On Its Release, Many Countries Banned the Best, Most Controversial Film of Kirk Douglas’ Career

Although it was released 68 years ago, Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory still has the power to shock and unsettle us. Produced by and starring Kirk Douglas, it's a stunning portrait of trench warfare, featuring a battle sequence that ranks alongside the D-Day invasion in Saving Private Ryan for raw, visceral intensity. Yet its real power lies in its depiction of the military's stringent legal system, which led to it being banned in several countries for decades. These decisions were ultimately reversed, yet the film hasn't lost any of its razor-sharp critique of a system that prioritizes empty displays of strength over actual acts of valor.