Based on Humphrey Cobb's 1935 novel which itself takes the true execution of four French soldiers for cowardice in WWI. It's written by Kubrick, Jim Thompson and Calder Willingham.
Colonel Dax, Kirk Douglas, is given an impossible mission by superior Generals Adophe Menjou and George Macready (both great). In parallel a Lieutenant (Wayne Morris) takes two men out on patrol, panics and accidentally kills one of them - the survivor Ken Dibbs threatens to report him. Dax's mission fails and Macready at one point wants the guns turned on his own soldiers. The Generals decide to court martial random soldiers as punishment - it's a great incentive, apparently...
Dax defends. One is a decorated hero, Ralph Meeker, one is Joe Turkel (who was the bartender in The Shining) and Timothy Carey plays a methody discontent, more NYC than France, somehow.
But of course Dax's defense isn't listened to and they are executed - one of them barely conscious in a stretcher.
It's a heavily ironic film and is a most successful anti-war statement. The battle scene was filmed using six cameras with Kubrick himself operating hand held on Douglas. Most memorable sequences throughout - from camera track through trenches to final (ironic) sweet German song.
Kubrick appears to be using wide lenses and interesting compositions and again makes me think how much he has influenced Yorgos Lanthimos. George Krause is the DP - it was filmed in Germany.
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