Review of Patton (1970) by Jacob M — 08 Aug 2013

"Rommel... I read your BOOK!".

In 1970, people were sick of the Vietnam War and were not interested in seeing any war movies, especially films that supported the Vietnam War (such as John Wayne's highly controversial The Green Berets). But with the release of Patton, based on the famed and controversial military leader of WWII, it got people interested, and in the end, Patton was a highly acclaimed classic and ended up winning Best Picture, beating out Airport, Five Easy Pieces, Love Story, and MASH. With a legendary performance from George C. Scott in the title role, Patton is an unforgettable movie-going experience.

General George Patton (George C. Scott) is called to lead the American troops of North Africa. After getting them into shape, he leads the troops to fight the Germans, led by German Field Marshal Rommel (Karl Micherl Volger). Afterwards, Patton races to Italy, but controversy arises when Patton intends to have competition with British officer Montgomery (Michael Bates), intending to beat him to Sicily. But Patton's biggest challenge comes after slapping one of his soldiers for being a "coward." People cried foul, and Patton nearly loses his job. But with the help of military friend Bradley (Karl Malden), Patton takes command of the Third Army and leads them all through Europe to defeat the Nazis once and for all.

First off, I applaud director Franklin J, Schaffner and his crew for realistically portraying the war. The battle scenes are wonderfully made (with no CGI), and show the dedication of the American troops and their fight for freedom. Scenes with young men killed in battle serve as moving and inspiring.

Jerry Goldsmith's score is outstanding. The now-famous trumpet echoes are highly original and leaves a lasting impact long after seeing the film. Also, the entire Patton theme is heroic and inspiring. Jerry Goldsmith is one of my favorite film composers, definitely in my Top 5, and Patton is one of his best scores, along with Planet of the Apes, The Mummy, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Karl Malden plays Patton's friend Bradley, who saves Patton's reputation, and his role is well-done. I view this as Malden's finest role, not his Oscar-winning performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. The way his character sticks up for Patton is what a true friend should do, even if the two officers disagree on military tactics. ("I do it because I was trained to. You do it because you love it.").

You can't review Patton without talking about George C. Scott's portrayal of the military hero, and in my opinion, Scott's performance is phenomenal. The character of Patton is one of the most fascinating military leaders of all-time, and Scott's performance delivers. Patton is a devout Christian, but believes in reincarnation and curses out his men in order to get them in shape. Scott's tale on the character features him in the film's most memorable moments, such as the already-mentioned soldier slapping scene, a scene where Patton prays during a montage of war in the night, and in the most famous sequence, Patton's memorable opening speech to the Third Army. ("Americans love to fight. It's in their blood.") Some of the harsher language in this scene had to be toned down in order for the film to receive a PG rating (there was no PG-13 in 1970), but either way, that speech still carries out, making Patton one of the most unforgettable experiences in Hollywood history.

Originally, John Wayne was supposed to play Patton, but Wayne turned it down, probably due to his Vietnam controversy. John Wayne is good in his westerns, but had he played Patton, then the film would have been an epic disaster. People are born to do great things, and in the case of George C. Scott, he was born to play Patton, one of the greatest military leaders of all-time. George C. Scott won an Oscar for his role, and while he refused to accept the award, calling the Academy a "meat-market", I feel that his Oscar win was well-deserved.

But even with Scott's Oscar-winning performance, that doesn't mean that Patton is a perfect film. While Patton is a three-hour film, for me, it lacked proper character development. Even though we got to see Patton develop from a grumpy old man to a war hero, I wanted to see the character before his time in the war. I wanted to see his family life, his education, the reason why he believed in reincarnation, and how he joined the military and became a general. But in the end, I was still impressed with the film, even if I wanted to witness Patton's entire life.

It's been called the greatest war film ever made, and while I have a stronger preference to Sergeant York and The Longest Day, Patton is an unforgettable film extravaganza, with an epic Jerry Goldsmith score, a phenomenal and compelling performance from George C. Scott, and a heroic story. Say what you want about Patton, but Patton is the big reason why America still exists today. Without Patton, then the Nazis might have won, and with Scott's grand performance, everyone can witness the grand heroism of a fascinating military leader.