“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.”
The role that would win George C. Scott an Oscar comes to Blu-ray with the release of Patton. The film is nothing short of stupendous as it examines one of the true heroes of World War II, but was a self admitted prima dona and who’s lack of politicking marred his campaign.
The United States forces were demoralized after their defeat at the Battle of Kasserine Pass. Allied commander Dwight D. Eisenhower sends General George S. Patton (George C. Scott) to whip these troops in North Africa into shape. General Omar Bradley (Karl Malden) is sent to report Patton’s movements back to Ike, but Patton brings him on as his second in command.
When his forces participate in the invasion of Sicily it’s the battle for the island but it’s also the battle of two great egos as Patton attempts to beat General Montgomery (Michael Bates) to the port city of Messina.
Patton is victorious and Monty’s ego is bruised. However, when Patton strikes a shell-shocked soldier (David Considine) he’s taken out of the fray by Washington and reduced to being a decoy for the Germans. He’s given a second chance by Bradley who puts him in charge of the Third Army and is the instrumental in the Battle of the Bulge and even drives into Germany itself.
General George S. Patton was a larger than life character and he seems even larger than that as played by George C. Scott. It would be a role that would win Scott accolades as well as typecast him as the fiery General for the remainder of this career. A double-edged sword surely, but it’s a performance for the ages and Scott is more than up for the challenge.
General Patton was definitely a controversial figure as he was prone to speaking his mind and not parsing words in a political way to keep every portion of the alliance satisfied. In fact, Patton was sunk by his inability to be politically correct. Monty was better at playing the politicians and got the lion’s share of the spoils. As we see in the movie, the British royalty honors Monty while Patton is stripped of his command and leaves in defeat.
The problem is that Patton was the better soldier, thought perhaps a bit insane, and probably would’ve bested Monty time and time again if the politics of the situation didn’t prevent him from doing so. A fascinating biopic and a fascinating character study.
Even more interesting is that the film was released at the height of the unpopular Vietnam War. Some critics branded it an anti-war film, but I think it was just to help them fit in with the sentiment at the time since the film embraced war, as did its main character.
Even more ironic is that it won Best Picture in such an anti-war year. Francis Ford Coppola gets some of the glory since he’s one of the surviving people to have worked on the film, but the majority of the credit, besides Scott’s, goes to director Franklin Schaffner.
The grand score by Jerry Goldsmith also helps things. Patton looks fabulous in the high-definition of Blu-ray and this is the way that you’ll want to experience this grand film (providing you have the proper equipment for the opportunity).
Patton is presented in 1080p anamorphic widescreen (2.20:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Disc one contains a commentary and 5 minute introduction by screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola (in standard definition).
Disc two is a “standard definition disc,” aka a DVD, and is divided into “Documentaries,” “Still Galleries,” and the film’s 2 minute theatrical trailer. “Documentaries” contains the 90 minute “History through the Lens: Patton, A Rebel Revisited,” which compares the film with how history unfolded. The 46 minute “Patton’s Ghost Corps” which interviews soldiers who served under Patton.
Finally, the 49-minute “Making of Patton” looks at the making of the film with interviews with Scott, Schaffner, composer Jerry Goldsmith, and many more. “Still Galleries” sounds rather featureless but there’s some hidden treasure to be found here. The 36-minute “Production Still Gallery” features the complete score by Jerry Goldsmith. The 53-minute “Behind-the-scenes Gallery” has an audio essay by a Patton scholar.
I’ll have to commend Fox for bringing all of the special features from the previous edition to this new Blu-ray, which hasn’t always been the case.
Patton was a self-professed sonofabitch, prima dona, but also a master soldier. This film shows all sides of the man, warts and all. It’s a great film and even greater considering the mood of the country at the time and a wonder that it was even made at all considering that. George C. Scott well deserved his Oscar for the role.
Patton [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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