---
title: "Paths of Glory"
year: 1957
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory"
fi1m_id: "paths-of-glory"
imdb_id: "tt0050825"
tmdb_id: 975
wikidata_id: "Q747936"
fi1m_score: 93
critics_score: 92
critics_reviews: 8
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:14.259811+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Paths of Glory (1957)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 1h 28m · MPA NR · War, Drama

## Identity

Paths of Glory

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** paths-of-glory
- **IMDb ID:** tt0050825
- **TMDB ID:** 975
- **Wikidata ID:** Q747936
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050825/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/975, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q747936

**Fi1m score: 93** · Critics 92 from 8 reviews

*In a sentence:* The generals have given punishment considerably more thought than the battle

> Stanley Kubrick’s war drama is furious, exact and unexpectedly moving, with Kirk Douglas making Colonel Dax’s decency convincing under pressure. Some speeches press too hard, but its anger at military cruelty is earned.

## Synopsis

In the French army during the First World War, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) commands men ordered into an ill-conceived attack. General George Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) and General Paul Mireau (George Macready) belong to a hierarchy in which officers make decisions and soldiers bear the consequences. Dax must lead his men into no man’s land while facing the demands of his superiors. Stanley Kubrick directs this adaptation of Humphrey Cobb’s novel, with Ralph Meeker as Corporal Philippe Paris and Joe Turkel as Private Pierre Arnaud, two soldiers caught in the chain of command.

## Review

Stanley Kubrick’s *Paths of Glory* is a war film we would recommend even to people who usually avoid them. It is short, angry and precise about the difference between giving an order and carrying it out. In the French army during the First World War, Colonel Dax faces an attack whose planning gives little reason for confidence. Kubrick keeps his attention on the officers making the decisions and the soldiers who must obey them, without pretending to explain an entire war.

Dax needs to be decent without becoming dull, and Kirk Douglas manages that difficult assignment. His forcefulness makes the colonel credible as a soldier, while his anger at the hierarchy gives us someone to follow through its procedures. There is a danger that such a commanding lead will make everyone around him seem incidental. Ralph Meeker’s Corporal Philippe Paris and Joe Turkel’s Private Pierre Arnaud provide enough individual presence to keep the soldiers from becoming an anonymous collection of victims.

Adolphe Menjou’s General George Broulard and George Macready’s General Paul Mireau are more disturbing for being recognisable. Their jockeying for position has the pettiness of an office dispute, conducted with other men’s lives at stake. We laughed at the officers’ manoeuvring, then felt uncomfortable about it. Their self-interest is funny only until we remember who must act on their decisions. Menjou is particularly good at making the calculation seem ordinary.

Georg Krause’s cinematography gives the advance into no man’s land a terrible clarity. The tracking camera makes us follow the men across exposed ground, and the high-contrast images keep the danger visible without making it attractive. We were horrified by how little protection that ground offered. The ordered compositions around the military hierarchy make the battlefield harder to bear, because the officers’ control over appearances is so much greater than their concern for the men.

Eva Kroll’s editing gets through the story in 88 minutes without making the people seem hurried out of the way. The screenplay, credited to Kubrick, Jim Thompson and Calder Willingham from Humphrey Cobb’s novel, gives the military’s reasoning enough space to expose its ugliness. We understand how the orders travel and who is left to answer for them. Gerald Fried’s score helps sustain the tension without making the fighting feel like an invitation to cheer.

Some speeches press their point too hard, particularly when Douglas has to express indignation that the situation has already made clear. Kubrick does not always trust us to reach the obvious judgement unaided, and for a few moments Dax sounds too much like the film’s spokesman. Douglas remains convincing, but we occasionally wished the script would let him do more of the work.

As a war film, it offers little of the reassurance that courage will make the fighting worthwhile. Douglas gives us a man worth supporting, but his presence does not make the military hierarchy any less frightening. At this length, Kubrick can sustain that pressure without exhausting our attention, and the film deserves an audience beyond those usually drawn to battlefield drama. See it, but do not mistake the PG certificate for a promise of an easy evening.

*Fi1m score 93, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are strongly positive, with praise centred on Kubrick’s attack on military hierarchy and the gulf between battlefield suffering and officers’ self-interest. Critics repeatedly single out his controlled camera movements, the contrast between chaotic combat and ordered military proceedings, and the economical storytelling. Kirk Douglas’s performance draws particular admiration, while several reviews find a capacity for tenderness that makes the film’s anger and horror more affecting.

The differences are chiefly matters of emphasis rather than substantial disagreement: some critics stress the exposure of class divisions, others the emotional force beneath Kubrick’s formal control. The New Yorker admires the film’s bluntness but finds the rhetoric heavy at times, while Variety praises the performances and taut direction yet considers it dated and grim. These reservations sit within a broadly admiring consensus; neither amounts to a rejection of the film’s anti-war force.

## Straight answers

**Is Paths of Glory worth watching?**

*Paths of Glory* is worth watching for almost anyone, including people who usually avoid war films, and we scored it 93. Stanley Kubrick keeps it to 88 minutes, angry and precise about the gap between giving an order and carrying it out, with Kirk Douglas making Colonel Dax decent without being dull. A few speeches press their point too hard, and that is the only real complaint.

**How long is Paths of Glory, and what is it rated?**

*Paths of Glory* runs 1h 28m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a war and drama film.

**Where can I watch Paths of Glory in the US?**

*Paths of Glory* is streaming on MUBI, Tubi and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves Tubi on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Paths of Glory, and is it suitable for children?**

*Paths of Glory* carries a PG certificate in the UK, but it is not an easy evening. The advance into no man's land is shot with a terrible clarity, and the film offers none of the reassurance that courage will make the fighting worthwhile. It suits older children and teenagers who can take a bleak view of military cruelty; younger ones will find it frightening in mood rather than in gore.

**How does Paths of Glory compare to Grand Illusion?**

*Paths of Glory* is the harder and angrier of the two, while [*Grand Illusion*](https://film.one/film/grand-illusion) is the gentlest war film we know and the more affectionate. Both study rank in the French army, but Kubrick is furious at the hierarchy where Renoir is generous towards the men caught inside it. Choose Kubrick for exactness and pressure, Renoir for warmth and wisdom; we recommend seeing them together.

**Is Paths of Glory based on a true story or a book?**

*Paths of Glory* is adapted from Humphrey Cobb's novel of the same name, with a screenplay credited to Stanley Kubrick, Jim Thompson and Calder Willingham. The setting is the French army in the First World War, and the film takes its story from the book rather than from a documented historical case. You do not need to have read the novel; the film explains how the orders travel and who must answer for them.

**What should I watch after Paths of Glory?**

After *Paths of Glory*, try [*La Grande Illusion*](https://film.one/film/grand-illusion) (1937, Fi1m 92): Another wartime study of rank, with more room for affection. Then [*The Ascent*](https://film.one/film/the-ascent) (1977, Fi1m 88): For another severe account of soldiers facing fear and moral responsibility; and [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): For the scrutiny of authority, and the people damaged by obedience.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (5/5): The review praises the film’s ability to capture the atmosphere of the First World War and the workings of the military mind, reading it as a lament for the French army. It singles out the outstanding performances by Kirk Douglas and Timothy Carey alongside Kubrick’s probing camera work. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-nx34v8/paths-of-glory/)
- **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (5/5): The review calls it Kubrick’s most vivid, emotional and humane film, and perhaps his best, a furious anti-military statement about authority and rebellion. It singles out the visual mastery, especially the great tracking shot over the top and the haunting final bar scene. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/paths-of-glory-2)
- **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Kubrick’s piercing attack on military hierarchy in this re-release of the 1957 film. It highlights the brisk narrative from misconceived attack to court martial, the detached camera work, and the final flourish as perhaps cinema’s most fitting gracenote. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/paths-glory-review/)
- **Sight and Sound** (90/100, inferred): The piece hails Paths of Glory as Kubrick’s first film perceived as the work of genius, a powerful indictment of military hypocrisy and injustice in the First World War. It singles out the finely honed script, performances, production design and expressive camera movements for praise. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/paths-glory-stanley-kubricks-first-film-genius)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it arguably the best film about the First World War and one of Kubrick's best, praising its brilliant tale of macabre futility and horror in the trenches. The juxtaposition of battle scenes with petty tyranny behind the lines is masterly, with special note of the execution scene and the final redemptive sequence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/01/paths-of-glory-review-kubrick-first-world-war)
- **Little White Lies**, Jeremy Carr (85/100, inferred): The article celebrates the film’s masterfully coordinated depiction of wartime authority and bureaucracy as one of Kubrick’s finest achievements. It singles out the director’s precise visual control, contrasting chaotic battlefield imagery with ordered courtroom compositions. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/stanley-kubrick-paths-of-glory-the-rule-of-war)
- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (80/100, inferred): Kubrick's 1957 film is an exception among antiwar movies for being blunt and scornfully brilliant rather than complicit. The critic praises its focus on class divides and grim battle scene while noting heavy rhetoric at times. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/03/31/the-first-casualty-2)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert: Kubrick's film is a harsh, economical anti-war nightmare that established him among the great directors. The critic singles out the haunting final song scene for creating unexpected tenderness amid the horror. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-paths-of-glory-1957)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff: The film offers a starkly realistic look at French army politics in WWI with strong performances and taut direction, though it feels dated and grim. The advance scene and lead actors are highlighted as effective. [Read](https://variety.com/1956/film/reviews/paths-of-glory-1200418282/)
- **The Skinny**, Tom Grieve (★★★★★): Kubrick established his reputation with this fiercely anti-war film about French soldiers in WWI, where Colonel Dax defends three men scapegoated after a failed assault. The review praises Douglas's superb performance, the jet-black comedy in the officers' maneuvering, the pristine high-contrast cinematography, and the film's tension and mastery of form, calling it one of the finest war films ever made. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/paths-of-glory)
- **Eye for Film**, Stephen Carty: The review describes it as a powerful and moving anti-war movie in its own right that skewers military hierarchy and class divisions. It singles out Kirk Douglas’s intelligent, intense lead performance and the film’s lean, accomplished plotting for praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/paths-of-glory-film-review-by-stephen-carty)
- **Film Stories**: The critic calls it Kubrick’s first genuine masterwork and perhaps the finest depiction of the Great War in cinema history. It is praised as a resolutely anti-war film that shows war’s ugliness, terror and futility through its kinetic trench sequences and corrupt chain of command. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/movie/paths-of-glory/)

## Details

- **Director:** Stanley Kubrick
- **Director:** Stanley Kubrick
- **Screenplay:** Jim Thompson, Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham
- **Novel:** Humphrey Cobb
- **Cinematography:** Georg Krause
- **Editor:** Eva Kroll
- **Music:** Gerald Fried
- **Costume design:** Ilse Dubois
- **Producer:** James B. Harris, Kirk Douglas
- **Cast:** Kirk Douglas as Col. Dax; Ralph Meeker as Cpl. Philippe Paris; Adolphe Menjou as Gen. George Broulard; George Macready as Gen. Paul Mireau; Wayne Morris as Lt. Roget/Singing man; Richard Anderson as Maj. Saint-Auban; Joe Turkel as Pvt. Pierre Arnaud; Christiane Kubrick as German Singer
- **Runtime:** 1h 28m
- **Certificate (MPA):** NR
- **Release (the US):** 25 December 1957
- **Genres:** War, Drama
- **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1957)
- **Budget:** $935,000
- **Box office:** $1 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FESvZ0HG2p4

## Where to watch in the US

- MUBI: streaming, hd
- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $7.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Hill* (1965): Military discipline becomes cruelty, with anger that never needs a battlefield.
- *La Grande Illusion* (1937), Fi1m 92: Another wartime study of rank, with more room for affection. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/grand-illusion.md)
- *The Ascent* (1977), Fi1m 88: For another severe account of soldiers facing fear and moral responsibility. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-ascent.md)
- *Breaker Morant* (1980): A military trial makes expendability painfully clear beneath the language of duty.
- *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: For the scrutiny of authority, and the people damaged by obedience. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/paths-of-glory