For this assigned blog, the class was told to watch a WWII movie that is based off fact, not historical fiction. For this, I chose Patton. If you have been reading any of my forum posts on If I Picked the Oscars, you will see that I gave great favor to this movie, even if I gave MASH Best Picture. Despite my opinion, here is a "quick" review of the movie:
The film starts out with General George Patton (George C. Scott) giving a motivational speech to a group of soldiers who are offscreen, but the speech is perhaps the most famous moment from the film due to the fact that it is a very personal speech. It only shows Patton moving around a little in front of a huge American flag, and the shot changes only every once in awhile, which assists in the audience paying complete attention. Patton talks of bravery, how to win WWII for the Allied Forces, and so on. This scene alone gives George C. Scott an Academy Award.
After this scene, which is only about ten minutes, but is perhaps the best opening ten minutes to a war picture ever made (with the exception of Full Metal Jacket and Saving Private Ryan), the story picks up with Patton battling all over Europe and Africa through the course of the film. All the way, he is rarely seen losing a large group of men and is noted for his foul temper and repeated swearing, though the film is rated PG. A few moments in the film see Patton as a sort of danger, a general who is only there to be his own legacy and doesn't care about his troops, and in response to this he is given a different army with new plans. Sometimes he obeys his orders to an extent before almost betraying them, and other times worms his way out of them for his own personal gain.
With this in mind, it is true that George Patton was a controversy to some due to his foul moods, his brutal mentalities, and even his forcefulness on men to stop being weak and going into the front. In one case, a man who was shook up by the war was slapped back into the front by Patton himself, loosly quoting, "you yellow-bellied coward!" This action alone almost makes him lose his position as general, but his know-how is enough to get him to keep his command. Personally, serving under Patton would be the best and worst thing that would ever happen to me. I would feel safe knowing he would keep me alive, but would fear him with every step toward Berlin.
The film was a major financial success that won 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. I give the film 10/10 and a major reccomendation. I believe it qualifies as one of the best war films ever made, and that it should indeed be watched by any war or movie buff at one time or another. A good film any way you look at it.
Comments
Excellent job and good choice of films! Check out Pearl Harbor! I hear it's also a great war movie!