**A good film about one of the most controversial generals of the Second World War.**
Patton is one of the most controversial generals of World War II. A man guided by his killer instinct rather than reason, he played a relevant role in the defeat of the Germans, but he also took conflicts that greatly tarnished his military record. A US cavalry officer, he fought in the First World War and is one of the biggest names in the development of tanks and armored cars, both at the level of conception and strategy, where he valued rapid movements and aggressiveness. In World War II, he led Operation Torch, faced the German general Rommel and openly competed with Montgomery, who was more prudent in his approach. But he also blatantly ignored superior orders and assaulted soldiers who did not appear committed, so he was harshly censured and only recovered after the Battle of the Ardennes, when he supported the Allied forces.
I think I can join most people in saying that the strong point here is the very solid performance of George C. Scott: he was extraordinarily convincing in the role of the “Bandit” (one of the many barracks nicknames that Patton collected). He effortlessly steals all the attention and is a more than solid protagonist, to which we can add a consistent and competent supporting cast, featuring the worthy Karl Malden and Michael Bates.
Expertly directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, the film features a magnificent script. I'm a historian, but I'm not an expert on the period in question and, therefore, I'm not the right person to evaluate the film's historical realism. However, I can say that I didn't see any glaring errors. The cinematography is very colorful and bright, making the most of the excellent sets, costumes and filming locations, which reproduce very well the settings and environments. However, if what you want is a war film with a lot of action, I have doubts about recommending this one: there isn't much here, except for some good fights. The film did well in the market, was profitable, and the critics were very receptive. In 1971, it won seven of the ten Oscars for which it was nominated, namely Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (for Scott, who refused to accept it for not agreeing with the competition) and Best Film.
In many ways, I really do hope this biopic of the acclaimed American tank commander was exaggerated because at times George C. Scott's portrayal of George S. Patton shows a selfish, petulant and stroppy man that is really very easy to dislike. We start just before he gets his third star and the American forces are coming to terms with their first ever defeat in foreign battle - at the hands of Field Marshal Rommel in North Africa. He vows that will be the last time his army loses and so prevails upon his friend General Bradley (Karl Malden) - whom he now outranks, to get him onto Sicily. That will require a degree of guile and politicking that it's clear this man doesn't really possess, and his somewhat disparaging views of the British Field Marshal Montgomery (Alan Bates) aren't going to help him impress his bosses in Washington D.C. or in London. Still, to Sicily he goes and proving a skillful and determined officer takes Palermo and tees up the invasion of Italy. Unfortunately, his exuberance for progress sees him lose the plot with one of his juniors and the resulting reaction from the press and his own commanders now leaves him marginalised and exasperated. Convinced he is to have no part in the forthcoming invasion, he is reluctantly used as a decoy to distract a Third Reich who are convinced that he is the best commander the Allies have and so are therefore treating any actions that don't involve him as feints. It's only after the Normandy landings have begun that Bradley sends for Patton to reveal that he will have a role to play - and a crucial one too, providing he can keep his trap shut and control his temper. Scott is entirely convincing throughout this and carries the film pretty much single-handedly which I think is quite appropriate as his characterisation often suggests that it's the general himself who is winning the war - all by himself. The visual effects go some way to illustrating not just the theatres of operations in which he worked, but also the varieties of unforgiving climates and terrains he and his troops fought through but what this doesn't really do is spend much time on his foes. Rommel appears now and again and, likewise, Montgomery only has a peripheral part to play - despite both having much greater roles in what drove this man to drive his own men relentlessly. Scott characterfully imbues his persona with a sense of determination rooted in ancient history and suggests that in the best spirit of a megalomaniac, Patton believes himself to be timeless and perhaps even immortal as he quotes Roman, Byzantine and Carthegenian soldiers to motivate himself. It's a surprisingly easy three hours to watch and though it does condense a lot of activity into that time, it shows us a man whom nobody really wanted but whom everyone knew was actually needed.
