Patton

Rating: 7/10 (13 August 2014)

Nice guys don't win wars. Patton was a notorious American general who came into prominence during the latter stages of WWII, who got the job done but won few friends in the process. He studied old battles from history, and duplicated their tactics, often to brilliant effect. But he cared little for what he considered cowards, and in one well documented incident slapped a man full on in the face for the terrible crime of being scared of guns... In front of an entire hospital ward. He also had a tendency of engaging his mouth before his brain, which led him to come into constant sparring with the US government. After the conflict was over, he was quickly removed from his post... a man who's provocative behaviour and outrageous jingoism had become something of a national embarrassment, despite his achievements on the battlefield. But did he deserve this ignominious fate? The movie attempts to answer that question.
Being over two and a half hours long (with a musical intermission no less!) you might expect proceedings to drag at certain points... and indeed they do. But what keeps the action ticking along nicely is George C Scott's incredible performance as the controversial central character. According to this film's representation of him, he was just a man solely concentrated on getting the glory and annihilating the opposition... everything else, such as empathy with his men and following orders, just fell by the wayside. Scott somehow turns this rather gruff individual into a likable person, with an Oscar an ample reward for his efforts. For a feature made around 1970 the war scenes are extremely well done, with realistic explosions, convincing gunfire and detailed injuries adding to the resounding effect. Finally, it can also be quite funny, which is needed to leaven out some of the more bloody passages.
So, not a film to half watch as you're chatting on the phone, but one to fully immerse yourself in when you have an afternoon spare. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. 7/10