Post by Erik Rupp on Sept 13, 2009 12:30:26 GMT -5
Patton (1970) Blu Ray
When it comes to war movies there are few that are more respected than 1970's Patton. If any.
George C. Scott won (and refused to accept) the Academy Award for his portrayal of General George Patton, and the movie itself won a total of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. There's a good reason for that - the movie is just that damned good!
With a screenplay written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund North (Coppola wrote the initial screenplay, then after a delay North rewrote it, making several changes), Patton is an extremely well written and well directed movie. Franklin J. Shaffner, one of the more underrated directors of his day, did a fine job on the movie as it has both an epic scope and a personal feel. It is a movie about one man's story, but it is also about the biggest conflict in human history, and Shaffner does a great job of balancing both.
No review of Patton would be remotely complete without mention of the solid, if largely unknown, supporting cast, with that group led by the late Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley. Malden's performance is excellent and rivals Scott's in the film, and it is perhaps the most nuanced and memorable performance in Malden's long and distinguished career.
Special mention should also be made for the performances by Richard Münch, Siegfried Rauch, and Karl Michael Vogler as German officers, as they are all quite good and help to flesh out characters that in the 40's or 50's would simply have been portrayed as angry or evil, "Bad guys." Here, they are simply men trying to win a war for their country. They are patriots who are caught up in a war that they didn't start. Not all Germans believed in Hitler's philosophies (some did, some didn't), but many of those that didn't still loved their country and didn't want it to fall. These performances (and the way the scrpt was written) are a great representation of that.
But this is George C. Scott's movie, of that there can be no doubt. His performance is simply riveting. He truly becomes Patton - so much so that for most people their impressions of George Patton are not based on the real thing, but on the amazing performance of George C. Scott. His Academy Award was very much deserved (whether he wanted it or not). Rarely does an actor take over a movie as completely as Scott did here. For his time on screen George C. Scott was General George Patton.
Patton, the man, lives for war. He has spent his whole life studying war, studying strategies and past battles, and now he has the chance to take part in what he sees as the greatest challenge a man can face. He has no personal grudge against the Nazis (although he does see them as a force of evil that must be stopped), his goal is to win the conflict almost as an academic excercise. He has no interest in the behind the scenes politics of waging war - he just wants to develop strategies and battle plans, and to have the freedom to execute those plans free from obstruction or interference from his superiors.
But Patton has a problem with holding his tongue and saying things in a more, "Political," fashion. When he should be self-editing what he says he just shoots from the lip, and in doing so ends up shooting himself in the foot. He is taken out of the action for months due to his near insubordination and refusal to say things the way that his superiors want him to say. Patton is hard headed and supremely egotistical, but he can back up his ego with excellent strategic planning and top notch field leadership. The men under his command often hate him, but they will fight for him because they believe in Patton as a battlefield leader - and as a winner.
The ups and downs of Patton's career during World War II is well documented in the film, and even at nearly three hours long this movie never feels dragged out. In fact, it almost feels like it could stand to be another ten to fifteen minutes longer! It moves by at a very nice pace, and is interesting throughout.
George Patton was a fascinating historic figure, and he was also a fascinating human being. Patton - the movie - captures both of those aspects, and captures them well.
As for the Blu Ray, it is simply phenomenal. Patton has never looked better. The restoration of this film was meticulously done, and the Blu Ray is all the better for it. The picture has a clarity far beyond the DVD version (not only is the picture sharper and cleaner than the DVD, the colors are better, and the shadow detail is better - significantly better). The sound is as good as can be expected from a movie made in 1970. The disc is also loaded with excellent special features (audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola, and multiple documentaries on the movie and the man) that makes the Blu Ray release a, "Must Have," for anyone who likes this film.
5/5
When it comes to war movies there are few that are more respected than 1970's Patton. If any.
George C. Scott won (and refused to accept) the Academy Award for his portrayal of General George Patton, and the movie itself won a total of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. There's a good reason for that - the movie is just that damned good!
With a screenplay written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund North (Coppola wrote the initial screenplay, then after a delay North rewrote it, making several changes), Patton is an extremely well written and well directed movie. Franklin J. Shaffner, one of the more underrated directors of his day, did a fine job on the movie as it has both an epic scope and a personal feel. It is a movie about one man's story, but it is also about the biggest conflict in human history, and Shaffner does a great job of balancing both.
No review of Patton would be remotely complete without mention of the solid, if largely unknown, supporting cast, with that group led by the late Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley. Malden's performance is excellent and rivals Scott's in the film, and it is perhaps the most nuanced and memorable performance in Malden's long and distinguished career.
Special mention should also be made for the performances by Richard Münch, Siegfried Rauch, and Karl Michael Vogler as German officers, as they are all quite good and help to flesh out characters that in the 40's or 50's would simply have been portrayed as angry or evil, "Bad guys." Here, they are simply men trying to win a war for their country. They are patriots who are caught up in a war that they didn't start. Not all Germans believed in Hitler's philosophies (some did, some didn't), but many of those that didn't still loved their country and didn't want it to fall. These performances (and the way the scrpt was written) are a great representation of that.
But this is George C. Scott's movie, of that there can be no doubt. His performance is simply riveting. He truly becomes Patton - so much so that for most people their impressions of George Patton are not based on the real thing, but on the amazing performance of George C. Scott. His Academy Award was very much deserved (whether he wanted it or not). Rarely does an actor take over a movie as completely as Scott did here. For his time on screen George C. Scott was General George Patton.
Patton, the man, lives for war. He has spent his whole life studying war, studying strategies and past battles, and now he has the chance to take part in what he sees as the greatest challenge a man can face. He has no personal grudge against the Nazis (although he does see them as a force of evil that must be stopped), his goal is to win the conflict almost as an academic excercise. He has no interest in the behind the scenes politics of waging war - he just wants to develop strategies and battle plans, and to have the freedom to execute those plans free from obstruction or interference from his superiors.
But Patton has a problem with holding his tongue and saying things in a more, "Political," fashion. When he should be self-editing what he says he just shoots from the lip, and in doing so ends up shooting himself in the foot. He is taken out of the action for months due to his near insubordination and refusal to say things the way that his superiors want him to say. Patton is hard headed and supremely egotistical, but he can back up his ego with excellent strategic planning and top notch field leadership. The men under his command often hate him, but they will fight for him because they believe in Patton as a battlefield leader - and as a winner.
The ups and downs of Patton's career during World War II is well documented in the film, and even at nearly three hours long this movie never feels dragged out. In fact, it almost feels like it could stand to be another ten to fifteen minutes longer! It moves by at a very nice pace, and is interesting throughout.
George Patton was a fascinating historic figure, and he was also a fascinating human being. Patton - the movie - captures both of those aspects, and captures them well.
As for the Blu Ray, it is simply phenomenal. Patton has never looked better. The restoration of this film was meticulously done, and the Blu Ray is all the better for it. The picture has a clarity far beyond the DVD version (not only is the picture sharper and cleaner than the DVD, the colors are better, and the shadow detail is better - significantly better). The sound is as good as can be expected from a movie made in 1970. The disc is also loaded with excellent special features (audio commentary by Francis Ford Coppola, and multiple documentaries on the movie and the man) that makes the Blu Ray release a, "Must Have," for anyone who likes this film.
5/5