Paths of Glory

"Paths of Glory is one of the first films directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on the anti-war novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb. The story follows a colonel (Kirk Douglas) who tries to defend his soldiers against charges of cowardice in a court-martial after they refuse to keep fighting in northern France during World War I. Although controversial at the time for some sectors of the European public, who did not appreciate the cynical portrayal of the French military authorities, the film was acclaimed for Kubrick's masterful direction (he was only 29 years old at the time), with a screenplay co-written by him that also showcased his peculiar and subtle sense of humor in depicting that cynicism with irony and a certain coldness."