An Anachronic state of mind for a Universal aura ...

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2012)

Franklyn Shaffer's "Patton" opens with its most emblematic image: General George S. Patton Jr. played by the coincidentally namesake George C. Scott, standing in front of a giant American flag, to deliver one of the greatest cinematic speeches. Yet the film is too 'intelligent' to be labeled as gratuitously patriotic. The Best Picture winner of 1971 is a thought-provoking exaltation of warfare through the portrayal of a man who loved his country but loved fighting even more, and embraced victory with such passion he became its own incarnation.
General De Gaulle began his Memoir by stating: "All my life, I had a certain idea about France ". In the same vein, Patton's speech expresses a certain idea, ideal, of America, a domineering and strong country crystallizing all the prestigious characteristics of the previous victorious nations. Half-mad, half-genius, General Patton believed in reincarnation, a faith driven by the passion in History that nourished his mind with the exploits of Caesar, Hannibal, Napoleon, Frederick the Great, and to a certain extent, even an enemy like Rommel, whom he read the book, was respected for his war tactics. "I was there" loved to retort Patton, referring to historical battles, with a crazy smirk that no one ever dared to contradict.
In his mind, America was the Roman Empire's reincarnation that provided him the ultimate opportunity to finally fulfill his dreams of conquest, victory and prestige. More than pro-American, he's supra-American: his ideals indeed transcended the limited barriers of a nation; as he repeated, he's not a politician, and certainly not a diplomat, his job is to fight, and to lead his Army to Victory, victory or annihilation. "The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans", which gets me back to the opening scene. There's so much to say about it this marvelous piece of "inspirational brainwashing", written by an Oscar-winning Francis Ford Coppola.
I say 'brainwashing', because the words work, there's something authoritarian in this unique raspy voice that resonates in the hearts of all the listeners. I'm sure it made many Americans proud to have had such a great leader and non-American wish they could have such a leader. I'm sure many of us younger generation, wished we could prove our value on the battlefield and as for the anti-war people, there's still a possibility to admire a man who was faithful to his principles. Feared or respected, I don't think there was a way not to admire the man, even secretly. Hell, even the enemy admired George Patton.
And how couldn't they? Patton was a bigger-than-life foul-mouthed idealist, in other words: a natural-born leader. And the genius in Scott's performance relies on the way we never cease to doubt over Patton's capability to win the War, and his unpopularity among his own peers, make him all the more appealing. No General would have slapped a weeping officer, victim of shell-shock, and whether Patton was right or wrong to do what he did in the second most emblematic scene of the film, we feel that it's precisely the kind of behavior that only a great man would have done. A great nation needs a great army, therefore great soldiers. Ego? Yes, but indispensable to inculcate this very "idea of America".
"They never know when you're acting and when you're not" says an aide, pointing out Patton's talent, he's convincing and his convincing craziness is the expression of his ferocious attachment to his personal vision. Did all the great men believe in God? I don't know but I'm sure they did believe in Destiny, therefore on a mysterious God-like vision that wrote the course of events in the right way. Did all the great men believe in Destiny? It's precisely what made them great, their ability to foreshadow the future, to see what had to be done. Patton was a visionary. He had his opinion on the war in Europe, on the conflict with the Russians, and he knew that a man like him was born to meet his Destiny.
Beyond George C. Scott's magnificent performance, there's also Francis Ford Coppola's gripping script (we can't help but feel that Lieutenant Kilgore from "Apocalypse Now" owes to Scott's portrayal) and paralleling the War, if one can't be lost given the right leader, right artillery, spirit, weapons, a movie with the right writing, directing, music –who can forget Jerry Goldsmith's catchy tune- and acting, can't fail either. But although it had a fair deal of supporting performances, apart from Karl Malden's depiction of Omar Bradley, no one could hold a candle to Scott. He carried the film and embodied to the most infinite details Patton's charisma.
Even when he defied the Academy by refusing his Award, there was a sort of Patton-esque irreverence in Scott's attitude. And Scott indeed made me believe that one man can change the course of War. Ironically, Scott was so omnipresent that the best scenes to give insights about his aura belonged to the German side, starting by Rommel's decision to wipe out Patton's army before he did so, you could tell in his eyes when he was told about Patton that he realized he met his match. In another scene, a General expresses his disbelief that the American Army would ban Patton because of a vulgar slap, and at the end, you could clearly see a respect toward the "pure warrior", and "living anachronism", a Master of War who could only be destroyed by an absence of War.
Anachronism, yes  "Patton" also respected his enemies, as they belonged to the same race: fighters. With his vision of chivalry, bravura, he despised the bombs that could be dropped automatically, wars without fights, without heroes of cowards. I wonder what he would have thought about the two Hiroshima and Nagazaki bombs, one thing for sure, If Patton's state of mind didn't belong to his era, his aura could appeal to any country