A Fascinating Look at a Flawed Man!

Rating: 9/10 (12 October 2015)

From viewing the famous opening sequence of the 1970 war movie, "Patton," I knew what kind of epic I was in for. That opening sequence, with Patton addressing soldiers in front of a draped American flag, shows what kind of character General George S. Patton is. A bloodthirsty, vivid man who is overly fond of his colorful language as well as his hatred towards the Germans. This character is fully embodied by George C. Scott, who delivers such a mesmerizing performance. This is the oldest rule in the acting handbook, but I truly believe I was watching Patton barking orders on screen, not George Scott. I really enjoyed this sprawling war epic, which covered the years Patton served in the war. The film, while suggesting sympathy, tells an unflinching account about whom Patton was and why he wasn't well-liked amongst his superiors. Thanks to a wonderful screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola, the character of George Patton was brought to life on the big screen.
Franklin J. Schaffner's film celebrates the life of one of America's finest, but most eccentric generals. The film travels from his conquests over General Rommel in Libya to his downfall which led him not leading the troops at Normandy due to his big mouth and an incident where he slapped a solider. But the film shows him getting back at it by defeating Germans left and right as he marches closer and closer to Berlin.
George C. Scott had a wonderful career, but this may be his finest performance he has ever done. In a sense, Scott is almost like Patton. They share nearly the same kind of personality. Scott always seemed to have controversial comments. But that being said, Scott blended into the role of Patton very well. He definitely deserved that Oscar win. The other "big" actor in the film is Karl Malden, who played General Omar Bradley. He really doesn't have much to do, except to play third wheel to Scott's Patton. But in that case, I believe it is okay here. After all, this film is about George Patton.
Overall, Patton is an example on how to make an exemplary biography. It's an extremely wonderful movie thanks to a center magnificent performance by George C. Scott. This is also a war movie, but I was surprised at the lack of battle sequences. Now there were a few, but this was more character-focused than I expected. That is not a complaint, as I love these kind of movies. Now for what little battles we have, the sound and effects work were great. I also loved the score by Jerry Goldsmith, and his use of the pipe organ in the main theme honoring the religious overtone of Patton. This is a great movie that respectfully treats one of the most iconic names in American history.
My Grade: A