Synopsis: 1st world war tale of 'lions led by donkeys'
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Actors: Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Ralph Meeker, Timothy Carey
Date: 1957
How viewed: Lovefilm rental
Rating: 5/5
David Meyer says:
Kubrick sought to make a Big Theme picture and he succeeds where so many others have failed.
I say
Rightly lauded as one of the greatest anti-war films, even though this is set in the trenches of the 1st World War, the story resonates today, in the way it depicts the disregard for the fate of fellow humans by those who find themselves in positions of power. In this case, it's 1917, and in the French/German conflict there have been 2 years of trench warfare with no gain on either side (but enormous cost of life). The officers remain in their sumptuous chateau, enjoying the good life while the troops on the ground suffer appalling hardships. A French general (possibly under pressure from the media, public and his superiors) orders an impossible assault by his troops on a small hill held by the Germans. The assault inevitably fails, but to save his own skin (and promotion), innocent scapegoats (2 privates and a corporal), are found and court martialed. Kirk Douglas plays the only officer with a shred of decency who stands by his principles and for his men. This is not an easy film to watch, it's a desperately depressing commentary on the human condition, although the final (rather obtuse) scene offers some hope. Nevertheless it is essential viewing. 
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