PATTON (1970)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Epic / War

Director: Franklin Schaffner

Cast: George C. Scott / Karl Malden / Michael Bates

Plot

Eccentric American General George Patton commands Allied troops in the African and European theaters of World War II with great success, but his impatience for compromise and politics threatens his career.

What I Liked

Featuring one of my favorite lead performances, “Patton” fascinates from start to finish, even through repeated viewings.  This is in large part due to George C. Scott’s exhilarating portrayal of the title character himself, capturing a larger-than-life figure’s humanity and vulnerability without sacrificing what made him so impressive in the first place.  One can disagree with every word out of George Patton’s big mouth in this movie (I’m not saying I did), but, thanks to Scott, no one can resist liking him.

Speaking of Patton’s dialogue, this movie was co-written by Francis Ford Coppola, who would of course go on to a legendary career of his own as a film director.  I’m pretty sure anyone can look at his Internet Movie Database credits as a writer and director and find at least one of your favorite movies.  Just as he did on his next co-writing project (a little thing called “The Godfather”), Coppola displays such amazing skill at fleshing out complicated characters against a background of epic plotting and events while making it all seem seamless, that I can’t help but be jealous.

Speaking of epic scale, they don’t get much more epic.  At the end of World War II, Patton, with his Third Army, conquered more territory and defeated more enemies in a shorter time than any other general in history, and that was just one of his roles in the war.  So naturally his story is wide in scope, from a tank battle in northern Africa, to the liberation of Sicily, to his bloody, icy race toward Berlin.  In one of the most technically detailed war movies ever filmed, we experience the carnage of the battlefront, the intrigue of back-room meetings, the majesty of extravagant palaces, and the grandeur of astounding landscapes.

What I Didn’t Like

Some might find it overly long, and it does have its occasional lulls in action.  But those lulls are usually filled with wonderful, often shocking, illustrations of what made Patton a rebellious throwback in the face of ever-modernizing warfare.  I love every moment of this movie.

Most Memorable Scene

Really now, what can beat that iconic speech in front of the American flag?  It certainly stands among the greatest opening scenes in the history of film.  I don’t think I would mind if every film ever released opened with this before getting started.

My Rating: 5 out of 5