Patton

Movie Review: Patton

Year of Release: 1970
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden

Plot outline: The legendary general's rebellious behaviour almost costs him his command during World War II (IMDb).

As befits a soldier like few others, George C. Scott (in his Oscar-winning role) delivers a performance like few others in his lengthy and illustrious career - his interpretation of Patton is such that it's startling to watch actual newsreel footage of Patton; Scott nailed not only the physicality but also seemingly the psychology of this ageless warrior trapped in World War II but truly at home in the conflicts of ancient Rome or Greece. Working from a screenplay by then-wunderkind Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North (which was based upon "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago and "A Soldier's Story" by Omar N. Bradley), Franklin J. Schaffner's vivid biography of one of America's truly great generals rarely, if ever, flags - Patton pulses with a life and authenticity often missing from conventional Hollywood biopics. By tracing Patton's efforts throughout his various World War II campaigns, Schaffner manages to paint a portrait of both a man and his battles - it's a mammoth war etched in miniature as seen through the poet-warrior eyes of Patton. Scott is surrounded by a terrific, if minor-key, cast including Karl Malden as Omar Bradley, Patton's long-suffering compatriot, Karl Vogler as Patton's nemesis, German general Erwin Rommel and Frank Latimore as Lieutenant Colonel Henry Davenport, representing the British - but it's Scott's show the entire way. He doesn't so much command attention as sear the very screen with his presence. Volumes have been written about Scott's performance as Patton but it still somehow doesn't do it justice - this is world-class acting of a rare and magnificent scale. Patton the movie is every bit as enduring and compelling as the man who inspired it. (PJ)

My judgement: ***1/2 out of 4 stars