"All real Americans love the sting of battle"

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2014)

Patton was a man who loved war. He saw it as a thing of honour to be able to fight for his country. More than that, he believed it to be his destiny and purpose to lead men throughout WW2. The war was a story to him that would be told throughout the ages and he wanted the leading role.
We never see anything of Patton's life before the war. Instead the story begins in the midst of the second world war when he is promoted to Lieutenant General, almost as if that is where his destiny begins. It follows all of his military exploits from that point. We see everything of his joys of controlling the realms of battle to his frustration and misery at spending time waiting for his next assignment. We see both the highs and lows of his career and everything between.
Through the diversity within all his exploits, the man is left open to a great deal of interpretation. One person can walk away from this film thinking about Pattons many victories. But another can watch this film and see a brutal man whose war methods put too much strain on his own men. The film never offers a definite opinion. It just shows us the facts and lets us assess the man ourselves. It allows for a far more diverse set of views and creates a more interesting look at what kind of man he truly was.
Normally it would be difficult for an actor to keep open these various views about his character. But luckily they made a perfect casting choice for the role. Whilst the Scott himself felt his performance did not do the material justice (to the point that he declined his Oscar for best actor), he truly brings the man to life. From the moment he steps on screen and delivers the films opening speech in front of the American flag, Scotts performances is instantly hypnotic and maintains its strength from start to finish.
He balances every part of Patton's life seamlessly. From his admiration of any mans courage in war to his sorrow at not leading D day, he juggles all of the different aspects of Patton's life. Always demonstrating Pattons love of the grandeur of war by constantly taking centre stage he ensures that he builds up Pattons own perspective of how his life was the centre of the war. He performs the role incredibly to keep us all hooked to the film from start to finish.
The film delivers a powerful portrait of one of the most controversial figures of the American military. It captures the man's admiration of war showing us the beauty and honour that he saw in battle. It's a brilliant example of when a great actor is given a great script and cinematic history is born.