Paths of Glory (1957)

During the brutal trench warfare of World War I, French General Mireau is ordered by his superiors to launch a suicidal assault on a heavily fortified German position. When the mission predictably fails, Mireau scapegoats three random soldiers to cover up the disaster. As a former lawyer, Dax takes on the nearly impossible task of defending his men in a rigged court-martial, challenging the military elites.