Stanley Kubrick's older films -- that is, those released in the 1950s -- generally have gotten less attention than later efforts such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. That's somewhat understandable; Kubrick became a better filmmaker as he aged and worked on his craft.
Yet his fourth film, Paths of Glory, proves that the young Kubrick already was mastering the form. Released in 1957, the movie was a scathing indictment of war -- specifically a story of leadership gone wrong during World War I. The tale turns on a group of French soldiers who are sent on a suicide mission by their superior officers.
At just 87 minutes, the film has a very different feel from later Kubrick epics such as 2001 and Barry Lyndon. Its relative brevity, though, is an advantage, as the brisk pace only serves to heighten the sense of shock and injustice the filmmaker was trying to convey.
Also worthy of note: A restrained but brilliant performance by Kirk Douglas as the sympathetic Colonel Dax. Douglas also helped secure financing for the project. He and Kubrick would have a falling out just three years later over the filming of Spartacus, but Paths of Glory was a triumph for both actor and director.