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In a voiceover at the end of Patton, actor George C. Scott relates the tale of the ancient conquering Roman hero who tempers his victory with a slave who whispers in his ear the warning that all glory is fleeting.
That could well be the theme of director Franklin J. Schaffner's 1970 epic Oscar winning film about the controversial general. Even Patton itself ended up being controversial (at the time), and may have inspired Richard M. Nixon to escalate the Vietnam war by bombing Cambodia after numerous viewing of the film. Oliver Stone tried to obtain permission to use film clips from Patton for this incident in Nixon, but could not obtain permission from leading actor George C. Scott.
On principle Scott was opposed to the idea of war, so it's possible that he felt embarrassed that this film was so widely regarded as a pro war film when all he had done was to bury himself into the old general's character for a supreme acting performance. The film certainly is thoroughly researched, and used General Omar Bradley himself as a technical advisor.
During my team teaching years working with a history teacher for American Studies, I ended up doing some research on Patton myself through some of his writings and a couple of documentaries, and was amazed to find how accurate Patton is for the most part. Seemingly the only major difference between the real Patton and the movie version is Schaffner's indication that the general believed in reincarnation. Such was not the case. The general was a thorough military historian obsessed with ancient battles, but he never believed that he actually took part in some Shirley MacLaine past life.
Patton remains a film I would recommend for secondary teachers of history or American Studies, or even regular English teachers who want to tie in a good biographical film with written material and documentaries. Of course it can be enjoyed by general audiences interested in the character of the complex man or those who want to learn something about the European front during WWII.
Synopsis
"The troops I have commanded have always been well dressed, been smart saluters, been prompt and bold in action because I have personally set the example in these qualities. The influence one man can have on thousands is a never-ending source of wonder to me. You are always on parade."
George S. Patton
The opening is classic--the magnificently uniformed Patton stands at attention with a huge American flag backdrop, as the camera pans over the general's medals, ivory handled pistol, and stern expression. Patton then delivers a rousing kick them in the ass speech, extolling the men 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," and emphasizing his basic military philosophy that they will continue to press forward to overrun the "Hun."
If this sounds like some halftime locker room pep talk, so be it. I wouldn't be surprised if certain coaches like Bob Knight studied Patton for their coaching strategy. After all, despite any personal conflicts Patton may have possessed, he operated during wartime with supreme confidence and pushed his men to their limits, hoping that they would fear him more than they would the enemy.
Patton follows a chronological sequence of events. We observe Patton receive honors at Morocco, shape up the Allied tank forces against Rommel in North Africa, successfully invade Sicily, get in trouble for slapping a soldier, act as a decoy during the D-Day invasion, and achieve his crowning glory during the crucial Battle of the Bulge. All this follows the well-known history. What is less known is the human side of the general. At least it was less known until this film was released.
It's About Character
"War is simple, direct, and ruthless. It requires a simple, direct, and ruthless man to wage it."
George S. Patton
While Patton was focussed and simple during war, as exemplified in the scene where he shoots two stubborn mules that block a bridge, internally the man was extremely complex. Patton may not go into the depth that you will find in the literature, but it gives us a few cinematic moments that cue us in to the man's psyche.
In real life Patton was extremely fearful of failure and overcompensated for this in athletics and in the military by outworking everyone. Patton admits only one fear openly: The one about a bullet coming straight for his nose. However, we sense other internal conflicts when Patton forces troops to sacrifice themselves while he gains the glory. Note that his slapping incident occurs just after this, and immediately after praying over a severely injured man to whom he has just presented the Purple Heart. Patton's words berating the coward may actually be more self-directed than he lets on.
When Patton tells General Omar Bradley (Karl Malden) that he is a simple old soldier, it is with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the film does portray the general as an egotistical prima donna and politician, much better suited for war than he is for peace. The contrast between the highly religious general better know for his cursing and temper is personified with a great one liner answer to the clergyman who asks Patton if he finds time to read his Bible: "Every Goddamn day!"
George C. Scott does far more than merely personify George S. Patton in this film. If ever an actor ever crawled into someone else's skin and morphed, this is such a case. Nowhere can I discern that Scott is acting here. He seems so natural in the role, yet he researched the part thoroughly and didn't believe personally in warfare. Whether Scott refused his Best Actor Oscar over conflicts with the film industry or because he was disturbed at the film's reception during the height of the Vietnam War may one day be revealed by a biographer. Patton is the role for which Scott will forever be associated.
Other supporting characters are largely stereotypical and underdeveloped, outside of Bradley. Karl Malden turns in his usual outstanding performance as the soldier's general here, and is the only character to ever stand up to Patton throughout.
Source material for the film reliably comes from Ladislas Farago's Patton: Ordeal and Triumph and Omar Bradley's A Soldier's Story. While the screenplay was originally written by Francis Ford Coppola, the producer and director felt the script too flashy and that it didn't cover the entire spectrum they wished to cover. Edmund H. North revised to translate a more artistic work into a more epic one. And that is how this film feels and works-a war movie designed for Oscar awards, with good character development along the way.
Finale
"There's only one proper way for a professional soldier to die: the last bullet of the last battle of the last war."
Patton doesn't die the hero's death as envisioned in this film quote. The movie doesn't show his actual death, but hints at its actual irony with a scene that shows the general narrowly escaping getting crushed by a runaway cart. With the controversies swirling around Patton's actual demise, only conspiracy hungry Oliver Stone would want a chance at that ending (and we certainly don't need to see that!)
Patton does an excellent job showing the complexities of this controversial general, portraying him as an anachronism who just doesn't fit in with modern warfare or in peacetime. The perfect warrior (a true eccentric) isn't the easiest man to get along with or to predict--inside the hard shell lies a sensitive poet warrior as well.
When Patton was first released, a storm of controversy erupted around it. People were confused during the turbulent times whether it was a movie for "hawks" or "doves" because it could be seen either way. Nixon chose to see Patton as a great hero, and may well have decided to use the "kick butt" side of the general on the Cambodians in 1970.
Others saw it as a character study that clearly demonstrated that Patton was out of touch with the modern world, and therefore was a movie that level headed peaceful types could appreciate.
Thirty years later, we can examine Patton again and discover that the film stands up as historical drama, giving us an overall picture of an important aspect of the European campaign of WWII, and giving us an intimate character portrait of a most enigmatic general. No matter what you think of the film's political content, George C. Scott's performance is worth watching alone. |
