David Simon Introduces PATHS OF GLORY

I can't think of a better choice to introduce it. Hope seen through the lens of utter bleakness. I'm really curious about what he has to say about it.

As someone who seems really fascinated about how and why things are run, and the inherent selfishness and corruptibility of the people who make up those organizations and make decisions that effect people's lives, this has to be one of Simon's favorite films.

This is also happening tonight, here in Baltimore, 7pm at MICA's Brown Center. I'm going.

Dang, that's neat. I saw POG at a special event screening once, but it had no celebrity introduction. Fine film, and I'd hope that you report back here to let us know Simon's take once all is said and done (Assuming you can still get the tickets)

Great screening. Simon came off as more of a movie buff than I expected (in interviews about The Wire he seemed to eschew talking about movies or television). He said little before the screening, mostly just pointing out that Paths of Glory is not an anti-war movie but an anti-authority movie, and telling us to watch for the tracking shot that introduces the trench, and to recall the restaurant tracking shot in Goodfellas. After the screening he talked in depth about the film and its influence on him, saying that Generals Broulard and Mireau were the basic models for authority figures on The Wire (think Burrel & Rawls, Wilson & Carcetti, etc.) and that Col. Dax's perspective in the movie was the model for the perspective of characters trying to reform the systems they're trapped in (think McNulty, D'Angelo Barksdale, Bunny Colvin). He read a little from his introduction for the recent reissue of the novel Paths of Glory, and said that this story is the model for the wide-scale failure of institutions in "the charnel house that was the 20th century" (and said that it was probably the model for the 21st century). He talked a little about Full Metal Jacket (which was an inspiration for Generation Kill), and a lot about politics.

A wonderful evening; a great film (the print looked terrific, probably taken from the same source being used for the upcoming Criterion release) and a hugely insightful speaker.