No motion picture has more effectively dramatized the absurdity of war than Paths of Glory from legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (Dr. Strangelove, Full Metal Jacket). Safe in a picturesque chateau behind WWI front lines, the French General Staff passes down a direct order to Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas, Lonely Are the Brave): take the Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure. Covering up their fatal blunder, the generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, charging them with cowardice and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men’s defense but soon realizes that, unless he can prove that the generals were to blame, nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad. Stunningly shot by cinematographer Georg Krause (Man on a Tightrope) and also starring Ralph Meeker (Kiss Me Deadly), Adolphe Menjou (The Front Page), George Macready (Gilda), Wayne Morris (Kid Galahad), Richard Anderson (Seven Days in May), Joe Turkel (The Shining) and Timothy Carey (The Killing), Paths of Glory is a blistering antiwar masterpiece.
For thoughts on Paths of Glory, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Paths of Glory appears on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of a tremendous new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative in 2160p/Dolby Vision that will usher you into a state of nirvana. The Criterion Collection previously released this film on Blu-Ray with a dated HD master, but this new presentation is a night and day difference. Kino has been knocking it out of the park with their recent Stanley Kubrick releases, and this just might be the crown jewel of their catalog. This was Kubrick as he was settling into his technical mastery, and seeing this intricately constructed film with this much clarity is unbelievable. The shot composition and lighting are elegantly executed with this immaculate encode, making it the type of presentation that makes those who do not believe older films cannot benefit from a 4K UHD presentation look frankly silly.
The transfer eradicates any previous specks or print damage that showed up on past releases. This transfer retains the desired filmic quality of the picture with natural film grain resolving well to excavate rich details within the environments. While the grain can be a bit coarse, it always looks natural with nothing veering into noise or compression artifacts. You do not have scenes that are spiking out of nowhere. Black levels are pleasantly deep without any nuisances such as crush or banding even during the portions of the film drenched in shadow. Elements of the costumes and production design showcase a lovely amount of textural detail. Nearly every shot presents with some excellent depth to the image which makes each setting feel more immediate and three dimensional. The black and white cinematography has never looked better with steady gradients and subtle textures in the backgrounds. Kino Classics is delivering some of the best work in the game right now for classic films.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that captures this story perfectly. From the beginning, the environmental effects are quite formidable and crisp, and they only continue to impress in moments of gunfire and explosions that pack a punch. The formidable dialogue holds up well and comes through clearly in all conditions. It is balanced well with the background noises so everything renders in perfect harmony. The music does not exhibit any instances of distortion and avoids any harsh or hollow moments along the way. Not only that, you will not find pretty much anything in the realm of age related wear and tear such as hissing and crackles. Kino Classics has treated this one like it deserves. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas provides a deeply informative commentary track in which he discusses how this film fits into the career of Stanley Kubrick, how Kubrick had to compromise in relation to his powerful leading man, the history of the locations featured in the story, the background of the performers, the attempts to distance themselves from similar real-life events, the music of the film, thematic analysis of the story, and so much more that provides some great context to the feature.
- Trailers: The three-minute trailer is provided for Paths Of Glory. There are also trailers provided for Killer’s Kiss and The Killing.
Final Thoughts
Paths of Glory is Stanley Kubrick as a fully formed directorial force. He may yet lack the creative control that he will find on future projects, but his eye for crafting a story is undisputed. The way in which he tailors this narrative to its purest essence is masterful, delivering one of the greatest anti-war films of all time in less than 90 minutes. The lead performance from Kirk Douglas is an absolute knockout, and it is one that stands tall amongst his overall output. This film is a must see for any fan of classic cinema. Kino Classics has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an unbelievable A/V presentation and a really great commentary track that deepens your appreciation even more. If you are a Kubrick fan, run to grab your copy! Essential
Paths of Glory is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.