Patton (1970)

Director: Franklin J Schaffner
Starring: George C Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young

Synopsis:
An account of General George S Patton's tumultuous career throughout World War II.

Impressions:
I really love this movie. Maybe not as much as Richard Nixon did, but it's always a treat to watch. This is the role that George C Scott is best known for and while he refused to accept his Oscar, he definitely deserved it. Patton was a larger than life character and Scott plays the part with aplomb. The real Patton would've envied Scott's famously gravelly voice. While the film portrays something of a mythic figure, it stills shows Patton as a deeply flawed man. Many have pointed out that if anyone is idealized here, it's Omar Bradley, as played by Karl Malden, the faithful friend and level-headed counterpart to Patton's excesses. General Bradley's role as an advisor on the film has been accused of being the cause for this, but even if it pretties his character up a bit, the Patton-Bradley dynamic is one of the highlights of the film. I also want to give due credit to the amazing score by Jerry Goldsmith (nominated for an Oscar but unfortunately didn't win). There are a lot of quotable quotes from the film, which is always something I appreciate. If you haven't seen it yet, see it and if you don't have it in your collection, get it.

Rating:
Treasure It