Paul Elliott’s review published on Letterboxd:
Set during World War I and based on a true story of French soldiers executed for failure to obey orders, Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is nothing short of being a visual masterpiece and a shattering analysis of the absurdity of war.
It features an outstanding and emotionally spirited performance from Kirk Douglas in the role of Dax, an idealistic French commanding officer in charge of the 701st Infantry Regiment. He agonisingly finds himself becoming split by allegiance to his men and the directives of his self-important superiors. As the story develops, he finds he has the objectionable responsibility of defending three soldiers who are to face a trial for cowardice, a crime punishable by death after they were unsuccessful in an attack on an enemy position.
It's both stunningly performed and directed, and has a beautifully constructed script by novelists Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson. Through comprehensive production design and delightfully inspired and expressive camera movements, as well as spotlighting one of cinema's great tracking shots as Douglas and his platoon go over the top, Paths of Glory is one of the breathtaking greats from the last days of black and white cinema.