by D. J. Poe

Created on: August 10, 2008

I doubt there was ever a General who wanted to fight as much as George S. Patton. Depicted in voice, character, confidence and disobedience inpeccably by George C. Scott; Patton became a hero for the second time in 1970.

The accuracy and detail of battles and situational meeting were a perfect backdrop for the depiction of such a complex and detailed individual. A tank soldier by training, he became capable of fighting the great "Rommel" by reading his works regarding tank warfare and turning these tactics against him.

What other person, in the face of all aridity, with all that had happened to him behind him, could be so arrogantly confident to move the men and equipment through mud and snow at blazing speed at the time...to win the Battle of the Bulge. Hitler's last great effort to break through enemy lines; his last hope and, undoubtedly the most well-planned and executed effort of the Nazi regime. The Battle of the Bulge was, no doubt known to the German army as the last effort, therefore it must be the greatest. Patton stopped this with his devoted men. Old "blood and guts" had the loyalty and made the resources to defeat Hitler. The movie depicts this brilliantly. It seems nothing was spared to articulate the cold weather, wounded soldiers still fighting, rapid movement of equipment, etc. Patton's dislike for Montgomery was obvious from the beginning, and he certainly didn't want Monty taking the stage for him at the Battle of the Bulge. That didn't happen...Patton rolled on.

I don't know if the prayer for good weather was truth or poetic license by Hollywood writers; but, if the writers came up with it, they had the personality of the man captivated. No one else would be so arrogant as to ask God for clear weather in order to fight.

Patton was a different movie in many ways: More "method" acting; more blood for the time; a war movie released at the height of the Vietnam War; a strong cast of characters and the actual depiction of a man that would do anything to win; a man who made mistakes; a man
probably the most responsible for the Allied success in the European theater.

I found the most ironic scene near the end when Patton was taking his dog "Willie" for a walk and an oxcart broke loose and skittered down the hill. General Bradley nudged Patton out of the way. Patton laughs and exclaims," Imagine, after all I've been through; getting killed by an oxcart". Ironically, the great warrior was brought down by a minor automobile accident that broke his neck. This happened shortly after the war and was eventually fatal to the soldier who believed in re-incarnation. Perhaps we haven't seen the last of him yet.

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