10 Best War Films NOT About The US Military
4. Paths Of Glory
Stanley Kubrick may be best known for the likes of 2001: A Space Oddyssey and The Shining, but back in 1957 one of his first directorial projects that turned into a big hit was Paths of Glory, which focused on the French soldiers in the western front of the First World War.
This historical event is known for its grim futility, the trench warfare that saw untold suffering. Why did the soldiers on each side keep fighting? Fear of being shot for desertion and refusing to obey; Paths of Glory conveys this brutality better than any other film about the conflict.
The film shows three French soldiers, who are ordered to embark on a suicide charge against a heavily fortified German position. Upon refusal, a lengthy court martial ensues, showing how higher ranking officers at the time paid little mind to the psychological trauma of those they commanded.
More than most films about the conflict, Paths of Glory captures the pure, senselessness tragedy of World War One, an avoidable conflict that saw millions of young men needlessly charge to their deaths. The insane orders the men at the top gave and the horrific conditions soldiers went through are the centerpiece of this powerful