“It explodes in the no-man’s land no picture ever dared cross before!”

Adapting Humphrey Cobb‘s novel to the screen, director Stanley Kubrick and his collaborators Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson set out to make a devastating anti-war statement, and they succeeded above and beyond the call of duty.

In the third year of World War I, the erudite but morally bankrupt French general Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his troops to seize the heavily fortified “Ant Hill” from the Germans. General Mireau (George MacReady) knows that this action will be suicidal, but he will sacrfice his men to enhance his own reputation. Against his better judgment, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) leads the charge, and the results are appalling. When, after witnessing the slaughter of their comrades, a handful of the French troops refuse to leave the trenches, Mireau very nearly orders the artillery to fire on his own men. Still smarting from the defeat, Mireau cannot admit to himself that the attack was a bad idea from the outset: he convinces himself that loss of Ant Hill was due to the cowardice of his men.

“It is arguably the best film about the first world war, and still has a reasonable claim to being Stanley Kubrick’s best film.” (Guardian)

“A transcendentally humane war movie from Stanley Kubrick, with impressive, protracted battle sequences and a knock-out ending.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“Those who are used to ‘2001: A Space Odyssey or A Clockwork Orange’ will initially find this black-and-white First World War drama starring Kirk Douglas rather traditional, until its radical content is revealed.” (Times UK)

Wednesday, November 11
Doors 6:10 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE| $15 at the door

Saturday, November 14
Doors 3:10 pm Movie 3:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance tickets $15 HERE| $15 at the door

PLEASE NOTE: All of the Rio Theatre’s screenings are operating at a sharply reduced capacity. We can’t guarantee availability of tickets at the door, so advance tickets for all screening events are strongly recommended. Our online box office can be found at www.riotheatretickets.ca. Online sales for every screening automatically end 1 hour before any given showtime.

PATHS OF GLORY (Stanley Kubrick, 1957 / 88 mins / PG) During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard orders his subordinate, General Mireau, to attack a German trench position, offering a promotion as an incentive. Though the mission is foolhardy to the point of suicide, Mireau commands his own subordinate, Colonel Dax, to plan the attack. When it ends in disaster, General Mireau demands the court-martial of three random soldiers in order to save face.