June 16, 2011

Must Watch Before You Die #13: Paths of Glory (1957)

My reaction on discovering the genius of Kubrick and subsequent attempts to share the merits of his craft have been embarrassingly inadequate, although, perhaps he is the only great filmmaker about whom I have talked objectively in one of my earlier posts. But I am not uncomfortable in sharing my incapability to describe what his cinema does to me. Somehow, when it comes to talking about him, my favourite English-language filmmaker, I am always lost for words.

There is this much I can say - if there is one filmmaker whose individual filmography is sufficient to represent the best of the achievements of cinema, it is Stanley Kubrick. In a previous post of mine I talk about dividing the great filmmakers into 'authors' and 'masters of genre'. But when it comes to Kubrick, all efforts to classify and label him appear futile. Discovering his cinema can be one of the most enriching experiences of your life.

It is only obvious that a lot of his films will qualify for the 'must watch before you die' recommendation. But as I have stated earlier, I'll let the list grow as I watch (or re-watch) movies, without getting into the endless exercise of looking for movies from my past. So for now, let me recommend 'Paths of Glory', that I watched just today. Brilliant. Devastating. Unforgettable. Go for it, as this Kubrick worship of mine continues...

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