432
edits
Changes
m
insert middle ad
"Patton" is a biopic of one of America’s greatest generals in World War II. The motion picture portrays the role of General George S. Patton, the most famous Allies tank commander of WW II. It concentrates on Patton’s career from 1942 to 1945. The movie begins with Patton's career during the North Africa campaign and his battle with Rommel, the Desert Fox. It then follows his part in the invasion of Sicily, his disgrace for striking a soldier and his role in the liberation of Europe after the D-Day landings and his role in the fall of the Third Reich. The feature also briefly deals with his role in post-war Germany and his death in an accidental car crash in the winter of 1945.
The movie shows the strengths and weakness of this difficult and brilliant man. The movie <i>Patton</i> was released in 1970 during the midst of the Vietnam War. When it was released it was both a critical and financial success. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, the movie was scripted by Francis Ford Coppola of Godfather fame and Edward Hill. <ref>Cousins, Mark. The Story of Film: A Worldwide History (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006), p. 213</ref> The film was produced by Twentieth Century Fox. The role of Patton was played by the American character actor George C Scott. The movie was enthusiastically received by both the public and the critics and won several Academy Awards. This article will discuss how accurate was the The movie and did it reflect fairly accurately reflects the reality of Patton’s role in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
====Patton and the opening Speech====
====The movie portrayal of Patton====
It is generally accepted that Patton or "Old Blood and Guts" as his men liked to call him was an outstanding soldier who possessed an oversized personality. Scott effectively captured the essence of the man and his many contradictions. Patton was a cultured man and believed in traditional values yet he could also be crude and a bully.<ref>Essame, H., Patton: A Study in Command (New York City: Scribner & Sons, 1995), p. 67</ref> The drive and the ambition of Patton are also brilliantly captured in the movie. He was a very ambitious man and believed that he was a great leader. Even from childhood, Patton believed that he was destined for greatness.
<dh-ad/>
The physical bravery of Patton is also shown several times in the movie. It also accurately portrays Patton's outspokenness and his love of publicity. Never shy to boast about his exploits, Patton was regularly in the papers and was a very well-known figure in America. The movie also traces the relationship between Patton and General Omar Bradley and indeed the two men were close friends and colleagues. The movie gets right many of the details of Patton’s life such as his pearl-handled revolvers and his white English bull terrier.<ref> Essame, p. 203</ref> These were part of the public image of Old Blood and Guts, which he cultivated assiduously. The movie does catch the character of the General.