Drinker's Extra Shots - Paths of Glory
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2022
- Stanley Kubrick has directed some of the greatest movies in the history of cinema, but one of his greatest achievements has got to be Paths of Glory, one of the most powerful anti-war movies ever made.
- Zábava
Thank goodness we have She-Hulk reminding us that men never experience anything as bad as occasionally being catcalled.
She was CATCALLED! CATCALLED! Have you no decency! sob! The struggle is real
Offf.
I retired from the dating game a long, long time ago. Does men still approach strange women at bars and stuff or...
"The horror, the horror."
@@dr.juerdotitsgo5119 No.
The look in Kirk Douglas’ eyes as he walks through the trench. What a great movie.
They broke the mold after Kirk was made
British war films always focused on the officers unlike US war movies - ever noticed that. In more modern times things have changed but the message of the 50s & 60s was - salute, obey and no talking. There may be one or two exceptions from way back but they are easy to recall as there are so few and when the lower ranks were permitted a line or two they tended to be the cheery Cockney type, stereotypes, caricatures.
He. Was. Spartacus.
I'm actually a WW1 historian (PhD, Florida State). I use Paths of Glory to showcase the reality of trench warfare and suggest to my students to watch the whole film to understand the problems of command and culture in the war effort, especially on the Entente side. This is extremely evident with the French before and during the 1917 mutinies.
You should also have them see the miniseries from the 1970s with Richard Thomas and Ernest Bourgnine from Erich Maria Remarque's book "All Quiet on the Western Front".
@@skepticalobserver2135 Even more compelling is Remarque's "A Time to Live and a Time to Die".
This is the "All Quiet on the Western Front" of the Russian front of WWII.
Simply put, our Generals at the time didn't move past the Napoleons strategy but technology definitely had.
And the result ? Millions of soldiers died for a mile or even less
Slightly off topic. I ran across a quote years ago regarding I believe the US entrance into ww1. The quote ran along the lines of this allied officer being concerned / frightened of the US troops viewing the war with little emotion. I remember a bit along the lines of 'A farmer viewing a field to be worked" I have been searching for the quote for over a decade now. I was wondering if you remember running across something like it.
@@MelbaOzzie I prefer Ernst Junger's Storm of Steel, because he's not trying to sell a message to the audience, just his wartime activities. Also, Junger's kind of a gigachad IRL.
It's fantastic that you review movies that aren't as well known rather than just focusing on the pop culture everyone's obsessed with at the moment.
Some might say the drinker is a cynical man. But after a year of watching his content he inspires me to be better. Hearing this drunken man's voice is wholesome for me.
Hear hear
He is THE BEST!
@MrX It always depends on the content, and the context.
people of false idealism and false optimism dressed up as denial see all honesty as cynicism as soon as it threatens their darkness
He's everyone here's dunk Scottish uncle.
Great film. It’s over 60 years old and still manages to shame most films today.
These reviews are important Drinker, you get people to pay attention.
I know a film school student who refuses to watch movies older than 2000 because, "the look of older films isn't important when you should be looking at modern cinematography to work in modern films." I die a little everytime i think about him.
Most films today are pathetic. Soft people making them. Corporate production line.
Both comments here are truth, film has been visibly reductive in quality over the last two decades. Cinematography is a true art form, yet they continue to treat it like a cheap whore that they can pimp out.
@@thechicagobox Thank you.
@@prakharkirtijajoria5314 ngl, I didn't see the movie yet, but just seeing a few cuts in this video alone makes this movie look gorgeous even after being in Balck and white. Like, why does every frame look so good
RIP Joe Turkel. He passed away last month and I was reading that he stated Paths of Glory was not only the best film he ever acted in but also in his opinion the best film ever made. It's hard to find much fault in his statement. One of my favorite character actors.
His death by the firiing squad in this film was also proof of the insanity of war. He was injured in custody and couldn't stay conscious. So why try to wake him up for execution? And there are many more such ideas floating around in this movie. No wonder it a was banned in France (actually the film was eventually shown in France in 1975 when anti-war attitudes were more acceptable).
Joe was a friend of mine. He adored Kubrick and this was his favourite movie not to be vain. He was a WW2 veteran and was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I have a few Paths of Glory autographs and he always wrote kubricks best after His signature.
"Anyway that's all I've got for today, go away now" made a single tear roll down my cheek. Spoken with such reflection on the sacrifice many young men of generations previous made for us.
Nice choice, drinker.
Indeed.
Here is the full video:
*czcams.com/video/mCfYi7634rU/video.html*
Ditto!
The fact is, Kubrick is just good. No matter what genre or story it is, you know it’s gonna be great if he’s involved.
💯💯💯
Wait till you see his movie about a trip to the Moon 😉
@@MrRugbylane Ouch!
Kubrick was a master of visual storytelling. Some of the best parts of his movies don't even need dialogue, just a combination of the camera work and the body language of the people on screen can tell you everything you need to advance the story. He was one of those rare film makers who fully appreciated that his art was a visual medium first and foremost.
@@petriew2018 Indeed. Mad Max Fury Road is an example that pulled off visual storytelling beautifully
Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director! Great pick! He directed this at 28 yrs old! Insane! I may be wrong but I believe Kubrick got the job for Spartacus because of this movie. Douglas thought he could easily control Stanley on the Spartacus set. He was wrong. He improved the movie but constantly clashed with Douglas. Not to mention Kubrick had to keep Charles Laughton and Lawrence Olivier from killing each other on set. Kubrick was fearless and it shows in all his movies. Drinker, I recommend The Killing another early Kubrick gem!
The Killing is the SHIT.
It's interesting to look at the historical context of this movie. During the Nievelle Offenses of 1917, the French were on full-on mutiny. The offenses were so costly and desperate that entire regiments of French soldiers just refused to attack or even shot their commanding officers. The sort of executions seen in Paths of Glory were extremely frequent during 1917
In an old series, _ANZACs_ , one of the Australian commanders called the French mutiny ‘the best-kept secret of the war’...
The mutinies of 1917 seems to be overplayed in anglo-saxon history and litterature. Although mutinies indeed spread on a large part of the front, the french army wasn't on full meltdown because soldiers stayed in the trench and kept defending the position, they mostly refused to attack, because they had been attacking for 3 years straight without any results. Also, execution were not common, at the end of the 1917 mutinies, only 40 soldiers had been executed, which is much less than the soldiers executed during 1914 (200) and (240). Also I've never heard of soldiers shooting their officers, which happened on the russian front but I've not heard about it in France, even when the mutineers were revolutionaries
@@TheSergentChaotix
_ANZACs_ alluded to the rumours of French officers being threatened by their men, when refusing to attack - I can’t recall if they mentioned deaths- it’s been a hot minute since I watched it...
@@TheSergentChaotix I was about to write the same thing. Petain managed to salvage the situation my holding all offensives for the time, raising the pay and improving the conditions in the trenches.
@@poiuyt975 then in 1940 decided to say “nah fuck it. I’ll join the Germans”
It's even more insane when you consider Stanley Kubrick was only in his late 20s when he made Paths of Glory.
The subtext of the final scene is very rich, and goes beyond soldiers just being broken down by the thought of going back into battle:
The young girl in the pub being made to sing is a captured German peasant who doesn't speak French. Frightened and unsure of herself, she begins to sing a folk song from her German homeland called "The Faithful Soldier", about a soldier who leaves his duty to return home and bury his true love, who has died of illness while he was away fighting, and unable to care for her.
As she sings the men fall silent, dumbstruck. Slowly they start to hum along with her. Because "The Faithful Soldier" is also a French folk song, and they have heard it their whole lives. This brings to the fore the fact that the "enemies" in this war are two neighbors, brother nations with far more things in common than are different. This wasn't a war for newly found resources in a distant land or across an ocean, these were nations of shared history, ancestry and culture. In fact, "german" is a French word, originally meaning "akin", or related. So "Germany" is essentially the French name for the "Land of our Cousins".
In keeping with the earlier themes of top-down corruption, these common citizens, these faithful soldiers on both sides, are made to hate and kill each other, their own neighbors, because generals, politicians and bureaucrats have deemed it necessary. The heart of the first World War is practically a civil war, and it breaks these men's hearts. Because they were never really fighting an enemy, they were fighting themselves.
The two world wars were really a European Civil war. The irony being that the winner of the European Civil War was the U.S and Europe was economically, culturally and morally destroyed. The generals on both sides weren't evil, and some of them weren't even stupid, they were just completely out of touch and out of their depth.
There was criticism about the use of the English language for the French characters. It may be presumptuous of me to say, but I think Kubrick was simply cashing in on a chip those buried at Normandy paid for.
Fun fact about that woman: Kubrick married her not long after this movie wrapped. He fell in love with her filming that scene and stayed with her for the rest of his life.
Thank you very much for a little background information. Glad I read your comments. Cheers 🍻
@@ronryan7398 I think that the US lost in those wars, too. Most people didn't support entering the war, and elite families profited heavily from it. It's not like the governments were just doing what they thought was right.
Seeing that clip of sean connery in 'the longest day' made me think of a film he was in called 'The hill' set in a military prison in North Africa during ww2. A real unexpected gem I remember being drawn into one late night that, like paths of glory, left a lasting memory.
Directed by Sidney Lumet. Yeah The Hill is a brutal film about men in the stockade. Connery's character is in for disobeying orders to attack that would have wiped out his unit.
He once said in an interview that it was ' That it was his favourite film that he acted in.
Kubrick cinematography was so far ahead of its time many movies today could learn a lot from it.
Not even mentioning his expert character development
Kubrick was another level.
Hollywood can't have his type anymore.
Actually not true... please check out Roger Deakins & Denis Villeneuve
@@Andrew_M_Ward Notice that they haven't done much since 'the message' became law...
Nowadays Hollywood directors can be found on Twitter whining about trans rights or why we need to wear masks constantly. Kubrick wouldn't waste his breath on such people if he were alive today.
@@gabrielboorom2683 or insulting their own audience like sitcom schoolgirls.
@@juliovictormanuelschaeffer8370
Oh yeah, *though the actors do that at least as much.* Hitchcock once called actors "cows" and I think he was right to do so.
One of the best things about Kubrick was his ability to shoot scenes. Every frame is a work of art.
Especially in Barry Lyndon.
Agreed. That scene of correspondents filming those soldiers during urban combat in FMJ is one of my favorites ever thanks to the camera work.
Then it should not surprise you that he was a highly successful photographer before he became a director. It kind of makes sense that for Barty Lindon he had special lens created for his film cameras that allowed them to almost see in the dark (candle light).
@@All_Hail_Chael / in some important ways Barry Lyndon was a war movie as well... cinematically brilliant too.
Stanley Kubrick, John Ford, and Akira Kurosawa were absolute masters of making every frame a painting.
When I first saw Paths of Glory when I was 15, it was a movie that made me silent. I was in awe of both the message and the gritty realism Kubrick sought to portray.
Coincidentally, I watched this the other night.
It's brilliant, just brilliant - Douglas is superb as Colonel Dax and lends his usual cool gravitas to an uncomfortable and frustrating role.
It handles the futility and stupidity of trench warfare with respect, and as mentioned, the stark parallels between the officer classes and the fighting men are all too evident in the low regard afforded to those who had to go over the top.
The build-up to the execution of the men after the sham trial is handled extremely well, and you really do feel for the poor souls damned for simply wanting to live.
Of special note, is Private Pierre Arnaud (played by the late Joe Turkel - later to play Eldon Tyrell in Blade Runner) is wounded in a brawl in captivity and is literally stretchered to the firing post, tied to the post in the stretcher, and executed.
Also of note is Christiane Kubrick (then credited as Susanne Christian) who played the German girl prisoner in the cafe who became Kubrick's wife.
Probably one of my favourite Kubrick movies.
One of my all time favourite films...everyone should watch this masterpiece.
agreed.
It is too depressing 😌
Spot on - fully agree.
And coming to 4k soon from Kino
It's been on my list for years but sadly, it's been collecting dust.
Yes! One of my all-time favourite films! Glad to see the Drinker focusing on more movies outside the usual comic book nerd/franchise nostalgia world.
Agreed! It's nice to watch him talk about/recommend good stuff. God knows we need it.
Btw, check out Das Boot, Drinker brought it up and it's worth it.
especially considering 90% of that genre is pure shit now
there isn't much left to talk about that genre anywway
@@theblackflame4002 90%? Look a little harder - the missing 10% is there somewhere.
The Drinker has a broad understanding...but the algorithm pays him some money so he has to do what he has to do. So these random gems are gifts we should all appreciate.
I picked up the Criterion Collection release of Paths of Glory years ago. I'm glad I did; it is a great movie. More credit needs to be given to Kirk Douglas for this film. Kubrick developed the film, co-writing and directing it. But, Douglas co-produced it, got the studio to fund it, and made sure the novel's unhappy ending was used in the film (Kubrick had toyed with the idea of the men not being executed).
Good to see the Drinker reviewing some of these older films; I know he uses clips from some as backgrounds when talking about film concepts. I wonder if he will ever do a review of Ikiru, since that is another older film he has used short clips from in some of his videos.
What a man! Gone too soon too, 103 is the new 80s!
@@nelisezpasce Couldn't agree more. Kirk Douglas was a legend. He grew up dirt poor, made himself one of the biggest and richest actors in Hollywood, survived a helicopter crash, learned to walk and talk in just a few months after surviving a major stroke, and lived over a century. We should all aspire to be Kirk Douglas. Wish I could have met the man.
Perhaps the ultimate feel-bad masterpiece. I always took the final scene in the tavern to mean that she reminded them of home (and that they feel guilty for making her cry), them humming along because they don't know the German words is a nice touch.
Imagine being a fan of Kubrick, yet never having seen this film, but today it just happens to come across my path so i decide to watch it......only to have it show up a few hours later as an Extra Shots episode.....that has to be destiny :D
I was just talking about it last night witha friend. We're awaiting the 4K release.
@@lanceFin85 Eventually I probably will, however it's not in my top Kubrick films so it'll be a while before I revisit this one
You might say that you followed a path to glory
@@DTec1978 Kubrick met his wife filming this movie. The german singing girl. He fell in love with her during that scene.
I don't even care about Kubrick but PoG is amongst the only ones of his works that I bothered to watch.
They're 2001, Clockwork, BL, and EWS. To clarify, these seem compulsory and therefore inescapable.
The tone of Drinkers voice at the end when he says "Go away..." souded....so...heavy...like he actually was in those trenches....
Man that hit hard...really hard...
I teared up during he's review. It's a great film and a provoking film!
I'm Belgian and i watched this movie when i was a teenager . It moved me forever . In France , the movie has been censored till the early 80's because it gave a bad image of the french army . It is taken from an authentic fact .
I haven't seen this movie before, but clips started showing up for me a few weeks ago. The cinematography in the clips shown here are really amazing. I miss movies that have well written dialog where the actors just talk. It looks like I'll have to go watch it now.
Saw this when I was still quite young on TV in the 70's. It has been one of the most striking films I have ever seen to this day. "All quiet on the western front" was another one.
Kubrick's films are almost never dated, no matter what the actual subject matter. The messages are timeless.
clock work orange is still bizzare to me
@@garrettoliveto7483 because you don't get the ideas it presents, or because you don't like the aesthetics?
@@garrettoliveto7483 the book is even weirder.
When it comes to cinema there's nothing else above Kubrick. That man was a legend and this video alone gave me goosebumps. I hope you make more videos about his movies because I feel that people that haven't seen them are missing out.
Agreed 100%, though to see Kubrick film you need to watch it multiple times. Preferably dozens or hundreds of times, especially from 2001 forward. Most films are great even on the surface level of what can be interpreted on the plot etc. but the true incredible amazingness (yes that is a word I'm using) come from true dissection of what the film is trying to say through all the details of every aspect of the film.
I'm not going to argue too much, but there's been a lot of absolute masters of film that I would put above or at his level. Bergman, Fellini, Kurosawa, David Lean, John Ford, MIchael Powell, even Hitchcock IMO are absolutely comparable in influence, vision, absolutley insane obsession to detail and beauty of photography and composition. I totally respect if Kubrick is your favorite though, tt the end of the day it's a matter of taste which one of the masters is "best" but I don't think anyone would argue Kubrik belongs at the upper most tier.
@@gamble777888 On certain levels there are directors on the same scale, even surpassing Kubrick, but when you truly focus on researching what Kubrick actually did with his film, there is no one like him.
I have been researching him for better part of a decade, and met many other who have researched him (among other directors too), and it's pretty clear that in many ways he achieved things that no other has achieved.
Kubrick focused on things that kind of makes his films almost a different art form. Or that's at least one important aspect of his films, and immensely important for him.
But in general listing people in order is counter intuitive, better to just raise the awareness of the great things no matter who did it.
@@juzujuzu4555 there are criticisms one can make against Kubrick's style, his lense is cold and detached almost like an Alien is the one observing things. It's an intelectual form if film making that is in stark contrast to say Fellini who embues every frame with a very human passion. To say one style is superior to the other is to argue about preferences. Imo.
@@gamble777888 Yes, you are absolutely correct. But the reason why I'm Kubrick fan is not really in his cinematography or things like that, but what he managed to put in his films.
There are layers upon layers. He truly was "mad" genius who also was perfectionist in the sense of what he wanted to achieve. This shows in the cinematography and directing, but I'm talking about all the symbolic hidden things and the genius ways of distilling us truths about our whole existence.
Unless you have delved deep into Kubrickology this might seem like gibberish.
To be fair, I'm not trying to say his style is superior. Though for the art that he wanted to create that style is essential. It's not the most entertaining style.
I feel like Kubrick is the best director for my left side brain and David Lynch for the right side brain.
Kirk Douglas was a true movie star. Not only solid in every performance, but an actor and producer who took chances and even stood up against the blacklisting of writers and directors. One of Hollywood’s best.
I am sympathetic to the blacklisters. We've now seen what happens when socialists take control of Hollywood and other cultural outlets. Cancel culture (which is just blacklisting turned up to 11, the f'ing hypocrites), propaganda over art, subversion, and insults.
The end of this movie was just devastating. Still gets me after seeing it 15 years ago, had my wife watch it recently, it was still just as good.
It approaches Johnny Got His Gun level of devastation.
One of the best films ever made. Puts you through a devastating emotional ringer, then absolutely pulverizes you with that final scene in the pub.
Yes, that final scene. Wow.
Final scene is heart breaking.
This is in many ways Kubrick at his best in that it's tight character driven and the tracking shot thru the trench is just stunning. For hours after I watch this I hear the roll of the drums.
I bought the DVD of this movie from a discount rack at a drug store and was blown away the first time I saw it. I could not believe this movie was not better known.
I first saw this film when I was 11, It's still one of the best films I've ever seen.
This is my favorite Kubrick film. Barry Lyndon, The Shining, 2001, etc… are all excellent in their own right, but Paths of Glory is the one that has the most humanity and emotional resonance in combination with Kubrick’s technical filmmaking mastery.
I am a former infantry combat Marine. The 1st time I saw Path of Glory was in Boot Camp during second phase. Great movie. Taught us a lot of what to expect in combat. We spent the last day cleaning our weapons watching Path of Glory, Leo the Professional, and Predator. Path of Glory, Full Metal Jacket and Saving Private Ryan help change our little infantry minds to realize combat is not like Hollywood, it is evil and terrible.
One of the greatest directors of all, and another rugged yet compassionate turn from Kirk Douglas, and another iconic movie from the great director: I grew up idolising every moment of Dr Strangelove, the genius of Peter Sellers never had a better showcase.
And no-one quite does the wide shots with the cold authority of Kubrick!
I've only watched this movie twice. It reduces me to tears of despair and frustration every time. Especially that last scene with the German girl.
Wish there were more movies like this.
Highly underrated, people don't take enough about it.
One of his best
Bit of a nitpick though, why is it at the scene at 2:12 the french are using german gewehrs instead of the french lebel?
@@delta2372 Because it was made on a shoestring budget and german rifles were in ample supply at the time it was filmed.
Barry Lyndon is often overlooked. What a masterpiece.
Damn, Drinker, I don't know if you read these comments (probably not, and I don't blame you), but pardner, you are making a real contribution with these movie reviews. Sending people in the direction of all time great movies is, well, it's a special thing to do--it makes a positive difference--and you do a great job of it. You are one of the best.
Thanks, and keep up the excellent work.
Interesting that Robert Graves in his WW1 memoirs, Good-Bye To All That, recounts a case in which he was able to convince his superiors that the Welsh troops under his command would fight poorly and die for nothing if ordered to take a German stronghold of dubious tactical value: his experience was that the Welsh fought brilliantly if convinced there was a good reason but sulked if given orders that seemed irrational.
I wonder whether Kubrick had read Graves’ book and wondered, “what if Graves had failed at stopping the proposed attack?” Of course I could be entirely wrong and there might not be any connection.
Paths Of Glory is based on novel that was inspired by a true incident from 1915 called the Souain affair. The actual event largely parallels the film except that there was originally 24 soldiers given the death sentence. 18 of them were enlisted privates and had their sentences commuted, two corporals were cleared for they had not heard the attack orders, but four other corporals due to their positions as leadership ranks were made examples of and executed. All of them were pardoned in 1934 which made headlines in French speaking parts of the world including Montreal where writer Humphrey Cobb was living and convinced him to write Paths of Glory which was published in 1935.
and one episode from WW1 never depicted on TV or film concerned Welsh & Cornish miners digging tunnels under the German lines - this took months under orders from High Command - and enough TNT for Hiroshima planted there. The explosion could be heard in London. Here in Llanelli there is a monument to a local who won the VC in WW1. On return from the trenches he couldn't find work for two years.
Great review for a great film!
And to think that Kubrick was 28 when he was making the film, showing such a maturity and sensibility when approaching this subject... Compare that to older writers and directors writing as if they're tantrum-throwing children today, and you'll get a dose of depression.
The 2010's in hindsight really is the decade where people lost control of their emotions too much
That guy was a generational genius. One of the best directors ever.
For thirty+ years I've been trying to remember the name of this film! I saw it on late night tv - it was amazing - but, years later, as I had vague memories, the name, director, actors etc all eluded me! Thankyou for solving this longstanding conundrum!
(spoiler alert) This is without a doubt one of my favourite war films ever made... And yet it took me 3 watches to realize: you never once see the 'enemies'/ German soldiers all throughout! Which itself is a powerful message.
I've now watched the movie at least 7 times in total and I ALWAYS have a new realization about this movie and it's message or how it's created.
And I've shown this movie three times to my high school history classes in the inner city of where I live and teach... And my students always roll their eyes at seeing something in black and white at first, but are rivited by what they've seen by the end of the screening.
Great recommendation!
I imagine it was probably like that for real a lot of the time, barely if ever seeing your enemy.
Was just reading the Wikipedia article and interestingly enough ... "Due to having three years' military training, around 600 German police officers were used as extras for soldiers."
I have watched certain Kubrick films well above 100 times, and most above dozen times. And still find new things. Kubrick is the most impressive film maker of all time, and I would even say he is the most impressive artist of all time.
It always amazes me how much clarity there is in some of Kubrick's films.
Most films of that time were really muddy in appearance.
Thanks, I've been trying to think of the right word to describe his cinematography. "Clarity" is perfect.
That's because he was a photographer first and foremost. He understood how lens and light worked on film in a way few others can. Hell, he even figured out a way to jerry-rig the lens he used to take pictures to his film cameras just to make sure he knew he was getting the shoots he wanted.
Yeah, his films are unmistakable in that way. People will say it was because he was a photographer and had his cameras and lenses customised, which is true. But it's more than that. Using specialised equipment was just part of the pains he went through to record as near to the mark what was in his mind's eye. The word genius is applied far too liberally especially concerning artists, but Kubrick truly was one.
@@morningstar9233 I am sure lens choice certainly helps.
It's also the contrasts in tone and also the amazing tracking shots. Which are all opportunities to either lose or gain that clarity.
Look at that walk through the trenches. It's amazing.
For 1957 it actually seems like witchcraft. 🙂
Adding to that. The performances he gets from his actors are legendary.
That shot of the soldier standing to attention while lost in his predicament. Like it's a reflex action. So poignant!
I remember watching this on a whim. Really great movie.
I might just check it out
Of all Kubrick's films this is my favorite.....
Saw that movie on TV when I was a teenager and it has stayed with me all these years.
Really enjoying this series. This is one of those films that doesn't feel "classic" or old. It has a timeless quality. Would love to see you cover "Amadeus" for the same reasons.
Amadeus makes me drop my jaw every time I watch it, would love it if drinker covers it.
Amadeus falls into the same category of timelessness. It's a masterpiece (no pun intended) and the fact that Tom Hulce never furthered his career is baffling. I'll echo the others here Drinker, see if you can give this one a whirl at some stage.
Amadeus is regarded as one of the best films ever made, of course its timeless.
Love going back to classic films
Same
Their is a documentary about Kurt Douglas' life and career. It was the first time I heard of this film. He was desperate for this film to be made and put his own money in to make sure it was done right. He is a legend and this film is essential viewing
I saw this movie on WGN as a child with my dad who was a WW2 veteran. "Patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel," has always stuck in my head to face obvious wrongs, but to also scrutinize the ideals that I may tend to blindly agree with. We all always tend to speak of heroism and sacrifices for grand causes, but never consider the FULL impact. Kubrick movies were human stories...messy stories about fictional characters based on real humanity or spoke to our humanity. Thank you Mr. Kubrick and thank you, Critical Drinker.
This didn't make me laugh like a lot of your content, but I still rank it as one of your best videos to date.
Damn I miss those days when blockbusters were actually top notch movies
Thank you for maintaining a standard of cinema. Dont let anyone forget what Cinematography is in all its beauty, not the watered down shite that happens to pass today.
One of my favourite films and my favourite Kubrick film, the film is a piece of art, the use of the tracking shot when Kirk Douglas walks through the trench and goes over the top is definitely one of cinema's iconic scenes.
Paths of Glory is a great film. One of the last films before Kubrick truly found his voice within the film medium and became Stanley Fucking Kubrick and it's still one of the best war films ever made. Another excellent selection, Drinker.
If you haven't yet seen 'Way of the Gun' or 'Sexy Beast', I can't recommend them enough. They're likely your favorite movies, you just don't know it yet.
'Way of the Gun' is maybe the pulpiest Neo-Western ever made (a few years before 'No Country for Old Men was released) and has some of the most tension filled gun fights ever.
Christopher McQuarriei s currently making the Mission Impossible movies and I think those are the the height of analog action filmmaking and this is his directorial debut.
'Sexy Beast' is pure British Crime Drama that is somehow a love story in disguise that absolutely works on every level.
Both films have tight as nails filmmaking and feature some of the most musical movie dialogue this side of Tarantino. If the term "criminally underrated" has ever been an accurate application to two movies, it's these and they definitely deserve much more love and attention they've been given. I don't think you'd be able to not do a movie review on them if you gave them a shot.
Cheers!
Haven’t seen Way Of The Gun but Sexy Beast is a blast.. the opinion scene alone is oh so great .. by the way have you seen Under the Skin
by the same director .. haven’t seen that one either so if you have what is your opinion on it.. and seriously Mr Drinker when are you gonna make a video about one of Nicolas Winding Refn works.. either Bronson or Drive or The Pusher Trilogi .. just saying..
No Country for Old Men was one of the most abysmal movies of all time
@@bacht4799 Drive was excrement
@@bobsmith5185 that’s just your opinion and I disagree with it ..
Good call on Way of the Gun being underrated. Imagine hollywood gun fights where people actually have to reload(without firing 100x) & run out of ammo.
I actually referenced this movie when answering a question someone asked me about soldiers wrongfully executed in WWI! One of my favorite war dramas! BTW please do a review on The Offer!
@The Shadow Knows! Possibly redeems Paramount+ for the shitshow that was HALO. At least, for me.
The worst for killing soldiers 'pour encourager les autres' was the British. They killed hundreds of their own. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_at_Dawn_Memorial
Actually, the movie is based on a novel which is vaguely based on a case that happened during WW1.
The settings also is during WW1 and the war of the trenches, but the fact that it still sounds relevant today shows that even with prodigious technological advancement, the human nature has not evolved at the same pace.
@@davidmeir9348 Yeah, that was my answer to the question: the Souain Corporals Affair.
Breaker Morant is not far behind in that respect
Drinker and Lazerpig have the same energy. It would be cool to see a collab talking about war films.
I remember seeing this movie on television as the Movie of the Week around 1968 when I was still in high school. My history teacher lead a discussion about the movie because so many students asked him questions about it. Having been born in 1951, about 5 1/2 years after WWII ended, we grew up with a steady diet of heroic WWII films. This film stood out from the usual war movie dreck of the time. I remember being surprised that the movie was in black and white. It was only with this video that I learned that it was actually filmed in the 1950s.
Nice review Drinker. Now I'm off for some meatloaf and apple pie
"Meatloaf and apple pie or whatever Americans ate back in the 1950s."
No, actually, that's pretty accurate.
Still love me some homemade meatloaf~
Add to that jello salad and green bean casserole.
@@eurodoc6343 on gawd~
Can I have another slice of pie, please?
@@Liberty_or_Ded But true!
Paths of Glory has been one of my all time favorite films for a while now. Thanks for taking the time to review such a great film, Drinker.
I love this movie. It's by far my favorite Kubrick film. I heard that it used to be prohibited to air and be released in France because General De Gaulle found the portrail of the French military too insulting.
I've said this before- if you needed to explain thr concept of a "movie star" to an alien with no frame of referrence, just show them the scene right before the attack of Kirk Douglas walking through the trenches. He barely utters a word, but you know exactly what his character is thinking.
And he had individuality, gravitas, and charisma. "Stars" today just don't.
Been waiting for this one Drinker. I first saw it on a rainy Sunday afternoon back in the 1980s when Channel 4 broadcast random films to fill their schedule and it left a massive impression on me. It's a magnificent work on every level.
That was the first time (and understandably so) that the CD gave his trademark sign-off in a subtle tone. That movie is one of theb est and darkest I have ever seen and should be required viewing for every military officer.
This movie is a gift to humanity, a concise and detailed story , the great dictator warned us about following mad men and Kubrick put it in film
One of my favorite films. Oddly overlooked by Kubrick fans. I've always been disappointed by the lack of love for this film .
I've never overlooked this film; It's definitely in the top 13 of all Kubrick films 8^). Actually, this and Barry Lyndon vie for the number 3 spot in the "Order of my liking Kubrick movies that constantly changes and shifts." In order, for me, 2001, Clockwork, Paths, Barry, Shining, Strangelove, Eyes, Full, Lolita, Killing, Spartacus, KK, Fear. The last 5 or 6 constantly swirl about.
Thank you. One of the greatest war films ever made. Kirk Douglas was absolutely brilliant in this. Kubrik nailed everything perfectly.
Drinker you have fabulous taste in movies. Superb war film that never gets old.
Seeing this 30-35 years ago as a kid, and forgeting the title.
After all this time, this video is first info about this great movie from my childhood.
Thanx for this. Must watch it again. Kirk was allways great.
Greetings from Slovenia.
I love how you always end with your phrase, but in a fitting tone. You say so much with the same phrase depending on the theme. This time somber and reflective. Love your videos Drinker!
Brilliant film. I remember being amazed at how human/real the actors seemed.
Glad i have the dvd with this incredible powerful movie..watched it 9 times..and still do..
Brilliant movie. One of my favorites and I consider it Kubrick's best work. The ending when Dax finally loses it is classic, Douglas nailed it perfectly.
Excellent choice, Drinker. It's a masterpiece.
Brilliant review of one of the most moving films I’ve ever seen
“You could have sworn this was made in the last 20 years”
You took the words right out of my mouth Drinker. Being that this was made in 1957 is remarkable. Kubrick’s work with a camera blows me away.
I saw this in college years ago. It remains one of my favorite films.
General Moreau: orders artillery strike on his own men
Also Gen. Moreau: "I don't know what to tell you guys. I did nothing wrong. I did everything right."
Also Gen. Moreau: "IT'S TRENCHIN' TIME!"
WWI still had the old 19th Century concept of an officer and a gentleman being literally a gentleman of the upper class not his polite behavior. Ordering thousands of peasants to the death was a small affair if it netted glory.
I am so happy to see this video, this is why I started watching you in the first place; your insightful analysis of plots; both good and bad and bringing classics like this to the attention of an audience would might never watch this.
Your choice of subjects on your main channel play to your audience with the most views, the negative ones like your recent she-hulk video. That’s the part of the drinker I don’t like, he’s not challenging himself and he’s not educating us with clever insight. It’s safe and predicable: if I know what you are going to say without watching the video what’s the point?
There are SO many fantastic shows and movies you could easily review and I don’t mean old ones; Slow Horses, Severance, Sandman, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for example are all terrific TV shows from this year. I know you would especially like Slow Horses and to hear you talk about that would be amazing.
Please keep it fresh, surprising and smart. That’s the drinker I love to watch.
Philip
I am an unknown person on the internet, and I endorse this message.
More of the positive critique for lovers of film and less of the low hanging fruit ranting to the Jordan Petersen crowd, please.
Now there's a great film I had entirely forgotten about. Thanks Drinker, keep 'em coming.
It's of some solace to be reminded in a time when, hah, 'today's artists' only wade in a sea of lumpy mucus of their own making that over a hundred years of great films are there to be enjoyed and even marvelled at. One never has to risk wading in today's ankle deep slurry at all.
Without question, an absolute masterpiece!
Pleasantly surprised to see this reviewed. It's great. Unfortunately, the prevailing strategy at the French HQ was forward only. Many generals were replaced for not being 'aggressive' enough despite having good reasons for wanting to 'defend' or retreat and regroup. If I may, I would love your take on, The Battle of Algiers.
That's true of military science in general. Offensive operations allows you to take the initiative and force the enemy to react to you, dictate the terms of the engagement, etc. Although the Defense is the stronger form of war, you are yielding the initiative. On the Western Front, the thinking of was to launch a large attack, breakthrough, then rapidly exploit, end the stalemate. A war of maneuver is the classical approach. WWI was a perfect storm of factors: the result was a meat grinder. WWI wasn't just "a war"--it was the most unique, incomparable war in the history of the world. What modern people don't understand is that the generals mostly (there were exceptions) didn't understand what would happen at first, and then later thought their solutions would break the stalemate. Not that the generals sent them into the grinder knowing that it would fail, as if that were the intended par for course. It's easy to criticize after the fact, but there was a logic to what they did. Defense has its place in war--but it is very situational. Such as for the Allies at Verdun.
Kirk Douglas; the man, the myth, the legend.
I can't belive he never won a Oscar been in so many great films.
Wow, what a great surprise, Drinker! Paths of Glory is one hell of a classic; I actually bought this on DVD at a local flea market for just a buck a few years ago.
Love hearing the positive reviews from Drinker. The man can eviscerate the failings of modern cinema with aplomb and then turn around and give an honest, straightforward appraisal of a 60ish year old film without going over the top on it. Great stuff
Dr Strange Love is one of my favorite films of all time
A great movie. I also loved Spartacus. I honestly think that Kubrick’s earlier films are better than his later works. I’m not saying the stuff he made later in his career was bad, just that his early work was just too good.
@@Garrus1995 I can't remember a Kubrick film I didn't like and Spartacus is amazing they just don't make movies as good as those now a days
Really good review of an absolute classic. Got the chance to see this on the big screen when it had a re-release on the art house circuit in 2004. I think it should get one again. This is film making at its absolute best.
Thanks Drinker. I watched this film many years ago. It's nice to be reminded of it. Great film. 👍
So glad to see someone praising this movie like it deserves to be.
My dad had me watch this a few weeks back, I was shocked how good it was Being an old movie.
Ive gone back to movies from the 90s or before. Its insane how much stories have been dumbed down to nothingness now. Turns out, when i was growing up in the 90s, there were a lot of films that i was too young to appreciate. I have got mileage out of them recently. Haha. I haven't seen this film though. Will give it a watch. :D.
Edit: i just watched Eyes Wide Shut for the first time last night.
@@MrJC1 eyes wide shut was crazy. I recently watched that for the first also.
@@ryand8024 I just watched Paths of Glory. Great film. I had no idea that the "captured german girl" in the final scene was Stanley's wife... well... shortly after the film was completed. Mind blown.
Finish better call saul its a masterpiece
One of the best shows ever.
One whole season was filler, but good show overall and ended well
BB/BCS fan trying to survive 5 minutes without telling anyone it's a masterpiece [IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE]
@@RAD1111able and why do you think that is
Kubrick'a career from The Killing to Eyes Wide Shut is one masterpiece after another.
Dude I saw this movie as a little kid and it was amazing! It blew my mind.I thought it was a fever dream or something until I was older and saw it again on TV. Thanks for talking about it!