Patton

Plot synopsis:
Against a backdrop of the Stars and Stripes, General George S. Patton (George C. Scott) addresses his troops on the eve of battle. His uniform is impeccable, his medals uncountable, and his ramrod demeanor unassailable. As he speaks to the men about to embark on their first great adventure, his manner runs the gamut from stern, to jovial, amused, profane and reverent. To Patton, it is obvious that war is the greatest expression of the human condition.North Africa, 1942: In their first encounter with Rommel's Africa Corps, the Americans are badly beaten. In the post-battle assessment, Gen. Omar Bradley (Karl Malden) decides what's needed is the best tank commander they've got. Patton answers the call and arrives amid wailing sirens and a cloud of dust. He's also early and catches most of the soldiers off guard, a mistake they quickly learn not to make again. Believing the casual attitude displayed by the troops to be the primary source of their defeat, he quickly begins to set things to rights. Patton's belief in himself is unshakable, and there's only one way to get things done-his way. Quickly establishing discipline and routine, he commands his men with an iron fist. He also has great respect for the Germans he's up against, and has studied the tactics of Rommel in the field.In Berlin, the Germans are also assessing Patton. His reputation is considerable, and they study his idiosyncracies looking for a clue to the man's character. They note he is a romantic, reads the Bible daily, swears like a stableboy, and believes in reincarnation. Rommel, when asked what he intends to do about Patton, simply replies "I will attack and annihilate him.....before he does the same to me."Soon the Germans move against the American positions in Tunisia, and Patton watches in fascination from his command post in the hills nearby. Anticipating Rommel's plan, he routs the Germans, and gives the Americans their first victory, further inflating his ego. North Africa now has two prima donnas; Patton, and the equally egotistical British commander, Field Marshal Montgomery (Michael Bates). Naturally, they come to dislike each other intensely, and as the African campaign draws to a close, plans are made for the invasion of Italy. Patton wines and dines the appropriate officals, and pitches his own plan to invade through Sicily. Montgomery has other plans, and when Monty's are adopted over his own, Patton, outraged, vows to outdo the Field Marshal at all costs.Sicily is invaded, and Montgomery's troops fight their way up the East coast against heavy German resistance. Patton is assigned the support role of guarding Montomery's flank, but soon adopts another plan and begins to push across the island, taking the long way around. First taking Palermo, then pushing East to Messina, he races Montgomery to the finish line, pushing his men to the breaking point and creating dissension among his commanders. They do not wish to sacrifice more American casualties to Patton's ego.Soon, Montgomery and the British forces march into the liberated city of Messina amid the cheering populace. Flags wave and the pipers play as they march triumphantly into the town square; Monty has done it. He's driven the Germans out of Sicily and beaten Patton to the punch. Abruptly, the pipers falter, and fall silent. Monty quickly marches to the fore to investigate, and finds Patton, his tanks and troops neatly arrayed behind him, standing there silently with an insufferable smile on his lips. He'd arrived hours ago, and was waiting only to greet his old rival.As the Italian campaign continues, Patton becomes more controversial. During a routine inspection of wounded men in a field hospital, he encounters a shell-shocked soldier crying in a corner and becomes enraged with what he perceives as a display of cowardice. Slapping the soldier, he rages at him and orders him sent back to the front. This outburst gets Patton the first serious setback he's ever experienced. A rebuke from his commander and an order to apologize to all concerned quickly follow, a bitter pill indeed for the general. Forced to swallow his pride, he stands before the assembled troops and tersely gives his explanation, then turns on his heel and marches away.The war grinds on. Patton is called to England prior to D-Day, and believes he will be commanding the invasion, but finds that his big mouth and bigger ego have gotten him into too much trouble. He's become a liability to the fragile alliance Eisenhower is trying to hold together to fight the Germans, so Patton's orders are to shut up and stay out of trouble. Chafing at what may be his last chance to be in a great battle, he'll do anything to get back in the game. Arriving in France days after the invasion, he meets with General Bradley again, who puts Patton on probation and gives him a chance to redeem himself. Grateful for the opportunity, Patton quickly shows the rest of the world what he can do, chasing the Germans clear across France, and gaining more ground in less time than any other allied outfit.Christmas approaches, and the Germans mount a final major counter-attack at the Battle of the Bulge. Caught off guard, the American troops are trapped and surrounded, and only a miracle can save them. Patton vows to provide one. Marching his men north at breakneck speed, he amazingly arrives in time and relieves the trapped Americans, grabbing the limelight once more. Now it's on to Germany, and as the war winds down, Patton becomes despondent at the impending cessation of hostilities. All too soon, Patton's mouth gets him in trouble again as he first snubs the Russians, and then compares the defeated Nazis to other political parties in the U.S. Another uproar ensues, and Eisenhower is forced to relieve Patton once again.Having proved himself one of the greatest military commanders of WWII, he now faces a future and a world that no longer need him. Recalling history, he ruminates: "For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph - a tumultuous parade. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."

Tags: violence, boring, historical

Review:
Oliver Stone has said this film glorifies war, i disagree, what it does is show a man {Patton} who gloried in war, the war is shown through his perspective,and to Patton war is glorious and he revels in it.The performance of George c scott as Patton is brilliant, it shows a complex and demanding character riddled with contradictions ,who believes he was born to be a leader of men,the supporting cast is very good particularly karl Malden who plays general Bradley a calm experienced soldier with no dreams of glory, the perfect foil to the maverick Patton, the combat scenes are well shot and are never more than is necessary to support the narrative,the film rises above being very good to excellence due to  George c Scotts intuitive grasp of the character..
In fact, World War II is merely the setting  a backdrop so to speak  and the battles are all downplayed in favor of giving the audience a glimpse into the brilliance (or insanity) of the historically significant character, Patton.
Scott's performance of Patton is one I consider the greatest given of any war film.
Scott.'  Instead it's, `Hey, there's Patton.'  Not very many film characters have a personality strong enough to overtake the actor playing them.
All I know for certain is that Patton is a very entertaining and well balanced movie that holds up very well thirty years later, and it's a film that can be admired for its craft..
Scott, nor has any movie better portrayed that spirit than PATTON.Patton was a man who lived for war.
PATTON shows this aspect of his character very well.Karl Malden's Omar Bradley is shown in an almost father-like role; he sees and recognizes Patton's immense talents as a general, and uses them in spite of Patton's natural ability to antagonize everybody around him.
Knowing Hollywood and knowing when this was made - during the heyday of the anti-war (Vietnam) movement - I have my suspicions, but for the sake of the review, I will assume all of this is true.Whatever political bias a filmmaker might have, Patton made for a good movie subject anyway and the story is interesting all the way, thanks to the acting of George C.
Also superb in the film is everyman Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, providing the stable and workmanlike leader (and one who rises quicker in the ranks due to it) to Patton's egomaniac.And Yes, George C.
George C Scott dominates this film in a memorable portrayal of US General Patton.
Mr. Scott brings General Patton to life in a bravura performance.FrankliN Schaffner was a fine Director and he guises the film brilliantly but it is George C Scott who gives one of the greatest male performances I have ever seen.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The part in the movie when Patton (George C Scott) said that the greatest part of his life was serving as a five star General in WWII, became a dirge of candor which the movie audience could thoroughly believe!!
The World War 2 history of General George S Patton, US Army.
It also demonstrates well the lack of diplomacy which often set his career back.Excellent performance by George C Scott in the lead role, a performance for which he won an Oscar.The movie itself won the 1971 Best Picture Oscar..
George Patton was a great general, which also meant that he gave his life to war and all its implications.
Whilst the Scott himself felt his performance did not do the material justice (to the point that he declined his Oscar for best actor), he truly brings the man to life.
It has great actors, a great story, and a real war that was fought by people who wanted to win.It also attempts - and I think succeed - at portraying the many sides of General Patton.
It's one of Mr. Scott's two or three very best performances, and won him an Academy Award, and yet in a bloated film filled with mostly hot air as opposed to passion and information, even Mr. Scott's joyously powerful performance doesn't seem to add up to much."Patton" clocks in at just under three hours in length, and yet even with so much open space to throw in historical facts, information, and theories about General Patton's infamous career and his actions during the Second World War, the movie does not provide anything that I could not have learned by picking up a book at the local library.
Although I think George C Scott is a great actor, I do not understand why this film won 7 Oscars when several superb historic war films also produced in 1970 received little acclaim.This is yet another of the almost limitless American films post WW2 which glorifies one of their famous generals.
Immediately following the successful invasion, he was put in command of the Third Army in the final Allied thrust against Germany where the headstrong general, once again, proved his mettle as his forces favored speed and aggressive offensive action.Patton was an interesting character who maintained a flashy larger-than-life image in order to encourage his troops; and he didn't hesitate to get his hands dirty with them.
It's interesting to observe the North African and European theaters of the war from the standpoint of the Allied generals, mostly Patton and Bradley, rather than the typical perspective of the infantry.THE FILM WAS WRITTEN by Francis Ford Coppola with additional material from Edmund H.
Scott walking onstage as Patton to deliver his iconic speech in front of a sprawling American flag, I knew this was going to be a great movie.
Then we see a comeback as Patton commands the Allies on the European front mowing down Germans left and right as they move closer to Berlin.The main actor in the film, of course, is George C.
The other main performance was Karl Malden who delivers an admirable performance as General Omar Bradley, the man who gave Patton a second chance in the war.Patton is a long film as it clocks in nearly three hours long and Scott is in nearly every frame, but it works very much thanks to Scott's layered performance enhancing upon Patton's theatricality.
The movie sees the war the way Patton saw it and it's an exhilarating experience.The direction is also a highlight of the film.
"Patton" is one of the best and most honored war films of all time.
Patton (1970) follows the amazing story of General George Patton during the second World War. The film does go into more detail about his life that I felt was a pleasant surprise.
I expected to just witness a movie full of battles and action but the film really dove into his personal life and looked at the reasons why he acted like he did and what drove him.
This film is about the American General Patton, he is a man who glories in war.
Scott stars as General George Patton, legendary tank commander that traces his career through his North Africa campaign, the invasion of Germany, and finally commander of occupational forces in Germany.
It also profiles his friend and colleague General Omar Bradley(Karl Malden, also superb) who tries in vain to influence Patton to not be so unforgiving to his own men(especially in memorable scene of him slapping an unhappy soldier, likely suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder, an undiagnosed condition at that time) and his rebellious nature toward authority(when he believes it to be wrong) which threatened his own command, and any political aspirations he may have had, which he claimed were none.Superbly directed by Franklin J.
The great broadcaster Walter Cronkite, who covered Patton during the war, felt this film captured the man extremely well.
4. I like how the movie leaves implicit, rather than making explicit, a central fact: Patton's pursuit of military glory was entirely congruent with America's best interests in the war (and I'm sure he knew this).
In the early 1970s, when the film came out, with the Soviets and the U.S. pointing nukes at one another and the world worried about nuclear incineration, a whole lot of people watched that phone scene and thought, "Hey, not a bad idea - that might have worked out OK." Yeah, maybe, except for the fact that the Red Army had many millions of men in Eastern Europe, plus tanks, planes, and artillery; the U.S. didn't have nukes yet; and Americans were sick-and-tired of war.
Contrast Scott's perfectly delivered profane-glorious speech in the first innovative moments of the film with his message in the final scene when the resigned old warhorse, walking away from us into history, reminds himself and us: "All glory is fleeting." This is impeccably balanced work by writers North and Coppola, with superb directing by Schaffner, backed throughout by Goldsmith's alternately triumphant and plaintive score.
Having said that, it of course still has the look and feeling of a WW II movie, complete with also plenty of epic battles.It's fascinating to see the war through the eyes of a person who absolutely and completely lives and breaths for it.
Schaffner truly did a fine directing job with this!An absolute must-see for its main character, the performance by Scott, the wonderful musical score by Jerry Goldsmith and just simply because this is one fine movie to watch!10/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
Scott gets my vote as the finest performance ever in the movies with this role as General Patton.
There is no doubt that film's success and popularity came, almost entirely, from the outstanding performance by George C Scott: he was, and is, the movie.
Without Scott, 'Patton' would have been just another war movie - and not a very good one at that.
the current demonization of pacifists by the republican-controlled media is proof enough of this.this film is two thirds of the greatest war movie ever made in America, because Patton is a complex character presented with impossible chores, most of which he actually accomplishes, and with real chutzpah.
before this moment, Patton is wide open to all the cutting criticism that the writers' quietly embed in their script.but in the battle of the bulge, Patton proved that he could be a solid tactician; that he well understood the suffering - and the potential - of his men; that his grasp on the inter-relationship between tactic and strategy was as strong as he always claimed; that his swift interventions, as bloody as they seemed, actually reduced the casualty-cost of battle; and that he actually knew what he was talking about in his poetic ramblings on history.this doesn't make him a great man - but he certainly was a great general.once presented with this fact, the writers of the movie lose control of their character and their film, and the director - who should be the one to recognize this and salvage it - fumbles about along with them.too bad.
Patton exactly as he ought to be played - and he does, - this remains not only Scott's shining moment, but one of the great performances of film history..
All that we are treated to is the same perspective that eventually insinuates that Schaffner wanted us to feel sympathy for an egomaniac who loved war, and festered the whole time to his wholehearted dedication to it.Although Scott's performance is truly breathtaking; his presence and charisma really manage to keep us interested to watch the film to the end.
He praised and denigrated people by race (as was private routine then) but welcomed African-American tankers into 3rd Army (at the time, as was all the U.S. Army, segregated) and even was the first commander to integrate rifle companies when manpower got tight."Patton" correctly salutes Patton by making a movie just as complex as he was; this film both celebrates martial glory and shudders at war's true horror.
Scott puts in a very good performance as Patton and effectively explores the complex nature of the generals character.The film is well made and put together and the cinematography is good - good battle scenes from the desert plains of North Africa to wintry northern France - it is all well done.
Those who think that PATTON was simply 'another war flick' are sorely mistaken; it is actually better thought of as one of the best character pieces of all time, set against the backdrop of WWII.
That's not to say I'll be studying Patton the man in any great detail in the future, but I have gained a greater level of respect and admiration (and fear?) of the character after watching this film.It's hard to give this movie a 4-star rating simply because I can't recommend it unreservedly to EVERYONE.
I was here." (Patton) This exceptional war film capturing George Patton's controversial phase during WWII is not only a fascinating inside into the operations of the Allies against the Germans, but a triumphant examination of one of the most colourful Generals in recent military history.Firstly I will start by highlighting the performance of George C.
Undeniably deserved the Oscar for Best Actor, Scott becomes General Patton in this film, he delivers his performance with restraint, appropriate emotion and characteristics.
Anyone who is interested in WW2 or war films at all should take the time to watch this epic.Patton certainly was a unique man and someone Scott portrays both with skill and flair.
"Patton" might not be the greatest war movie ever made, but it's without question cinema's finest character study.
"Patton", as the title suggests, is a film about the military exploits of eccentric WWII General George S.
Scott performs one of the greatest leading roles of the 20th century in his portrayal of the controversial US general, in this film by Franklin Schaffner.
Patton was one of the most controversial and famous general during the Second World War and his war career got adapted into a Oscar Winning film in 1970.
It is more of a character study of the man than a film about WW2 and George C Scott delivers an incredible performance that won him an Oscar.
What is most interesting is the complicated layers to General Patton as a man and George C Scott delivered an amazing performance.
From The Man Bred To War. Movie Review: "Patton" (1970)A multi-million U.S. Dollar picture distributed by 20th Century Fox to Best Picture winning splendors, starring George C.
Scott (1927-1999) in role of a life-time as "World-War-II" (WW2) Allied-General George S.
#89 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movies list.The film opens with the famous scene of the titled General (Scott) standing before a building sized American flag and giving a speech.
Of course, Patton is a more complex character/person, but I can certainly imagine him saying something along the lines of, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." Both films also dive into the heart of war in a way that few others do.
That opening sequence, with Patton addressing soldiers in front of a draped American flag, shows what kind of character General George S.
He drives the story forward with skill and draws some pretty interesting pictures along the way.Both Schaffner (for director) and Scott (as Patton) won Oscars for their work - as did the movie as BEST PICTURE in 1970 - it won a total of 8 Academy Awards all together.
George C Scott plays Patton perfectly and it's no wonder that he won an Oscar for this performance.
Scott is simply superb, as he captures the ruthless, unwavering and stubborn character of General Patton, a man who thrived in the disciplined military system and was a firm believer of the eternal glory of war.
The film is remarkably well paced considering its length, as it flows beautifully through the different settings showing George Patton in the last two years of the war and illustrating his controversial nature, all the while also allowing the audience to develop a great deal of admiration and respect for the man.
Scott's performance as General George Patton is by far, one of the greatest in cinema history and fortunately, he gets a script that matches his prowess in acting.
It really should be called "Patton in World War II" because there's really nothing about the man outside the period 1943-1945, the first half of the movie overdoes a few battle scenes at the expense (I thought) of really focusing on Patton, and the whole thing is a little too long for my liking.
But let's be realistic, it's nowhere near a patch on other war films around, nowhere near.This was the first time I have watched Patton all the way through.