Paths of Glory

Paths of Glory was a very interesting movie. It depicts a world war one battle between the French and the Germans from only the French side. It becomes abundently clear that the only reason that the battle is happening is so that a French general can get a better rank. The battle is suicide for the men and when the battle fails the general is ashamed and takes it out on the men by court marshalling them with penalty of death. This just goes to show to what lengths people will go to save their own reputations and their pride. The French general does something that is completely unjust and wrong just so he doesn't look so much like an idiot for ordering the attach. Colonel Dax, Kirk Douglas, is the only character that stands up to the superior officers and pleads the case of the accused soldiers. It is very sad to watch as almost every character in the movie is against Colonel Dax, some not being able to look him in the eye at the end because they know he is right. This movie really made me just hate all French people to be honest. I wish that it was the generals that were executed and not the innocent soldiers. I mean to go as far as to stand up a very injured person so that you can just execute him is ridiculous.
Aside from the horrible message in the movie, Stanley Kubrick uses a lot of different shots to convey his messages. When a superior officer would be talking a low angle would be used to show the importance of that officer. The only difference was when Colonel Dax would be talking to the generals the same shot would be used, probably to show that he was an equal of them. Kubrick also uses long shots to show the importance of scenes. As the soldiers are taking their walk to be executed a long shot is used to show just how long the walk is and how important it is. These shots are repeated throughout the movie to convey basically the same messages.
Overall a good movie, but I hated it because the characters were all big POS's.