War; It's Not the Enemy's Attack, It's Your Army Blaming You - Paths of Glory

srcjustwatch

One of the most important works of Stanley Kubrick's career, Path of Glory deals with the war that started on 3 August 1914 between France and Germany. Rather than war, he examines the conditions of war, immorality, corruption and injustice in the French military system. Throughout the film, we see that the decisions made due to the military hierarchy cause the deaths of soldiers in the war.

The First World War is also a particularly apt subject for Kubrick. According to Kubrick, this war was created by a senseless tangle of nationalist alliances, resulting in more than eight million military deaths, mostly in the open, caused by massive bombings and ignorant politicians and generals who staged suicide charges.

srcintersinema

If we touch on the subject of the movie a little bit; During the war, they wanted to attack Ant Tepe as a result of the generals' greed and desire for unnecessary gain. However, the attack fails. But what Kubrick wants to tell in the movie is not the war, but the absurd decisions in the armies.

As a result of the unsuccessful attack, General Mireau, enraged by the loss of rank, asks Colonel Dax for a report on the soldiers who could not get out of the trench. Defeated by his greed, the General goes further and orders the establishment of a military court immediately, the disbanding of the 701st regiment, and the firing of the soldiers in the regiment as an example to the other regiments. After this order, a chilling dialogue about human life begins between the main character of the movie and General Miraeu. While the Colonel blames the General for this attack, which will not end in victory, he also begins to defend his soldiers who could not get out of the trench due to the bombardment. The general requests the execution of the entire regiment, but finally, the execution of 3 randomly selected soldiers is decided. The general's goal is to prove his might to General Broulard and gain the rank he thinks he deserves. One of the soldiers is chosen by lot. The latter is chosen because he is socially undesirable. The third is chosen for witnessing the cowardice of a high-ranking officer who deserted his friend on a reconnaissance mission.

Colonel Dax undertakes the defense of the three soldiers who were arbitrarily chosen to be executed for cowardice. However, a death sentence is issued in the court established due to the tyranny and corruption brought about by the hierarchical order. Three soldiers were shot in a ceremony held in the morning.

There is a scene in the movie where Kubric turns the audience upside down. Colonel Dax learns that General Mireau has ordered the French artillery to fire on the French troops who were unable to get out of the trench and returned unsuccessfully from the attack. Later, the Colonel finds General Broulard at a fancy ball and informs him of Mireau's order to the artillery. In these scenes, he can predict: the execution order is delayed, the prisoners are freed, and the traitorous Mireau is publicly humiliated for his ambition. Normally, 99 out of 100 directors of any traditional war film do this. But this prediction is not valid in this movie. Kubrick finds a way to hold on to his entire story without compromising his harsh and unforgiving theme. Mireau's plan has been worked out, yes, but the brutality and hypocrisy remain, and the chosen soldiers are still meaningless pawns.

General Broulard believes that executions will be an excellent tonic for the military, that is, purifying. He adds: “One way to maintain discipline is to shoot a man occasionally.”

srcbirdunyafilm

srcopenedition

srcjonathan

srclecinema

Finally, I would like to mention the execution scene. This scene is shot behind the castle where the decision to attack Ant Hill was taken. The execution ceremony held here is highly impactful due to Kubrick's deliberate pace of pace, wide-angle perspectives, and manipulation of the people in the ceremony. The camera moves slowly and relentlessly towards the three stakes to which the men are tied, as staged in a parade filled with military and civilian observers, the elaborate ritual is shown in exaggeration. In that brutal scene of brutality where the execution takes place, the audience is faced with an ornament whose appearance is worthy of being the subject of a painting -because of the angle of the camera.

Paths of Glory is a film in which Stanley Kubrick managed to break into the ranks of great directors. Kubrick and cinematographer George Krause used sharp and deep focus for each shot. There is no single frame set just for beauty; The visual style of the film is to look and look hard.

@mmmmkkkk311 @visionaer3003 @bilimkurgu @remlaps @habercitr @toufiq777 @nadiaturrina @penny4thougths @cub1 @cmp2020 @fundacorazon @steemithobby @atimkaranezi93 @lhorgic @shitcoiner @steem.skillshare