A great, great movie

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2015)

Quite possibly the best World War II movie ever made. Certainly, it falls in the top 5. PATTON, of course, tells the story of the WWII experience of General George S. Patton, "old blood and guts", showing the good, the bad and the ugly of this man and it doesn't flinch in showing any of them.
Any discussion of this movie, of course, always starts with the bravura turn of George C. Scott in the title role. This is one of the great portrayals in movie history. Scott channels the essence of the man in every scene, starting with, perhaps, my favorite 5 minutes in movie history - the opening monologue in front of the American flag.
But this movie is more than just Scott's portrayal. Director Franklin J. Schaffner imbues this movie with the same sort of directorial panache that Scott imbues with the lead character. He drives the story forward with skill and draws some pretty interesting pictures along the way.
Both Schaffner (for director) and Scott (as Patton) won Oscars for their work - as did the movie as BEST PICTURE in 1970 - it won a total of 8 Academy Awards all together. But I was disappointed when researching, that Karl Malden was not even nominated for his portrayal of General Omar Bradley - the one guy that had Patton's back. While Patton was "blood and guts", Bradley (and Malden) is this movie's heart and soul. Scott's portrayal does not work without Malden's counterbalance.
A great, great movie. One that stands up 45 years later. A must see.
9 (out of 10) stars - and you can take that to the BANK (of Marquis)