Patton (1970)
I’ve given it two chances, but I just didn’t see the big deal about Patton. Hailed as one of the greatest war pictures of all time and sweeping up seven Academy Awards, I felt it was far inferior to other films of the mid-century like The Longest Day, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Too Late the Hero. The whole aura of the movie felt very self-satisfied, as if the filmmakers and actors were far more concerned with their own images than those of the people in the film itself. I couldn’t help imagining George C. Scott watching the dailies and being enormously pleased with his performance – which took me out of the viewing experience. He didn’t feel present in front of the camera; he felt like he was watching himself. Karl Malden also came across as smug, as did most of the supporting cast. James Edwards, as Patton’s valet, managed to come across as a soldier rather than an actor, but perhaps it was the role. His purpose was to literally support another character and fade into the background, so he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror all the time.
For such a big production and all the hype, I was surprised to be disappointed even in the war scenes. I usually like director Franklin J. Schaffner’s work. However, by 1970, any WWII movie needed to be extraordinarily good, since movies on the subject had been made for thirty years and were no longer a novelty. This movie felt both contrived and watered-down, especially since it was released the same year as Tora! Tora! Tora!. The two films were both based on real events and included real figures from WWII, but while one blindly glorified America’s role in the war, the other exposed a horrifying secret. As Goldie Hawn said when she revealed the winner for the Best Actor of 1970, “Oh my God, it’s George C. Scott!”, if you finally get around to watching this classic and aren’t impressed, you can feel free to paraphrase her: “Oh my God, this is Patton?”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More George C. Scott movies here!
For such a big production and all the hype, I was surprised to be disappointed even in the war scenes. I usually like director Franklin J. Schaffner’s work. However, by 1970, any WWII movie needed to be extraordinarily good, since movies on the subject had been made for thirty years and were no longer a novelty. This movie felt both contrived and watered-down, especially since it was released the same year as Tora! Tora! Tora!. The two films were both based on real events and included real figures from WWII, but while one blindly glorified America’s role in the war, the other exposed a horrifying secret. As Goldie Hawn said when she revealed the winner for the Best Actor of 1970, “Oh my God, it’s George C. Scott!”, if you finally get around to watching this classic and aren’t impressed, you can feel free to paraphrase her: “Oh my God, this is Patton?”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More George C. Scott movies here!