Patton

Patton (1970)

It is always fun to go back and look at the films that won Best Picture at the Oscars. After seeing the films, my response is usually either "well, I guess I see why it won, but that other movie should have won instead" or "how the heck did THAT movie win?" It is rare that you see a movie and say, "Wow, now that is a Best Picture!"

Patton is one of those few - it joins the small echelon of movies that are the clear Best Pictures of that year, worthy of being Best Picture in any year, the films that transcend simple classic status. These films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, or Casablanca. Patton is that good.

Patton starts off in North Africa in 1943. After a bitter defeat, the American army brings in crazy General George Patton to whip the army back into shape and defeat the Germans. The movie then follows Patton through the rest of the war - through Africa, Sicily, England, France, and Germany - showing his military highs and lows - the lows almost always being his own fault ("My worst enemy is my own big mouth.").

George C. Scott (Dr. Strangelove) plays General Patton. Hm, let me rephrase that. He does not play General Patton. He IS General Patton. In one of the greatest biographical performances in Hollywood history, Scott shows us not only the blustery forceful persona that made Patton so famous (and infamous); he also gives us subtle glimpses into the man's own insecurities and personal ticks - private moments that only his trusted aides see. Granted, the amusing thing about those moments is that the only thing Patton is insecure about is missing his destiny of being the awesomest general ever, but still...this is an overpowering performance.

The rest of the production staff is also at the top of their game. Director Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes) proves himself to be the perfect director of epics, his wide angle compositions breathtaking, but never allowing the spectacle to overwhelm the characters (which most epics are guilty of). Francis Ford Coppola won an Oscar (along with Edmund H. North) for Best Screenplay, a smart and savvy commentary on the man, his myth, and the realities of war that presage some of his later writing in Apocalypse Now. Jerry Goldsmith wrote a subtle Oscar-nominated score which, except for his main theme, is very hidden in the background. The best part about the score is its most subtle element - as Patton, who believes in reincarnation and destiny, reflects upon his life, and all of his past lives, Goldsmith employs an instrument called an echoplex to create this sound of trumpets quietly repeating the same three notes, ringing quieter and quieter into the distance, into silence. The music is echoing the past, just as Patton is echoing his past battles in former lives. Smart stuff, and a worthy nomination for the maestro.

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I think no film is perfect. Even the best movies, those classics of classics that I mentioned, have some problems. In the case of Patton, we have a spotty supporting cast - some, like Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, are great. But some of the smaller roles - aides, soldiers, doctors, etc. are filled with some really cheesy actors who sound like they are reading lines from cue cards off camera. And the film is a bit long. As good as Schaffner is, some shots just go on for too long. For example, when Patton is directing tank traffic at a crossroads, we understand what he is doing after he guides the first few tanks through. But then we watch him guide more tanks through. And some more. And then we watch Gen. Bradley watching Patton guide more tanks through. It's never boring. But as the clock inches toward the third hour, your butt really starts to hurt.

So any way, Patton stands the test of time. This is Schaffner and George C. Scott's masterpiece. This gets my highest recommendation. And as a sidenote, if you are going to see it - get it on Bluray if at all possible. This is one of the best transfers I've ever seen on an old movie. It really looks like it had been produced last year, not in 1970.

MVP: This is easy. This movie is George C. Scott's show. The movie would have been solid with another actor in the role, but it wouldn't have been a classic. He elevates it. This is certainly one of the best performances of the decade.

TRIVIA: And Scott almost didn't even get the role! Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger all turned it down. John Wayne wanted the role desperately, but couldn't get it - producers probably didn't want take a chance on his failing health. Eventually Scott landed the role and secured his place in the annals of Hollywood.

BEST LINE: In the opening scene of the film, in his famous monologue to the troops and with a giant American flag at his back, Patton begins by saying, "Now I want you to remember that no poor, dumb bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won a war by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country!"

OSCARS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Script, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography