Rating: 4/5
Criterion Challenge 2022 | 5/52 | 1950s
France, 1916
War began between Germany and France on August 3rd, 1914. Five weeks later, the German army had smashed its way to within 18 miles of Paris. There, the battered French miraculously rallied their forces at the Marne River, and in a series of unexpected counterattacks, drove the Germans back. The front was stabilized and shortly afterward developed into a continuous line of heavily fortified trenches, zigzagging their way 500 miles from the English Channel to the Swiss frontier. By 1916, after two grisly years of trench warfare, the battle lines had changed very little. Successful attacks were measured in the hundreds of yards and paid for in lives by hundreds of thousands.
French Major General George Broulard invites Brigadier General Paul Mireau to his lavish château. George orders Paul to take Anthill. Paul tells him it’s impossible, but agrees to it when George offers him a resulting promotion.
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e're gave, Awaits alike th'inevitable hour. The path of glory lead but to the grave. — Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Paul passes the orders down to Colonel Dax, leaving Dax to do the actual work of planning the attack. Dax thinks it’s a terrible idea, but orders are orders.
There is no document of civilization that is not at the same time a document of barbarism. — Walter Benjamin
The film follows the horrific failure and the deferral of blame that leaves the French no better off and with significantly fewer forces as they return to battle.
Man isn't a noble savage — he's an ignoble savage. He is irrational, brutal, weak, silly, unable to be objective about anywhere where his own interests are involved. That about sums it up. — Stanley Kubrick
The film has several Kubrick-isms — the long takes with a lot of background action, the super close-ups, and the 100s of takes.
The weirdest thing about the movie is that a bunch of American actors are playing French characters in English with American accents.
I don’t have any strong opinions about it. It’s very good but has no spark to it that excites or interests me.