Collective and individual

The key to Kubrick's "Road to Glory" lies in the characterization and the symbolism behind the characters, which is also the core part of the entire movie. Therefore, the beginning of the movie focused on the general (Adolphe Menjou). In the face of impossible military missions and personal honor, the general showed hypocrisy like a chameleon. The tone of the image has been determined, so a series of actions such as mobilization and command after the general appear to be pretentious and disgust the audience. It is not surprising that the weird decision that ordered the shelling of our soldiers finally occurred.

Compared with the villain represented by the general, the movie also shaped the decency represented by the Colonel (Douglas). In response to the general's various irrationalities, the colonel fought tit-for-tat and fought the general to the end. Because the villain has an absolute advantage, the incompetent people who issue orders have resulted in the decent being always in a state of being suppressed. It also made the audience gritted their teeth against the villain, and sent the light to the decent colonel, hoping to get an evil that can’t overcome the truth. The ending.

From this point of view, the movie is a typical duality of Hollywood tradition. However, the director also tries to enrich the layering of the plot. So in the form of a Russian matryoshka, in the overall structure of the opposition of good and evil, a miniature opposition of good and evil is reproduced-the cowardly Captain Roger and the two scouts. In this group of micro-oppositions, the decent are also persecuted by the villains, which also makes the audience powerless. These two sets of oppositions are like front and side descriptions, drawing the original pair of good and evil immediately more vividly.

In-depth analysis, this dual opposition is actually the opposition between collectivism and individualism that runs through history. War is nothing more than representing the interests of the collective, requiring individuals to sacrifice for the collective; but everyone is an individual, does the collective have the right to demand individual sacrifices? Kubrick speaks on the weak (individual) side in this film, and also expresses his indignation and powerlessness towards collectivism and war. Under the suppression of collectivism, individuals gradually withered and lost their humanity (such as "Full Metal Shell" after Kubrick). The final arrangement of German women's singing in the film is a call to humanity. This scene is sad. With emotion.

Of course, the movie finally met the needs of the audience, did not let the evil go to the end, let Colonel Douglas defeat the general on the surface, and made a speech (complaining) in awe-inspiring manner. But this is only a superficial victory. After all, individual justice cannot change the overall darkness, so soldiers will continue to face sacrifices in dangerous trenches, and generals will continue to enjoy themselves in luxurious dances. This is an eternal experience. Changing social rules.

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