Patton

Rating: 7/10 (1 September 2008)

From Oscar winning and Golden Globe nominated director Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet of the Apes), this is a pretty good war film about one of the most infamous and heroic leader's. The film begins with my favourite and most memorable moment where Gen. George S. Patton Jr. (Oscar and Golden Globe winning, and BAFTA nominated George C. Scott) addresses his troops in front of the large stars and stripes flag. The rest of the film is good too, for nearly three hours, although it is mainly seeing the attitude of Patton, his many chats with fellow leaders such as Gen. Omar N. Bradley (Karl Malden), Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery (Michael Bates), Capt. Chester B. Hansen (Stephen Young), Brig. Gen. Hobart Carver (Michael Strong) and Moroccan Minister (Albert Dumortier). Also starring Frank Latimore as Lt. Col. Henry Davenport, Morgan Paull as Capt. Richard N. Jenson, Karl Michael Vogler as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Patrick J. Zurica as 1st Lt. Alexander Stiller, James Edwards as Sgt. William George Meeks, Lawrence Dobkin as Col. Gaston Bell and David Bauer as Lt. Gen. Harry Buford. There are a few battle scenes which add excitement, you see some stuff from the Germans, and there is great theme music, but the one who steals the show is indeed the performance of Scott, who was the first actor in Oscar history to refuse his award (second being Marlon Brando in The Godfather). It won the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced for Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, and Best Picture, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Special Visual Effects and Best Music for Jerry Goldsmith, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Sound Track, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. General George Patton was number 29 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes, the film was number 89 on 100 Years, 100 Movies, and it was number 44 on The 100 Greatest War Films. Very good!