Patton (1970)
1970
PG
172 Minutes
"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Germany and t...
User Review
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WHAT I LIKED: Rather than an out-and-out war movie, 'Patton,' is really a fascinating character study at its core, and the reason it works so well is because it embraces both the hero and the villain within its infamous and complicated central character. Yes by not shying away from the dangerous ridiculousness of his patriotism and attitudes to war but equally tapping into the humanity and admirable nature of Patton, this script and George C. Scott's brilliant central performance make for something fairly eye-opening that pushes against many typical Hollywood black-and-white storytelling standards. The commentary this then unlocks about the complexities of war are very appropriate, and when you couple that with some spectacular set-pieces and many very well-directed scenes, you've got yourself a bit of modern war classic that really should be admired and studied by cinephiles and filmmakers alike.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The only problem is that it just feels massively overlong, as much of the film finds itself concerned with the technicalities of battles and politics that aren't always dramatically necessarily to discuss within Patton's story. That may not have been such a problem if those moments really brought home the horrors of World War 2, but sadly we're let down a bit there too.
VERDICT: 'Patton,' does a perfect job of bringing a layered version of this infamous figure to the big screen. It's just a shame its focus is less refined than it could be.1 member likes this review.
