The Realities of War: The Story of Gl Joe and Paths of Glory - The 92nd Street Y, New York

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92NY Humanities Audio Collection

Lens on America: Political Perspectives (Film Criticism)

The Realities of War: The Story of Gl Joe and Paths of Glory

Jul 20, 1982


Film historian Annette Insdorf leads a screening event of the films The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) and Paths of Glory (1957), followed by a moderated discussion with Terrence Des Pres, author of The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps (1976). The Story of G.I. Joe is based on the reporting of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, and displays a dry, spare look at World War II, described by reviewers as the “first real triumphant attempt to combine documentary and fiction in film.” Paths of Glory, based on Humphrey Cobb’s novel of the same name, centers on a singular event in World War I, and is directed by Stanley Kubrick with a rich and dramatic visual style. Following the screening, Insdorf and Des Pres discuss the ways in which these films differ in their approach to the portrayal of war and the enemy, how these factors impact the viewers’ perception, and the prevalence of war in modern media. The discussion includes questions from the audience.

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