Movie of the Week – Paths of Glory

This Week’s Movie is Paths of Glory (1957).

The WWI film is about a company French soldiers who refuse to continue an impossible attack on a Prussian stronghold. Their superiors contend to make an example of them by executing a member of each of three platoons. The company commander, Col. Dax, seeing the injustice of this punishment, decides to defend them at their court martial. It is the second great film from writer-director Stanley Kubrick, who worked with composer Gerald Fried (for the second time in a row – he also scored The Killing), and German cinematographer George Krause and art director Ludwig Reiber. It stars Kirk Douglas (who also produced the film, and this is the first of his two collaborations with Kubrick – the second being Spartacus). It is probably his greatest performance of his career (and certainly the best film). Paths of Glory plays as one of the great anti-war films, attacking the sheer absurdity of soldiers being ordered to their deaths for no reason. It casts the soldiers on the front as a scattered array of everyday Joes, while those in high command sit comfortably in luxury, frivolously disregarding them (alive or dead). It is a striking blow to the idea of patriotism, and yet it also promotes the perseverance of the human spirit – the ability to ‘soldier on’. It is one of the most affecting and powerful films and a must-see for fans of human dramas. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

Movie of the Week – The Killing

This week’s movie is The Killing (1956).

The crime thriller is about a group of crooks, headed by Johnny Clay, who plan to pull off one big heist, stealing the earnings of a local racetrack. The film is Stanley Kubrick’s third directorial work, but probably the first true brilliant piece of the auteur’s career, as he went on to make critical hit after hit from that film on. Kubrick works with composer Gerald Fried (who also score Paths of Glory for Kubrick), cinematographer Lucien Ballard and art director Ruth Sobotka (her only film credit), and it stars Sterling Hayden. The Killing has a great film noir style to it, featuring excellent black and white photography, and the score fits the tone well. However, what makes it great, and sets it apart from many heist films of the time (influencing many to come) is its unique non-linier narrative structure and strangely unreliable narrator. United Artists did not believe in the film at all and were unhappy with it; but after it debuted as the second half of a double feature with Bandido, Kubrick’s reputation as a great new directing talent was made – leading to offers from Kirk Douglas and Marlon Brando. The Killing is a must-see for both fans of heist films and Kubrick’s work (as this the film that made him, and it is a very good heist film too). Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming