Review of Patton (1970) by Cal ( — 21 Apr 2008

"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his.".

General George S. Patton emerged as a prominent military leader during World War II. He got things done by way of heavy discipline and a dedication to his country.

Patton is a biopic of the life of General Patton during the Second World War and it contains one of the greatest performances of the 20th Century. George C. Scott won an Oscar for his portrayal of the man behind several illustrious military campaigns. And there is little wonder. Scott remains focused and full of concentration; never breaking his character for a moment.

Patton used drastic measures, even utilising some that made troops terrified of him, and made sure his soldiers were well trained. Patton was one of the greatest military figures of the modern era; he commanded many attacks that proved successful, and struck a massive blow to the German side. General Rommel was even petrified of the man, and Rommel was the one who had to plan the German attacks!

The film opens with a brusque, stirring and famous speech delivered by Patton before an enormous American flag. The speech proved inspirational to the soldiers in times of combat, and set the atmosphere for the amazing experience that was to come.

Although a brilliant general, Patton was well known for shooting his mouth off; saying inappropriate things, being too harsh on men and raising his voice at the slightest things. In some scenes the audience can empathise with the man's situation, in others we sit in awe as George C. Scott delivers lines that are so powerful that in turn the audience will become increasingly scared.

But there was a lighter side to Patton that was never seen by any of his soldiers that didn't hold a position of power, and this side is exposed frequently. The man had a sense of humour; he says some very amusing things that are blunt but true. In a word, the man was interesting; volatile temper, vast array of knowledge of battle tactics, belief in reincarnation, fascination with history and yet a very dry sense of humour.

Patton is one of the greatest war movies ever to hit the big screen. Although essentially a drama, the film has its fair share of elaborate battle scenes that aren't necessarily gory but with an enormous body count. The battles look spectacular, and that's only putting it mildly.

The scale is enormous; detailed costumes, genuine props, and tonnes of extras. Not to mention the very impressive array of tanks present during the battles that add to the high level of authenticity in the production.

The film also uses grainy black & white footage as a medium for outlining events that have happened between scenes. But the boldest aspect has yet to come. The film also examines the other side of the battle - the planning strategies of the Germans who are working to ensure they don't let Patton get the upper hand.

And as a result the film is an absorbing character study that is not action orientated but rather focused on the drama that unfolded in between the battles. We see the planning; the brains behind the operations that have now become famous amongst modern historians.

Patton is a moving portrait and a patriotic tribute to a man who was so dedicated to his career as a general. The film is long, but not overlong. It's drawn out, but always fascinating.

Patton is a film that will be remembered as fondly as the general whose life spawned the tale. A film you cannot afford to miss.