Great film, bad history

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2003)

This has to be considered among the top war films ever made, but that's not to say it's without its flaws. Patton's importance in the overall war seems to be overstated, but this can be forgiven given that it's his biopic. What is less easy to forgive is the rather typical Hollywood historical revisions. German generals Keitel and Rommel seem to cower in fear at Patton's name. British generals like Montgomery are portrayed as cowardly braggarts. This is simply wrong. North Africa was won by Montgomery long before Patton even set foot on the continent. Rommel suffered from diversion of his supplies to the eastern front. It's an interesting question as to what would have happened if he had the support he required. This isn't to say that Patton and Bradley weren't great generals. I simply don't understand why the film had to revise history to make their enemies appear fearful and their allies cowardly.