recorded score is almost entirely percussive – all rhythmic sounds with no melody. A weird kettle drum track is used to help build tension in the night patrol scene, while in the climactic scene the funeral march drumming instills a sense of dread, further heightened by having the shots edited in time to the beat. In the emotional final scene we get the complete opposite – a beautiful vocal melody. This has all the more impact after hearing nothing but militaristic drums for the rest of the film.

The casting is absolutely flawless. While there are no big names apart from leading man Kirk Douglas and the now elderly Adolphe Menjou, there isn't a single weak performance. The despair and resentment of the condemned soldiers feels so absolutely real. In contrast the smugness and fake sympathy of the upper class officers is brilliantly portrayed.

Throughout his career Kubrick never seemed to be particularly keen on blatantly emotional moments. Paths of Glory is the exception. The later scenes are incredibly poignant and moving, and the final moments in the soldier's bar are what makes it a masterpiece more than anything else – the icing on the cake.

No question this film foreshadows techniques which Kubrick would use again in future films. The kettle drums in the night patrol scene, especially the slowed pace, is re-created to eerie tension-building effect in the second duel scene in Barry Lyndon.

I am especially awed at how deftly Kubrick is able to paint so many characters with such vividness and depth in such a short amount of time. From the generals to the men in the trenches, we get clear snapshots of their motivations and basic drives. From acting to story line to cinematography... a great film.

With regard to the central action, the effort to take the Ant Hill (itself a hilariously symbolic objective), I am reminded of a story from General Schwartzkopf's autobiography when he writes about the surprise assault on Granada. According to Schwartzkopf, they achieved their objective swiftly and without loss of life, an incredible achievement in any case scenario involving guns and soldiers. But then, a phone call came from Washington, and he was given further instructions. The mini-war was being run from afar, without appreciation for the real situation. Two helicopters and more than two dozen men were lost, marring an otherwise remarkable accomplishment. When asked to lead Desert Storm years later, he agreed to do it only if he were in charge, and not people in Washington. The PR aims of higher ups are often out of touch with the realities on the front. Perhaps this is a problem in any situation where there are excessive layers of bureaucracy.

Trivia: The German woman singing in the final scene went on to become Kubrick's wife.

25 Random Things About Ed Newman

Yesterday I was "tagged" on Facebook. I just started a Facebook page about six weeks ago and it is a mixed blessing. Every one of these variants of Web 2.0 involves a little bit of time commitment, yet I see why some people like Facebook... If you are going to hang out in a social network, you might as well hang where some of your real friends are.

A week or two ago I think I was tagged by someone else, but didn't know what it meant... but yesterday John Heino tagged me and I sort of got it. You write 25 random things about yourself, then share this list with 25 "friends" on Facebook. Yes, it is a lot like a chain letter, but I like the exercise better because it is more free form. There are some of those email chains that ask you all these questions. You are locked in by someone else's design. I like coloring outside the lines, so this feels much more natural to me.

Here's my list, then. And if you want to post a random list about you in the comments... or somewhere else on the Internet, have at it. And if I am lucky, maybe I'll also figure out how to tag a few people on Facebook, too.

25 Random Things About Ed Newman

1. My internet “handle” since 1994 has been “ennyman” which was a variant of my initials (e.n.) blended with the concept of Everyman from French Revolution, which fascinated me when I was in junior high school.
2. I also liked the Alamo in junior high school and built a model of the Alamo for Mr. Capetta’s seventh grade social studies class.
3. I am currently reading a book called Polk, who was president of the U.S. during the Mexican War. He was the second president from Tennessee.
4. My favorite president was U. S. Grant. Mark Twain published his memoirs, which I was reading in the hallway when my wife Susie was in labor the day my son was being born. I have read the Memoirs of U.S. Grant twice and the fifty dollar bill is my favorite. I have several other books on Grant and recommend Grant Win the War to any Civil War buff, especially Grant fans.
5. I’ve been tagged a couple times already but didn’t know what it meant. Without resorting to a 2 x 4 across the side of the head, John Heino explained it better, hence I am following through this time.
6. I have published more than 250 articles and 600 blog entries and 535 Tweets as of Feb 2, 09. (You can follow me on Twitter at ennyman3)
7. My original website looked like this: http://www.enewman.biz/ and was created in 1994-95 using Adobe Pagemill and some html I taught myself from a book, which is handy to this day.
8. I like learning new things. I tried podcasting when it first started, started a blog to learn what it was about.
9. I was one credit short of being an art major in college. Got a B.G.S. instead.
10. My grandmother encouraged my mom to enroll me in art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art when I was about five or so. She told me I never scribbled when I was a toddler but was fascinated by tracing things through the paper and stuff like that.
11. Having an art background has helped my career. I am currently Director of Advertising at AMSOIL INC. in Superior Wisconsin. Some samples of my work can be seen here: http://www.amsoil.com/adslicks.aspx
12. I moved to New Jersey when I was twelve.
13. I went to college at Ohio University in Athens, 1970-74
14. In 1976 I came to Minnesota to go to Bible school at Bethany Fellowship where I met my wife Susie.
15. Ich spreche ein bischen Deutsch, pero hablo Espanol un poco mas.
16. I’ve been a Mac guy since 1987, but had to learn how to use PCs at the office, so you might say I am ambidextrous, if you catch my drift.
17. My ties rack is an antler which is fastened to the side of a shelf in my home office. In a white shirt business suit culture the tie is your one means of making a statement. Use it.
18. I own about thirty Dylan albums and CDs and have quite a few books about Dylan including his Chronicles, Volume 1, which I have read twice.
19. I have been listening to audio books for nearly ten years whenever I am in the car and have probably listened to hundred of them…
20. I like reading favorite books or stories over and over again. I used to do this in second grade and both the librarian and my teacher commented on it. Favorite books, favorite music, favorite movies… their like good friends that you never get tired of.
21. Today was Groundhog Day, and Groundhog Day is also one of my favorite films along with Educating Rita, Truman Show and Paths of Glory.
22. Life is amazing. If you’re bored with life, the fault lies within.
23. When it comes to politics I like to read both sides of issues in an effort to develop my own perspective. I strongly dislike being told what to think or how to think about it.
24. I agree with Francis Schaeffer’s first sentence of Whatever Happened to the Human Race? When he wrote, “Cultures can be judged in many ways, but eventually every nation in every age must be judged by this test: How did it treat people?”
25. The Twin Towers came down on my 49th birthday. It was not my best birthday.