Patton

So it's 2017 and I still have a couple of films at the end of my Netflix list. I wanted to start the new year off with something really important and seemingly epic. So I decided to go with the story of one of the most famous Generals from World War 2, Patton.

This is an older movie, it came out in 1970 and the screenplay was written by Francis Ford Coppola, the director of the Godfather. I was first introduced to this movie when I was shown the opening speech he makes to the troops deploying overseas. It creates a great opening to the film and an overview of what this movie is going to consist of and the character of Patton.

The movie follows the story of George S Patton (played by George C Scott) as he begins in Tunisia during World War 2 and his fight against Irwin Rommel. It then follows his controversial career through his campaign in Italy, all the way through the invasion of Normandy and the end of the conflict in Germany in 1944.

Now if you're interested in the lives of old military generals like I am, this movie will be right up your alley as it dives into the leadership style of Patton and how he commanded his troops.

Patton was not a general who would try and be your friend. His objective was to win the war, single handedly if he could and the rush of battle seemed to be the only thing he ever cared about.

The great thing that they portray in this movie, and I'm pretty sure it was a thing in real life, was captured in one of the lines the enemy says about Patton, that he was a 16th century general in a 20th century war.

Patton has so many parts in this movie where he explains his strategy with references to ancient wars like the Peloponnesian war. He compares his battles to the wars of old, even though this was considered a modern war.

And what's more important is he sees his time in this war as the greatest achievement he will ever accomplish. And that's where most of the drama in the film comes from. While he is successful for his intellect, his study of Rommel's tactics, and his knowledge of historic wars in order to win his own, Patton gets himself into trouble because not everyone sees war as this glorious crusade and while he's winning battles with historic tactics and mannerisms, those out dated mannerisms get him in trouble and make people see him as heartless and cruel.

One of the biggest set backs for Patton is the treatment of his Soldiers, especially those suffering from what was called Battle Fatigue at the time but is definitely PTSD.

The thing that really works about this movie is the character of Patton and the performance given by George C Scott.

Patton is not likable, he's not empathetic, and if he was a German commander he would have been one of the biggest villains of World War 2. But because he's fighting for the United States, because he's fighting for the good side, he suddenly becomes an interesting good guy and that makes all the difference.

I think the best comparison you can bring regarding the style and grandioseness of this movie is that of the biopic of Ghandi in 1982 starring Ben Kingsley.

Of course, the two stories are about two wildly different people, but the execution and the style are very similar.

Both movies follow the stories of two influential people during the height of their influence in their lives. And I'll say it, both movies are incredibly long!

This movie has the job of chronicling the life of a US Army General. He's not the guy in the trenches, he's the guy making the plan, dealing with politics, and there definitely is a story in there. Now I've watched all of Ghandi and that movie is LONG! Patton is long too but there's some good action in it, some cool war scenes, and a pro for both films, some great acting from the main character.

There's a reason this movie is preserved in the library of Congress, it's a fascinating film.

 The last thing that is really fascinating about this film is how pro American it is, and how conservative it is. Now hear me out when I go through this point.

I feel like a lot of movies today, if they're about war, they talk about the atrocities of war and how it's not a good thing. Other movies will point out the fallacies in America's foreign policy and point out that we are not exactly the good guys all the time. And the movies that are more American and conservative these days are almost too sappy sometimes. I love the movie 13 Hours, but it's got so many Michael Bayisms and it's not really allowed to go full conservative because of the political climate we live in.

Patton is a story about American exceptionalism and has a pretty conservative message throughout. And it's good. It's a well done movie. Now I also think that it has themes and messages that could perhaps bring into question the actions of Patton and that could go against the idea of American exceptionalsim and conservatism, but I would say, as a whole this is a pro America, pro conservative film that I think everyone will enjoy.

Overall, I really enjoyed Patton and thought it provided great insight into a military general who you definitely hear about in history class, but probably didn't know a lot about. This movie provides insight into him at the height of his powers and is a good classic film to check out.

This film is still on Netflix and definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for the long haul.

But those are my thoughts on Patton. What did you think? You can comment and give me your thoughts below! Or you can send me your thoughts on Twitter @cmhaugen24 as well as send me your requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog!

I'll leave you with this. Something I didn't mention was the soundtrack. It is very good! Enjoy!