A Movie that was made for the Vietnam War Era

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2012)

To fully understand this film you have to understand the time in which it was made. At the height of the Vietnam War, with million of Americans protesting against the war, and anti military feelings at the highest level in American history, this movie struck an unconscious cord in the America public. The Vietnam War had gone on 3 times longer than World War II, 3 times longer than the Korean War, with no end in sight. We wanted it to end. Then, along comes a movie that is a tribute to a warrior. Suddenly we realized that what we wanted in the pit of our soul was a General who would not listen to the politicians OR the public, but would fight and win before anyone could assess the situation. Even the anti-war crowd (I was among them) loved this movie.
This movie may not play as well today. Wars are different, and more popular among the public (at least they are supported). But the cinematography and acting was great then, and still is. The opening scene, with Patton ascending the stage from the rear, with a huge Americaqn flag behind him and delivering a rousing speech about killing the enemy is a classic scene. Even if you don't watch the whole movie, see this 5 minute scene, but know that if you do, you will probably not be able to stop watching.
This movie is about a General out of his time. WW II was highly political war. The press was watching. The world was watching. Concessions had to be made to the other allied armies fighting the Axis. Patton didn't care. He was a superb strategist, but what really drove him was fighting and winning. Slapping soldiers with PST and shouting "Why you're nothing but a coward? No problem. Chaffing at holding his position while the Russians advanced, and declaring that the American and British armies should advance through Germany and continue on into Russia? No problem. Patton knew his life was over when this war ended. There could never be another war like it.
See this movie! See a war from the perspective of a war lover, and the kind of war lover that we would love to have. Patton would kill everybody before we had a chance to protest that it was too much. We'd condemn him, but be secretly glad at what he had done.
In one of the great scenes of this movie a Russian general asks Patton, through an interpreter, to have a drink with him. Patton replies that he's not going to drink with "any Russian son of a bitch" When the interpreter tell the Russian General what Patton said he has the interpreter tells Patton the General says that he (Patton) is a son of a bitch. Patton replies, "I'll drink to that! One son of a bitch to another." GREAT STUFF!