When I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I had been watching Patton, a friend of mine at work said that he once tried to see the movie but decided to abandon the project after a scene where it was stated that the German tanks used in North Africa during World War II ran on diesel when in fact they were built for gasoline. I’m impressed with his detailed knowledge of German tanks… but there is no way I can get worked up over a technicality like that. Along with Planet of the Apes (1968), this is director Franklin J. Schaffner’s greatest achievement, a fascinating biography of an equally fascinating warrior.
Arriving in North Africa in 1943
When we first meet Major General George S. Patton (George C. Scott), he arrives in North Africa in 1943 to assume command of the badly demoralized U.S. forces there. They recently suffered terrible losses in the Battle of the Kasserine Pass, but Patton’s no-nonsense attitude helps bring them victory in the Battle of El Guettar, the first major blow to the German tank units. The experience brings attention to Patton who feels a strong desire to show another prominent figure in the war, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (Michael Bates), who’s the real star; in Patton’s view, the Supreme Commander pays too much attention to the wishes of non-American allies. When they both invade Sicily, the rivalry between Patton and Montgomery flares up, especially when the American takes the city of Messina even though he’s been ordered to stand by.
However, Patton’s victories are diminished by an incident in a Messina military hospital where he slaps a soldier suffering from battle fatigue. The Allied leadership sidelines Patton at the same time as the invasion of Europe is being planned. However, after Normandy, Patton is finally granted command of the Third Army, a decision that will reinvigorate his career.
Completely dominating performance
It is an obvious fact that this film would not be as successful without George C. Scott. From the moment when he stands in front of his men with a gigantic American flag in the background and delivers a stunning, brutal speech to the final scene where he takes his dog out for a walk after having commandeered his army deep into Nazi Germany only to be removed from leadership once again, Scott’s performance as Patton is completely dominating.
Co-writer Francis Ford Coppola’s ambition was to portray the General as honestly as possible, emphasizing achievements as well as shortcomings. Both were heavily represented in his life. Patton was a man who learned from history, studied his opponents carefully, knew how to recognize vital opportunities, and he also cared for his men in battle. But he also never quite understood the psychology of soldiers who differed from him and he was completely unable to rein in himself whenever his ego took the better of him. Scott illustrates all these aspects of Patton perfectly. Karl Malden is also very good as one of his closest friends, Omar Bradley, “the G.I.’s general”, who proves that opposites attract; Bradley knew how to use Patton to his advantage and when to give his friend a much-needed lesson.
I’m sure there are other factual errors in the story besides the diesel blunder, but the filmmakers nevertheless present it highly convincingly. We never question the fact that we are in Europe fighting the Germans; the battles look reasonably realistic. The story takes us from one climactic event of Patton’s career to the next and always pays close attention to the emotional consequences for the lead character.
Jerry Goldsmith wrote one of his finest scores, introducing a trumpet salute that sounds decidedly militaristic but also melancholic. There is no better symbol of Patton.
Patton 1970-U.S. 169 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Frank McCarthy. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola, Edmund H. North. Books: Ladislas Farago (“Patton: Ordeal and Triumph”), Omar Bradley (“A Soldier’s Story”). Cinematography: Fred Koenekamp. Music: Jerry Goldsmith. Editing: Hugh Fowler. Cast: George C. Scott (George Patton), Karl Malden (Omar Bradley), Stephen Young (Chester Hansen), Michael Strong, Frank Latimore, James Edwards.
Trivia: Scott refused to accept his Oscar. John Wayne, Rod Steiger, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum and Burt Lancaster were reportedly considered for the lead; William Wyler, John Huston, Fred Zinnemann and Henry Hathaway for directing duties. Followed by a TV movie, The Last Days of Patton (1986).
Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Scott), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Art Direction-Set Decoration, Sound. Golden Globe: Best Actor (Scott).
Quote: “Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” (Scott)
Last word: “When I wrote ‘Patton’, at the time I was about 24, and I only got the job because when they asked me if I had military experience I said yes, and I had gotten kicked out of military school, which was my experience. […] So Burt Lancaster was going to play the part at the time that I was actually there and they called me in for a meeting and they just lambasted the script I wrote because it had a lot of, it had this bizarre opening where he stands up in front of a big – theoretically his battalion of men and gives this speech and they criticize that because he was presented as a four-star general and with his Colt revolvers and those artifacts were all things he had gathered during the war. They thought it was misleading to start that way.” (Coppola, NPR)
