Paths of Glory (1957) February 22, 2010

‘Paths of Glory‘ has something special. More than 50 years later, it is watchable and completely original. Was it the best film of 1957? The Academy didn’t think so, giving it zero Oscar nominations. It’s no ‘Twelve Angry Men’, but it’s definitely among the best.

What makes this film so special? Like anything else, it is different. There is a crucial point towards the end of the film where it has to take a stance one way or another. If the three men had not been executed, if the General would have stopped them from dying, it could have been a pro-military film. But he didn’t, the men were executed, and this becomes so clearly an anti-military film.

The Hurt Locker December 21, 2009

There is plenty of finesse in the way ‘The Hurt Locker‘ unfolds. Superficially, it is merely a string of anecdotes about bombs; however, our commitment to Sgt. Sanborn and SSgt. James intensifies everything so much that we feel like we’re part of their Company.

Sanborn is all about the rules, and James is all about the adrenaline. Putting opposites on the same team is not a new story-telling technique, but the execution of this particular story is what makes it so good. People get into trouble. People die. James and Sanborn brawl while drunk and hit each other nearly hard enough to break some ribs. This is gritty and the characters have some problems, yes, but when put in front of a bomb, James is nothing but the best. His methods, however unorthodox, work.