Patton

Rating:
Summary: Fox provides an Outstanding DVD Special Edition for "Patton"
Review: "Patton" offers one of the great marriages of actor and role with George C. Scott's riveting portrayal of the notorious American tank commander. As a film biography "Patton" forgoes the rise of the celebrated general and merely hints at his ironic death because of injuries suffered in a traffic accident, focuses entirely on his military career commanding troops in North Africa, Sicily and France during World War II. The strength of the script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, as well as of Scott's performance, is that the paradoxes of Patton are completely embraced. Not even Patton's loyal cadre of staff officers can keep him from shooting off his mouth every time there are reporters around, but then neither German Field Marshall Rommel or English Field Marshall Montgomery can beat him on the battlefield. Karl Malden's performance as General Omar Bradley is just as solid as Scott's, presenting a man whose personality is the complete antithesis of Patton. Viewers find themselves identifying with the German captain who is the intelligence expert on Patton and arguably the only person in the film who really understands or respects the American general. But the more I watch "Patton," the more I am very impressed with the battle sequences of director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes," "Pappillon"), which were staged live and full-scale without special effects of miniatures. Schaffner provides not just the large spectacle of a desert tank battle, but smaller and equally memorable moments, such as a soldier falling dead in the snow. "Patton" deserved its Oscars.

In terms of extra features on this DVD, the second disc features the 1997 50-minute retrospective documentary, "The Making of Patton: A Tribute to Franklin J. Schaffner." Recent interviews with the cinematographer, composer, etc., are blended with audio interviews of Schaffner and Scott from 1970, newsreel footage of Patton, along with clips and publicity stills from the film make a fitting tribute to the late director. The audio commentary on the first disc is really more of a lecture on Patton by Charles M. Province, the author of the book "The Unknown Patton" and founder/president of the General George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. Province more than adequately fills in what the movie leaves out about Patton's life. On the second disc Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar nominated musical score is presented in stereo, including alternate takes and a series of radio spots. You certainly have to appreciate what Fox has put together here: This is a "Special Edition" DVD priced as a regular DVD, a real treat for those of us who remember being mesmerized by George C. Scott giving that profanity laced opening speech standing in front of that giant American flag.

Rating:
Summary: As Good As Any Film Biography
Review: "Patton", is massive by any measure. Number of Academy Awards won, 8, inclusive of best picture and best actor, the man chronicled, General George Patton, the World War that is documented in the film, the cinematic scope of 150 degrees the view takes in, or the sheer size of the numbers of persons and material that was put on the screen. Winning 8 Academy Awards while The United States was torn by the ongoing Vietnam War was no small feat for this film that documents one of the larger than life participants in that human conflict, one of the great warriors of the 20th Century, or of many other centuries depending on your view of the man. His was a towering personality and every event, every decision matched his ego, with the result that he was wildly successful, a man given to horrendous missteps, and either loved, feared, or hated. The bottom line was that if you were fighting you wanted Patton fighting for you, not against you.

One of the reasons this film was not narrowly defined as a war film was that it was about this one man. It is true there are classic war sequences as when he nearly yells, "Rommel you magnificent.........I read your book". But the film really is about a personality, and one that was rapidly falling out of favor when generals were no longer needed as warriors, when they were becoming diplomats, and in some cases planning a run for high political office as the war ended. Patton's ideas about continuing the war with the Russians may seem simplistic, but his attitude, one that was contemplated by other noted and respected men at the time, provides one of the greatest counter-factual discussions for historians, specifically what if we had not treated the Russians with the deference that we did, what if Churchill's party was not removed from office, what type of peace would then have emerged, and from it, what type of post WWII world?

Like the books that have profiled the man, the film is also comparatively massive at just a bit under three hours in length. With rare exception, contemporary films now hardly ever contemplate such a running time, for it means too few turns of the audience in a given theater. The fact is, that the films just are not as worthwhile, for when they are, people will happily sit through them and be oblivious as to there length. One only has to look at the newest installment of, "The Twin Towers", to see that a 3 hour film fills as many theaters as it is allowed to play in, and is breaking and making new records as the days pass. Hollywood geniuses take note, quality is still not only appreciated, it is recognized, the dumbing down of films is done in Hollywood by those that create the mediocre movies, it's not indicative of what film fans are desirous of seeing.

George C. Scott was a remarkable actor, and while not defined by any single film or stage performance, "Patton", was certainly a role that generally followed closely with a discussion of this actor's career. It sounds like the worst cliché, but when on screen, the man becomes Patton, as I suppose most performances that are truly special, and are still in demand 33 years after they are made all are.

I recently watched, "A Bridge Too Far", another filmmaking epic that was more of an ensemble film as opposed to a star vehicle like, "Patton". It was made in 1977, seven years after, "Patton", and by comparison the film looked terrible. The DVD I watched was re-mastered via THX, and the picture and sound that resulted were excellent, and makes the same treatment for films like, "A Bridge Too Far", imperative. Any film that people still are willing to pay for and watch that is in its fourth decade of existence benefits enormously from improving the picture and the sound via THX and other technologies. "Patton", takes advantage of this technology, and other studios should take note, and make the investment in other films that have firmly established themselves as classics.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing and Inspirational
Review: "Patton" is a great film. George C. Scott depicts an American hero in one of the best performances I've seen, alongside the likes of Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump." The battle sequences are unique from those seen in most war movies; the battles are shown from the general's perspective, which captures the amazing spectacle of the entire battlefield.

The true strength of the film, however, is the character of Patton. A hard-nosed, determined man, Patton now serves as an inspiration to myself and many others who have seen this great movie. Although his excessive pride may have proven his downfall, one cannot deny the patriotism and strength of will he exudes.

Rating:
Summary: Scott is brilliant
Review: "Patton" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I once watched it three times in the same day, I love it so much. What makes this movie more than just another war movie is George C. Scott. His Patton is so engrossing that you cannot take your eyes off him. The performance shows ego unleashed and unchecked by any bonds of modesty or conscience. While I certainly wouldn't like the man that is portrayed, you get an understanding of him that is more complete than any charachter in any other movie. This is the fully realized man, both monster and hero at the same time. Only Scott could have given this performance, and without him the movie would have been decent at best. With Scott, this should easily make everyone's top 100 list--despite the fact that ranking movies is idiocy itself. As I implied, it is the single most dynamic and engaging performance I have ever seen, or will ever see.

Rating:
Summary: "One of those men born to be a soldier."
Review: "Patton" is one of the best and most honored war films of all time. (8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, 1970.) I first saw this magnificent movie in the summer of 1970, and have since then viewed it countless numbers of time on videocassette. It remains to this day one of my one of my all-time favorite films of any genre! It faithfully tells the story of General George S. Patton, one of the most colorful and controversial military leaders in American history. Patton is imbued with superb acting, an excellent screenplay, reasonably good historical accuracy, and some of the most authentic and stirring battle scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

Based upon General of the Army Omar N. Bradley's memoirs "A Soldier's Story," and the book "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago, this film chronicles Patton's military career from early 1943, when he assumed command of the U.S. Army II Corps, to his relief from command of the Third Army in late 1945. Many of the most important events in Patton's checkered career are covered in some detail: his resurrection of II Corps after its disastrous defeat by the Germans at Kasserine Pass in the North African desert; II Corps' subsequent victory, under his leadership, over units of Rommel's Afrika Corps at El Qatar; Patton's command of the U.S. Seventh Army during the Sicily campaign, and his slapping of an army private suffering from battle fatigue; his relief from command, and his attempts to extricate himself from possibly being sent home in disgrace; and, his leadership of the Third Army, where he led the Allied drive across France and into Germany in one of the most successful campaigns in U.S. military history.

Patton's penchant for "putting his foot in his mouth" proved his ultimate undoing. As World War II ended, and the victorious allies began to reward their successful generals with promotions and honors, Patton was relieved - yet again - from a military command for his ill advised remarks, and for his failure to adhere to U.S. government de-Nazification policies.

The acting in Patton is superb throughout. George C. Scott certainly deserved the Best Actor Academy Award he won (but refused) for his portrayal of Patton. He dominates nearly every scene with his brilliant portrayal of "Old Blood and Guts." Scott's "Patton" is a man of masks. For example, in the opening scenes, we see Patton the stone-faced, profane, passionate warrior, a man bent on intimidating nearly everyone around him to his implacable will for victory. During his exile from command, Patton dons the mask of contrite penitent; and during his drive through France, Patton becomes a buddy to the common soldiers who made up Third Army.

Karl Malden portrays General Omar Bradley, and gives probably his best performance of any film in which I've seen him. He imbues Bradley's character with the great intellectual ability, down-to-earth "common soldier" demeanor, and no-nonsense approach in dealing with Patton (both as subordinate and superior) for which Bradley is noted by historians. Other performances of note include: Michael Bates as the vain, priggish Montgomery; Paul Stevens as Patton's sycophantic aide Charles Codman; and Edward Binns as the gruff, testy General Walter Bedell Smith.

Because of the gorgeous photography throughout the film, I highly recommend viewing Patton in widescreen format. The difference between widescreen and TV formatting, either on DVD or VHS, is astounding.

Patton is a movie which will hold the viewer spellbound start to finish, mainly due to the dramatic intensity of Scott's and Malden's performances, and the realistic battle scenes. This outstanding film is one to be savored by anyone who loves a sumptuously produced and well acted war movie.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Film Complemented by Excellent Presentation
Review: "Patton" is the story of General George Patton, a complex man who was religious and profane at the same time. This film isn't a biography of Patton, but it does show him during WWII. Franklin Schaffner portrays Patton in a more objective manner than usual with this type of film. This is one of the few films where you will like and dislike the main character at the same time.

On to the DVD. The picture quality is excellent, but there is some age evident in the print used. This is an early 16:9 enhanced disc by Fox, though the packaging does not indicate so. There is a tad too much edge enhancement and it annoyed me, but it isn't terribly intrusive.

The sound is a remixed DD 5.1 track. The surrounds get quite a bit of use, but don't expect "Saving Private Ryan" type sound here. The soundtrack sounds a bit dated, and the ADR sounds obvious when it appears.

On Disc One, an audio essay by a Patton historian is included and runs about 81 minutes. It is not screen specific, nor is it a commentary, so kudos to Fox for not saying that it is. Trailers for "Tora! Tora! Tora!" "Patton," and "The Longest Day" are included also. A French mono track and Spanish subtitles are included.

Disc Two contains a documentary on the filming of "Patton" which runs about 50 minutes. It was included on a previous LaserDisc release of the film, but given that it is on a separate disc, they could have lengthened it. An option to play the isolated score from "Patton" is included, which will run over the documentary if selected. Only about 30 minutes of the film were scored, so including the isolated score on Disc One would have left a lot of silence during passages.

Fox has a winner on their hands with "Patton," with its good video/audio quality and fairly good extras. Dissmissed!

Rating:
Summary: Fox provides an Outstanding DVD Special Edition for "Patton"
Review: "Patton" offers one of the great marriages of actor and role with George C. Scott's riveting portrayal of the notorious American tank commander. As a film biography "Patton" forgoes the rise of the celebrated general and merely hints at his ironic death because of injuries suffered in a traffic accident, focuses entirely on his military career commanding troops in North Africa, Sicily and France during World War II. The strength of the script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, as well as of Scott's performance, is that the paradoxes of Patton are completely embraced. Not even Patton's loyal cadre of staff officers can keep him from shooting off his mouth every time there are reporters around, but then neither German Field Marshall Rommel or English Field Marshall Montgomery can beat him on the battlefield. Karl Malden's performance as General Omar Bradley is just as solid as Scott's, presenting a man whose personality is the complete antithesis of Patton. Viewers find themselves identifying with the German captain who is the intelligence expert on Patton and arguably the only person in the film who really understands or respects the American general. But the more I watch "Patton," the more I am very impressed with the battle sequences of director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes," "Pappillon"), which were staged live and full-scale without special effects of miniatures. Schaffner provides not just the large spectacle of a desert tank battle, but smaller and equally memorable moments, such as a soldier falling dead in the snow. "Patton" deserved its Oscars.

In terms of extra features on this DVD, the second disc features the 1997 50-minute retrospective documentary, "The Making of Patton: A Tribute to Franklin J. Schaffner." Recent interviews with the cinematographer, composer, etc., are blended with audio interviews of Schaffner and Scott from 1970, newsreel footage of Patton, along with clips and publicity stills from the film make a fitting tribute to the late director. The audio commentary on the first disc is really more of a lecture on Patton by Charles M. Province, the author of the book "The Unknown Patton" and founder/president of the General George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. Province more than adequately fills in what the movie leaves out about Patton's life. On the second disc Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar nominated musical score is presented in stereo, including alternate takes and a series of radio spots. You certainly have to appreciate what Fox has put together here: This is a "Special Edition" DVD priced as a regular DVD, a real treat for those of us who remember being mesmerized by George C. Scott giving that profanity laced opening speech standing in front of that giant American flag.

Rating:
Summary: THE DVD OF A REMARKABLE FILM EPIC!
Review: "Patton" remains one of the most ambitious WWII films ever mounted. The film's grand battles and outstanding visual effects are complimented by George C. Scott's performance as George Patton, who gave us all a taste of what it's like to lust for war. The DVD features a fine digital transfer of the film (the dialogue is overshadowed by sound effects at times, and this is the only reason I don't give it a full five stars), complete with an intermission brake, as well as theatrical trailers for this film, the epic D-Day film "The Longest Day," and the ill-conceived "Tora! Tora! Tora!" The DVD also features a commentary track by a Patton historian! I recommend this DVD to all those who love war films.
Movie Grade: A+ (5 Stars)
DVD Grade: A- (4 Stars).

Rating:
Summary: Patton
Review: "Patton" was a outstanding movie, which was for a outstanding leader. General Patton was a man who was not afraid to speak his mind. He is a great example of a American.

Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest Movies
Review: "The man's in good with the Lord and I want to give him a medal." This is the mother of all war films. Scott gives a great performance of a arrogant man, but a dang good soldier. The movie is great from the motivational speech at the first to the getting close to run over by a ox cart. I have seen this film over 20 times. Almost as good as Star Wars.