Le vie della gloria

During the late 1920s-1930s, something unusual happened in Hollywood as well as Europe...films began to be released which depicted war as hellish. And, in these dramas set during WWI, there was a strong sense that the war was stupid and wasteful. Realistic? Absolutely...but far from the super-heroic look many later war films depicted.

"The Road to Glory" is about an outfit of French soldiers who are constantly given the roughest missions. Its leader, Captain LaRoche (Warner Baxter) seems tough and indifferent to his men's suffering...a brave front he puts on to deal with the impossible orders he's given. A new officer, Lt. Denet (Frederic March) is assigned to the unit. The film depicts both the suffering of the men as well as the woman that LaRoche and Denet both want.

The acting is very good in this one, which isn't surprising since March and Baxter are among the best (and most underrated) actors of the era. They're also helped along by many character actors who play various soldiers. Overall, with a gritty story and wonderful acting, this film is worth seeing....though I must warn you it's very depressing...which, if you think about it, it should be!

First time I watched this movie and I give it eight stars, it's a descent movie, worth watching. Warner Baxter is known for his Dr. Ordway series which I enjoyed. This is a serious drama about front line war in WW1, the French fighting the Germans. The love interest of the two leading men (June Lang) was quite attractive. The reason I didn't give a higher rating is that it moves a bit slow at first but the war authenticity is impressive, even by today standards. Unlike the other reviews I'm not describing details, seems that spoils it for those who read the reviews before watching the film.

I saw The Road To Glory for the first time in over 40 years and all I can say is it's the best film Howard Hawks ever did that no one really knows about. It is one of the great anti-war films of all time, it ranks up there in World War I films with Paths Of Glory and All Quiet On The Western Front. In fact this ought to be seen with Paths Of Glory back to back, first this one and then Paths Of Glory where you will understand completely what the French soldiers mutinied about.

Warner Baxter is the veteran captain who's been at the front for years and Fredric March is a lieutenant and relative newcomer who still has a jauntiness about him. Never mind that jauntiness is pretty well knocked out of March after a while.

Pretty nurse June Lang comes between them in a romantic complication to their relationship as veteran officer and relative newcomer. But Baxter has an additional problem, his father Lionel Barrymore, veteran of the Franco-Prussian War has enlisted and found his way to Baxter's outfit. In the beginning Baxter sends away an elderly volunteer. But Barrymore he does not because Baxter knows what it means to the old man.

But Barrymore does not know how much more deadly war has become since 1870. Poison gas, barbed wire, trenches where you lived as well as fought, and automatic weapon fire. It proves too much for him and it leads to tragedy for many in the cast.

Hawks's direction of the battle scenes is incredibly impressive. A lot of this footage was used in other films. And he gets grade A performances out of his cast, most impressive being Baxter and Barrymore.

Sadly this film is not out on DVD, I was lucky to get a copy to review. I hope TCM shows this one real soon so you will rave about it as I have done.

In 1916, somewhere in the front in France in World War I, the 5th Company in the 2nd Battalion of the 39th Regiment created by Napoleon Bonaparte and leaded by the tough Captain Paul La Roche (Warner Baxter) receives among the replacements, Lieutenant Michel Denet (Fredric March) and private Moran (Lionel Barrymore). When Lt. Denet meets the nurse Monique La Coste (June Lang), who is Capt. La Roche's mistress but he does not know, they fall in love for each other. When Capt. La Roche sees the old Pvt. Moran in his inspection, he identifies his father using a fake identity. Meanwhile, the 39th Regiment receives order to go to the trenches, attack the German lines and install a telephone in the front to guide the artillery.

"The Road to Glory" is another great anti-war movie that shows the barbarian life in the trenches in WWI, using a dramatic triangle of love and father-son relationship in a time where the leader headed the attack and soldiers were just numbers. The direction of Howard Hawks and the screenplay are excellent, using adequate pace and lines such as "why do they have to die?" or the contradictory "the fear is just in the imagination" to support the anti-war message of the feature. The scenarios and cinematography depict the horror of the insanity of war in the bloody trenches. The performances of Warner Baxter, in the role of a harsh commander; Fredric March in the role of the ambiguous lieutenant divided between love and loyalty; Lionel Barrymore, in the role of a stubborn old soldier; and the gorgeous June Lang in the important role of a nurse also divided by her moral obligation with her lover and real love, are wonderful and credible. I am really impressed with the beauty of June Lang. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Caminho da Glória" ("Path of the Glory")

1. Modern Times 2. Partie de campagne 3. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 4. Swing Time 5. Show Boat 6. Le roman d'un tricheur 7. San Francisco 8. Fury 9. Dodsworth 10. Libeled Lady 11. After the Thin Man 12. La belle équipe 13. The Road to Glory