Review of Patton (1970) by Spencer S — 02 Mar 2009

I watched this movie for the first time on AMC, so it was "formatted to fit your screen" and chock full of commercials. This is not the way to see a film that encompasses such a epic and historical sweep of the pivotal moments in a man's life that defined him as a war hero.

As such, even with the intrusions and interruptions imposed upon it by the channel, it still was an excellent film. George C. Scott fully inhabits his role and actually makes Patton more of an actual and very interesting man rather than a bomb flinging caricature.

Scott makes Patton into a strong leader and a romantic anachronism that is as much one with and completely removed from the battles raging around him. The film is beautifully photographed and takes full advantage of some of the epic landscapes and grand historical castles that the film is set in.

I'd recommend this film for everyone, it's not really a war film when you look at it critically. It's a character study about a singular man and his affect on history.