Military-themed films are a genre that I generally don’t gravitate to. Unfortunately for me, there are nine such films I will need to watch to accomplish my goal of seeing every Oscar-winning Best Picture. Fortunately for me, I selected Patton first! The 1970 winner for Best Picture is a fantastic film which I thoroughly enjoyed.
George C. Scott’s performance was outstanding. Patton is not a particularly likable fellow, but Scott’s portrayal of him is so engrossing that you find yourself rooting for him anyway. The other characters are not nearly as complex or fleshed out, but with a running time of almost 3 hours, there was hardly space for it. Despite this, kudos should also be given to Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley. His was a fine performance. Patton fights as much for duty and love of country as he does for adoration and recognition. I found myself snickering as he preened over some new medals the way Suzanne Sugarbaker would show off a new tiara! He loves the pageantry of war and service as much as the undesired necessity of it.
Visually, the film is extraordinary with brilliant use of wide-angle location shots from around the world. There is also great attention to scale, and Scott is often filmed as being engulfed by his surroundings, much as Patton became engulfed by his inability to “play the game”. Like many larger-than-life figures, Patton’s ego was both his gift and his undoing.
I can only hope that the other military-related films I have yet to view are as good as this one.
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