Patton (review)

This biopic of the American general is a straightforward film without subtext or irony, just as its subject is. Not that he isn't a mass of eccentricities. Patton keeps a Bible nearby and prays on his knees, but he also believes in reincarnation -- he tells his fellow officers straightfaced that he was with Napoleon in Russia. He writes poetry and can "smell a battlefield." He likes to court danger: He promotes himself to three-star general before it's officially approved by the U.S. Senate; he stands in front of a strafing German plane, shooting at it with only a pistol. He wants his troops to fear him and has zero tolerance for what he sees as cowardice.

But like many men who do great things using personality traits that would be drawbacks in lesser men, Patton's idiosyncrasies eventually turn around and bite him. He's tolerated only as long as he gets results -- and good publicity. Patton is a spectacular and unvarnished look at a man who thrives in war while also sowing the seeds of his own downfall.

Best Picture 1970
AFI 100: #89
unforgettable movie moment:
The opening scene, in which General Patton, standing before a huge American flag, addresses off-screen troops: "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

previous Best Picture:
1969: Midnight Cowboy
next Best Picture:
1971: The French Connection

previous AFI 100 film:
88: Easy Rider
next AFI 100 film:
90: The Jazz Singer