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Many war
films have been made, but most are formulaic and dull, with
little to say and even less to recommend. Some older films
merely choose to emphasize heroism and glory, without regard
to meaning and purpose. Paths of Glory stands out among this
collection of mediocrity as a haunting work and a searing
portrait of World War I.
The year
is 1916, and the place is the front line of the World War
I battlefields. French Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) has been
given an impossible mission. He must inspire and lead his
already battle weary men in a charge to take an anthill currently
occupied by the Germans. Half of his men are sure to be killed.
Making the situation even more infuriating is the fact that
his callous commandants know the task is impossible. But their
"parlor game" perception of the war treats men as
pawns to be used by the generals in their egomaniacal quests
for knighthood.
Kubrick
really makes his presence felt in the look of this film. Not
content with using artificial studio sets, Kubrick employs
elaborate tracking shots in the trenches to authenticate the
locale. No Man's Land perfectly captures what I always imagined
this battle scarred area would look like. The contrast provided
by the opulence of the general's home is quite striking.
I'm not
sure whether to give credit for Kirk Douglas' performance
to Douglas or to Kubrick, whose obsession with perfection
has led to so many great performances. Regardless who is responsible,
this performance is the best I have seen from Douglas, and
at the very least he deserved an Academy Award nomination.
Believe
it or not, but A Clockwork Orange was not the only Kubrick
film that was banned in a western European country. Paths
of Glory was banned for several years in France because of
its negative portrayal of French generals. So much for freedom
of speech! What's that old saying, "viva la censorship?"
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The source
material is excellent, with only a few minor scratches and
scars obscuring an incredibly sharp and detailed picture.
Contrast is also nearly perfect, although in a couple brief
instances the frame wavers in brightness. Unfortunately the
transfer has major problems with aliasing, or edge artifacts.
I have noticed this shimmering on many other DVDs, but usually
they are not noticeable to the point of distraction. Some
people credit these "jaggies" to poor downconversion
from a anamorphic picture, but obviously that is not the
case for this full frame picture. Several scenes contain metal
badges and other shiny emblems, and the shimmering on these
articles distracts to the point of drawing my attention away
from the story. A poorly authored DVD like this one disappoints
me greatly, since it is easy to see that the film elements
are in excellent condition.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
Kubrick
knew the importance of music in establishing a certain mood,
and this is quite apparent in Paths of Glory. The film opens
with the French national anthem Marseillaise, which establishes
a patriotic and upbeat feeling right at the start. Later the
recognizance mission is made even more menacing by a plaintive
drumbeat, echoing in the calm before the storm. The song at
the end of the film sums up the mood at the heart of the film.
So sound is critical to the story, and this DVD presents it
with sufficient clarity and depth. While not outstanding and
sometimes a little hollow with a slight hiss, the sound is
still in respectable condition for an older film. The many
explosions pale in their impact to films like Saving Private
Ryan, but Kubrick did not have the technology or the resources
available to Spielberg.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? As with
MGM's The Killing, a 4 page booklet is included with Paths
of Glory. The first page of the booklet contains an alternate
cover for the DVD, and I actually prefer this alternate cover,
although the difference is not that great. The booklet also
contains a couple pages of production notes. The trailer is
faded but is in surprisingly good shape. It contains a few
spoilers, so consider yourselves warned. A commentary track
or a short documentary would have been appropriate for a film
of this stature, but regrettably such extras have not been
included.
Parting Thoughts
Paths of
Glory can hold its own against any war film, even the much
heralded Saving Private Ryan. Kubrick's film contains unforgettable
images of warfare, but even more impressive are the human
interactions portrayed with an abundance of realism and emotion.
The film receives my highest recommendation. But the image
on the DVD is plagued by edge artifacts, and for me they are
unpleasantly distracting. This film deserves much better treatment
on DVD.
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