Patton - Movie

Rated ★★★★★

This is a movie that I first saw when we lived in Galveston in 1970. I was reminded of this movie recently when I was watching a History Chanel movie titled In the Footsteps of Alexander, a bio of Alexander the Great. I decided it was time for me to see it again.

George C. Scott's riveting portrayal of the General Patton is absolutely magnificant. I don't think I have ever seen a movie where an actor is more perfect for the role. In my mind, George S. Patton is George C. Scott. The movie opens with Patton taking command of the tank corp in Africa and moves on to the Sicely campaign where he commanded the 7th Army. The British and the Americans jointly invaded the island of Sicely and the movie gives an unflattering picture of he and British Field Marshall Montgomery locking horns, with each man trying to grab more of the limelight than the other.

It was in Sicily that on a visit to a military hospital that he slapped a soldier suffering from battle fatigue. Patton was relieved of the command of the 7th Army and was brought back to England where he cooled his heels for a while and then was given command of 3d Army, which spearheaded the spectacular sweep of U.S. forces from Normandy through Brittany and N France, relieved Bastogne in Dec., 1944 (see Band of Brothers), crossed the Rhine (Mar., 1945), and raced across S Germany into Czechoslovakia. But sadly, not even Patton's loyal cadre of staff officers can keep him from shooting off his mouth every time there are reporters around and he is once more relieved of command.

Karl Malden's performance as General Omar Bradley is every bit as good as Scott's, presenting a man whose personality is the complete oposite of Patton. I also liked the German intelligence captain who is an expert on Patton and arguably the only person in the film who really understands or respects the American general.

On intriguing aspect of Patton's personality is his belief in reincarnation. In the film he tells General Bradley that he has lived many times before, as Alexander the Great, Hannibal, A Roman Legionaire and French General at Watterloo and others. Remembering this bit about the film from seeing it in 1970 this is what made me remember it when I watched the film about Alexander the Great. Patton wrote the following poem

Through A Glass, Darkly
So forever in the future,
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter,
But to die again, once more.

Today Patton is now considered by many military historians as one of the greatest military figures in history. The only serious limitation that the man had was he inability to keep his mouth shut and be a little tactful.