Patton (Blu-ray) (1970)

"...[an] intelligently written, finely wrought biographical war drama.  Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
"...spellbinding acting...epic imagery...[a] highly intelligent script...[and] lucid, perfectly controlled direction.  Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"Still mesmerizes on the strength of George C. Scott's chew-your-behind performance.  Mike Clark, USA Today
"One of the most superlative American films.  The Wall Street Journal
"...a war movie of unusual depth and a landmark in screen biographies.  TV Guide
"War is hell, and Patton is one hell of a war picture, perhaps one of the most remarkable of its type ever made.  Variety
"Scott is truly magnificent in the title role, and Malden shines in the supporting role of General Omar Bradley.  VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever

Editor's Note PATTON is a three-dimensional bronze bust of World War II field general George S. Patton (George C. Scott) who wrote poetry, fired pistols at strafing fighter planes, and loved America with a lofty and historical zeal. Tracing his personal rivalries with such generals as Rommel and Montgomery, his problematic treatment of his own men, and his nearly runaway contempt for diplomacy, the film triumphs as an enduring portrait of a complex and larger-than-life figure. PATTON was recipient of 10 Academy Award Nominations and winner of eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor--Scott, Best (Adapted) Screenplay--Francis Ford Coppola/Edmund H. North.

	George C. Scott
	Karl Malden
	Michael Strong
	Stephen Young
	Edmund H. North - Screenplay
	Francis Ford Coppola - Screenplay
	Frank Caffey - Producer
	Frank McCarthy - Producer
	Franklin J. Schaffner - Director
	Fred J. Koenekamp - Cinematographer
	Gil Parrondo - Art Director
	Hugh S. Fowler - Editor
	Jerry Goldsmith - Original Music By
	Ladislas Farago - Based On Book By
	Omar N. Bradley - Based On Book By
	Urie McCleary - Art Director

An award-winning and highly praised biography of controversial World War II hero General George S. Patton. The film covers his wartime activities and accomplishments, beginning with his entry into the North African campaign and ending with his removal from command after his outspoken criticism of US post-war military strategy.

"Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." ---- General George S. Patton (George C. Scott)

Entertainment Weekly
"...[Scott's performance] is still the glue holding together this blunt study of war..." -- Rating: B 06/03/1994 p.64

Chicago Sun-Times
"...One of the best American movies....A great film....The opening shot is a stunner..." 07/03/2002 p.44

USA Today
"...[PATTON] still mesmerizes on the strength of George C. Scott's chew-your-behind performance as George S. Patton..." 11/05/1999 p.6E

Uncut
"[A] riveting portrayal of rampant egomania with Scott fully deserving of his best actor Oscar." 08/01/2001 p.140-1

Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's certainly a great performance from Scott, a seamless, pity-free portrayal." 06/01/2006 p.132

ReelViews 10 of 10
With its larger-than-life, yet at the same time singularly human, portrayal of Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., Franklin Schaffner's picture is an example of filmmaking at its finest. From production design and battle choreography to simple one-on-one dramatic acting, Patton has it all. There is no scene in all one-hundred seventy minutes that doesn't work on some level...Those who have not seen Patton, or who have not watched the film carefully, might assume that this movie is about World War Two and one of its most celebrated generals. In fact, they would be only partially correct. What Patton sets out to do is to demythicize its subject and show the forces that drove this man...Brilliant tactician, merciless disciplinarian, tireless fighter, prima donna, and staunch patriot - Patton was all of these things and more. Life for him was the battlefield, and without war, his spirit was sapped. The German military recognized this when they noted that Berlin's fall would finish him. Patton was an anachronism - a man who belonged in another time. He was a warrior living in a time when victory in battle no longer meant the triumph it once had, a Roman conqueror who understood the meaning of the words that "all glory is fleeting." Above all, however, he was an icon whom millions cheered, millions hated, and few understood. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
"Patton" is not a war film so much as the story of a personality who has found the right role to play. Scott's theatricality is electrifying. As Patton he always stands up in his Jeep, loves making speeches, grandstands, plunges into the action to personally goad his men, even directs traffic. There is a touch of the manic about him. He seems to have no personal life...Franklin Schaffner (1920-1989) was a master of bold, uncluttered canvases. After a start directing live television in the 1950s, he made dramas (including "The Best Man," one of the best Hollywood films about politics) before finding his natural footing with epics such as "The War Lord" (1965), "Planet of the Apes" (1968) and, after "Patton," "Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971) and "Papillon" (1973). His "Patton" is one of the most uncluttered of war movies, devoid of side plots, colorful supporting characters and "human interest." There are no individual soldiers whose adventures we follow, and the battle scenes are seen in long shot, not personalized; they have the sweep of Victorian canvases instead of the hand-to-hand intimacy of "Platoon," "Saving Private Ryan" or "We Were Soldiers." Even the Bradley character has no purpose other than to admonish, support and puzzle over Patton--to stand there and look at him. The movie sees the war as Patton saw it, as Patton's story. - Roger Ebert