"All my life I've wanted to lead a lot of men in a desperate battle".

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2011)

George C. Scott's portrayal of General George S. Patton is a wonder to behold here. It's rare that an actor can take control of a character to the degree Scott does in this film, so much so that he literally becomes Patton. It was interesting to listen to Francis Ford Coppola's remarks on the 20th Century Fox DVD presentation, talking about his research into the General's life. Coppola utilized Patton's belief in reincarnation to write the scene where he discussed the Roman defeat of the Carthaginians in North Africa. A complex character, Patton was a God fearing man who could curse up a storm, and mete out scorn for a coward and empathy for a battle scarred soldier in equal measure. The film uses those kinds of moments to demonstrate the essence of a man who was literally born to battle because he 'loved it so'.
Coming off a recent viewing of "Band of Brothers", this picture helped put in perspective part of Patton's grand strategy in Europe during World War II. With the 101st Airborne pinned down in the area of Bastogne, France, Patton's near impossible march of a hundred days with little in the way of food and war supplies was deemed a master stroke. He made the impossible look like a minor inconvenience.
With the passage of time, it's apparent that Patton's personal philosophy becomes more and more anachronistic. "All real Americans love the sting of battle" is not an idea that's championed today, even when conveyed with Patton's passion for achievement in competition from a young age. Can you imagine a general like him testifying before Congress explaining how he'll cut out the enemies' living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks? Granted, George Patton was the product of a different era, but it's prudent that we pay respect and honor to men like him, and the men who served under him, for the freedoms we still cherish today.