History YMMV / PathsOfGlory

* AdaptationDisplacement: Humphrey Cobb's novel sold well in 1935 but now most people aren't even aware it was originally a book.

* CompleteMonster: [[GloryHound General Paul Mireau]] is the opportunistic [[InsaneAdmiral commander]] of the 701st regiment in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Taking his men on a dangerous mission to secure a promotion by capturing Anthill, Mireau threatens and beats even his shell-shocked soldiers, and eventually sends thousands to their deaths while only concerning himself with the speed of his forces' advance. When a group of his own soldiers refuse to participate in the fruitless conflict, Mireau [[UnfriendlyFire orders them bombarded with artillery]], executing the artillery commander for refusing the insane order. After losing the battle, an enraged Mireau tries to [[ShotAtDawn execute]] 100 of his own soldiers, forced to amend the order to three but enjoying their wrongful killings all the same.

* AmericansHateTingle: ''Paths of Glory'' wasn't even released in France until 1970, for a number of reasons. One of them is the movie's stereotype that all World War I officers partied in their chateaus while their men died on the field, which is in direct contrast to the historical record that ''officers'' were statistically more likely to become casualties than their own enlisted men. But the biggest reason the film caused so much outrage in France was ValuesDissonance regarding World War I itself. Essentially, while World War I in the Anglosphere's popular conscious is often viewed as futile and pointless (although this view has been challenged and scrutinized in recent decades), in France it's usually seen as a war of national defense against an aggressive and militaristic invader. To give a rough analogy, imagine if the same general plot and message was transplanted to the Pacific Theatre of World War II, only with American soldiers and generals.
* AwardSnub: Failed to even get nominated for Best Picture. Ditto Creator/StanleyKubrick for Best Director and Creator/KirkDouglas for Best Actor.

* CompleteMonster: [[AmbitionIsEvil General Paul Mireau]] is the opportunistic [[InsaneAdmiral commander]] of the 701st regiment during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. When General Broulard offers Mireau a chance at promotion and a medal in exchange for launching a costly attack on the German position known as the Anthill, Mireau leaps at the chance despite knowing full well the mission is unlikely to succeed and will come at great cost. When inspecting the front lines, Mireau [[DisproportionateRetribution physically beats and insults a soldier for having shell shock]], and strong-arms Colonel Dax into going along with the planned offensive, threatening to fire him if he doesn't. During the assault on the Anthill, Mireau observes thousands of his troops get slaughtered from afar, only concerned with the speed of their advance. When a group of soldiers refuse to participate in the hopeless assault, Mireau [[UnfriendlyFire orders his own artillery to fire on them]], and then threatens to arrest and execute the artillery commander for refusing. When the attack on the Anthill dissolves after that, an enraged Mireau tries to have 100 men from the regiment tried for cowardice and executed, having to be pressured greatly by Broulard to reduce it to three men only. Shoving the three through a [[KangarooCourt show trial]] and watching them get ShotAtDawn, Mireau gloats over their deaths and quips about how beautiful it was to watch. Having the gall to call himself "the only innocent person in this entire affair", Mireau proves himself to be an unhinged and bloodthirsty GloryHound only out for himself.

** Worse General Mireau was based on an actual French General, Geraud Reveilhac. Not only was he responsible for the actual Souain Affair, but he had an appalling lack of consideration for his men. Case in point he once reordered his men to attack again after the first one had failed because they hadn't met his quota of "acceptable casualties" for the day. That and the Souain Affair led him to being forced off duty for three months and into the reserves for the rest of the war. He was never formally punished and even received the Legion d'Honneur for his service. The only justice he ever faced was the intense public scrutiny he faced when the Souain Affair became public.

** Worse General Mireau was based on an actual French General, Geraud Reveilhac, who was responsible for the actual Souain Affair and had an appalling lack of consideration for his men. Case in point he once reordered his men to attack after it had failed because there hadn't met his quota of "acceptable casualties" for the day. That and the Souain Affair led him to being forced off duty for three months and into the reserves for the rest of the war. He was never formally punished and even received the Legion d'Honneur for his service. The only justice he ever faced was the intense public scrutiny he faced when the Souain Affair became public.

* TearJerker: The ending. A young German woman is forced to sing for the soldiers in a tavern. They are cat-calling, hooting, and laughing at her. Then she starts to sing a simple, well-known ballad about love in war, "The Faithful Soldier". The audience quiets down, and they start to hum the song along with her, as they recall their youth, their homes, and their loves in a world they may never see again. It's easily the most sentimental moment in a film by Kubrick, who's career is the definition of anti-RousseauWasRight.

* VindicatedByHistory: The film failed on its first release, yet it's now considered one of the most poignant stories of war ever told. It was banned in France until 1970 for its criticism of the French army.

** Hell, much of the movie is this, especially in the second half.

* VindicatedByHistory: The film failed on its first release, yet it's now considered one of the most poignant stories of war ever told,. It was banned in France until 1970 for its criticism of the French army.

* AdaptationDisplacement: Humphrey Cobb's novel sold well in 1935 but now many people aren't even aware it was originally a book.

* TearJerker: The ending. A young German woman is forced to sing for the soldiers in a tavern. They are are cat-calling, hooting, and laughing at her. Then she starts to sing a simple, well-known ballad about love in war, "The Faithful Soldier". The audience quiets down, and they start to hum the song along with her, as they recall their youth, their homes, and their loves in a world they may never see again. It's easily the most sentimental moment in a film by Kubrick, who's career is the definition of anti-RousseauWasRight.

* AwardSnub: Failed to even get nominated for Best Picture. Ditto Kubrick for Best Director and Kirk Douglas for Best Actor.

* TearJerker: The ending. A young German woman is forced to sing for the soldiers in a tavern. They are are cat-calling, hooting, and laughing at her. Then she starts to sing a simple, well-known ballad about love in war, "The Faithful Soldier". The audience quiets down, and they start to hum the song along with her, as they recall their youth, their homes, and their loves in a world they may never see again.

* TearJerker: The ending. A young German woman is forced to sing for the soldiers in a tavern. They are are cat-calling, hooting, and laughing at her. Then she starts to sing a simple, well-known ballad about love in war, "The Faithful Soldier". The audience quiets down, and they start to hum the song along with her, as they recall their youth, their homes, and their loves in a world they may never see again.

* TearJerker: The ending.