Another one of my favorite films is Paths of Glory. I've seen it several times, and it's anti-war moral remains hard hitting every time. Kirk Douglas is great as the tragic hero who tries to defend French soldiers during the First World War who are accused of cowardice after refusing to embark on a suicide mission. Director Stanley Kubrick's humanism is pretty apparent in the camerawork and the black and white visuals (which are worth noting since the film was released in the 1960s) add an unsettling and alienating tone that is emblematic of Kubrick. The trench warfare scenes are some of the best in cinema and the ending is pretty moving. Probably one of the best war movies/dramas ever made, although I'm sure most moviegoers from my generation would be more comfortable with Blackhawk Down or Saving Private Ryan or something gory, in your face, melodramatic, and manipulative.
