Picture 43: Patton (1970)

25 years since the end of World War 2 and the Oscar winner represents yet another attempt to process the trauma. The 1970s begin with a biopic of one of the 20th century’s most famous U.S. generals – George S. Patton. It made 5 times its budget at the box office and won 7 Academy Awards but can it still entertain vegan pizza eating millennials in the mid-2020s?

It's 1943 and General Patton is posted in North Africa. He comes up against the intimidating Nazi Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and the Afrika Korps. The Allies are poorly disciplined and struggling to make any headway in battle. Patton is sent in to turn it around.

George is an impressive orator and a brave military tactician. He consistently seeks inspiration from Ancient Roman and Carthaginian equivalents from whom he seems to genuinely believe he has been reincarnated. He creates his own narrative to provide a mythological level of meaning to his work. He feels very at home in the lands of ancient battles and relishes the challenge of humankind’s largest ever conflict. Will his efforts combined with the cycle of samsara succeed in turning Allied fortunes around?

Patton provides intermittent, visually impressive Mediterranean battle sequences but also an intimate focus on a brilliant yet ultimately troubled military mind. George C. Scott’s performance as the lead offers an insight into the complexity of the human condition that is so often forsaken by war movies. Francis Ford Coppola’s script contributes to a consistently engaging experience and Patton’s opening speech to the Third Army in front of a giant American flag has a rightful place of prestige in cinematic history. Look out for Karl Malden from 1954’s winner On the Waterfront who plays the contrasting, more conservative General Omar N. Bradley.

A thoroughly entertaining experience, 20th century Fox delivered a classic here and the 43rd entry respectably makes the top 20.

Rating: 8/10

Reflections:

1.     Not having a struggle can sometimes be the greatest test.

2.    Glory is never permanent.

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. Casablanca (1943)

2. The Apartment (1960)

3. Rebecca (1940)

4. The Sound of Music (1965)

5. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

6. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

7. Ben-Hur (1959)

8. Lost Weekend (1945)

9. All About Eve (1950)

10. Hamlet (1948)

11. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

12. Gone With the Wind (1939)

13. West Side Story (1961)

14. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

15. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

16. Wings (1928)

17. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

18. You can’t take it with you (1938)

19. Patton (1970)

20. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

21. On the Waterfront (1954)

22. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

23. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

24. Marty (1955)

25. Oliver! (1968)

26. Cimarron (1931)

27. Grand Hotel (1932)

28. An American in Paris (1951)

29. From Here to Eternity (1953)

30. It Happened One Night (1934)

31. My Fair Lady (1964)

32. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

33. Cavalcade (1933)

34. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

35. Going My Way (1944)

36. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

37. All the King’s Men (1949)

38. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

39. Gigi (1958)

40. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

41. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

42. The Broadway Melody (1929)

43. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield

Dr Caspar Briault

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Josh Fisher

Mr Vivian Gallaher

Mrs Clare Gallaher

Dr Adam Holland

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia