Patton: A Classic War Film

In the movie Patton, the portrayal of the American General is shown through both spectacular acting and excellent directing. The historical accuracy of the film adds to the realism, making the movie exciting, as if the viewer is actually there. On its way to the "Best Picture" and "Best Actor"1, Patton gained the public's attention, and became an instant classic. Not only was the lead actor, George C. Scott a perfect fit for the role as Patton, but as well known movie critic Roger Ebert said, "The role as Patton was offered to other actors, but is unimaginable without Scott."2 Franklin J. Schaffner, the director, knew how to make an epic movie, and used that knowledge to make this film. The movie Patton is a great film because of George C. Scott's performance, the director, Franklin J. Schaffner, and its historical accuracy and realism.

The acting in the film, Patton by leading actor George C. Scott was exemplary. This was partly because of the similarities in the personalities of Scott and General Patton. In life, Patton was an intelligent man. He was actually quite vocal against the Vietnam War, which was going on as the film was released. As Roger Ebert said, "The personalities of the actor and the character are fulfilled in one another."3

The similar personalities of the two men led to an outstanding performance by George S. Scott in the film. He made the role of Patton seem real, and presented it extremely well with accuracy and excitement. As movie critic John Nesbit said, "Scott is so natural in the role."4 This led to George C. Scott winning the "Best Actor"5 in the Oscars. "Scott's performance became a sort of prototype for American Generals on-screen and off."6 said critic Bill Chambers. This is because of Scott's ability to portray who General Patton really was.

Patton became an instant classic film partly because of the filming techniques used by Franklin J. Schaffner. During the course of the movie, the viewers follow General Patton throughout Africa and Europe, and see the battles along the way. Schaffner shows the courage along with the fear, and the triumph along with the defeat, and it is here when the truth of war is revealed. Viewers see the strategy involved and the tactics used by Patton, which is accurately shown by Schaffner. Patton had a rather unique way of strategizing, which involved the use of his former knowledge of the history of war.

Schaffner also had a good sense of cinematography, which is shown well throughout the movie. It may be as little as a shot of a facial expression or as big as a speech or a period of music during exciting scenes. These scenes are integrated into the film very well, and make the movie fun to watch. As film critic James Bererdinelli said, "Patton was filmmaking at its finest."7

Not only did Schaffner correctly express the harsh battles of war, but he also captured the less understood side of war. The movie Patton goes deeply into the troubles for the General, and shows his bad times during the war. For example, after Patton slaps a soldier, he faces a huge controversy. Following the incident, he is presented with an internal conflict, which is shown very well, as the character changes.

The film also expresses the General's relationship with the press, and the propaganda used to sway and shape public opinion about the war and Patton himself. This relationship is shown to a great extent, as the viewers see how Patton reacts to the media's influence over the people. Also shown is the importance of the public opinion and how it influenced the decisions the Army made. There are several scenes in which Patton explains his problems, and are shown very well by Schaffner. "Patton blends the best of both these intimate and panoramic views."8 said James Berardinelli, and that is certainly true.

Patton is a film based on real events and people, and is extremely accurate. One event that changed General Patton's military career was the slapping of the soldier. Patton walked into a field hospital one day and saw a young man who apparently wasn't injured. The young man had suffered a nervous breakdown, and wished to go home. Patton would have none of this, slapped him across the face, and ordered the soldier to go back to the front lines. Immediately, newspapers and bulletins reported of this, and the General was forced to apologize, which he was strongly against doing. This true occasion marked the beginning of a huge controversy, which was filmed superbly, without losing its accuracy or realism.

Another event that was precisely shown in Patton was the invasion of Sicily. General Patton's attitude was naturally aggressive, and he didn't like watching people doing things; he liked being the person doing it. In the movie, Schaffner shows clearly the rivalry between General Patton and General Montgomery, a famous British General, who was viewed by many as a war hero, who was chosen to lead the invasion. This rivalry provoked Patton to go faster, to be better than Montgomery. Schaffner shows this through intimate scenes, which capture how Patton really felt.

In the movie Patton, viewers see the infamous Battle of the Bulge. This is a battle that is often misinterpreted by filmmakers, and is changed for effect to make the battle more exciting for the viewers to watch and enjoy. In Patton, the viewers see the true happenings of the battle. The events are real, the people are real, and even the vehicles are real. Schaffner made an attempt to make the film as truthful as possible, and he certainly succeeded. The movie is so authentic, in fact, that movie critic Oscar Warren gave Patton a 4.5 out of 5 in realism.9 The film overall was a very realistic one, and included factual details which made it exciting and believable.

Because of George C. Scott's performance, Franklin J. Schaffner's directing, and the historical accuracy and realism, Patton is a great film. The movie has many things going for it; a great choice for a leading actor, an excellent director who understood how to make a great, epic movie, and a story full of accurate details and realism. As James Berardinelli said, "Patton has it all."10 George C. Scott in the film was brilliant. "Scott's theatricality is electrifying."11 said Roger Ebert, and, "Patton is the role for which Scott will forever be remembered."12 said John Nesbit. The direction by Franklin J. Schaffner was superb. As James Berardinelli said, "Schaffner had such a good sense of photography."13 Also, the film portrays Patton's life flawlessly, with attention to detail to make it seem real. Through all of this; the performance of George C. Scott, the directing of Franklin J. Schaffner, and the historical accuracy, Patton is a film viewed by many as a classic war film.

Notes

1Brian Koller, "Patton (1970)," Online.

2Roger Ebert, "Patton (1970)," Online.

3Ebert, Online.

4John Nesbit, "Patton," Online.

5Koller, Online.

6Bill Chambers, "Patton," Online.

7James Berardinelli, "Patton," Patton.

8Berardinelli, Online.

9Oscar Warren, "Patton," Online.

10Berardinelli, Online.

11Ebert, Online.

12Nesbit, Online.

13Berardinelli, Online.

Bibliography

Berardinelli, James. "Patton." All-Time Top 100. 4 September 1994. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.mrqe.com.

Chambers, Bill. "Patton." Movie Vault. 5 June 2000. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Dye, Kerry Douglas. "Patton." Leisure Suit. 4 December 2000. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Ebert, Roger. "Patton, (1970)." Chicago Sun Times. 17 March 2002. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Johanson, MaryAnn. "Bolld, Guts, and Glory." The Flick Filosopher. 22 February 1999. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Koller, Brian. "Patton (1970)." The Internet Movie Database. 23 September 1999. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Nesbit, John. "Patton." Culture Dose. 26 December 2001. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com.

Patton. With George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young and Michael Strong. Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner. 20th Century Fox, 1970.

Warren, Oscar. "Patton." Oscar Movies. 1 April 2003. Online. 3 January 2005. Available FTP: www.imdb.com