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Patton
1970 172 min United States of America PG 12+
★8.3
War, Drama, History
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Trailers
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Description
"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with Patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Germany and the fall of the Third Reich. Side plots also speak of Patton's numerous faults such his temper and habit towards insubordination.
Budget:
$12M
US Gross:
$61.75M
Worldwide:
$89.8M
Starring
George C. Scott
Actor
Karl Malden
Actor
Stephen Young
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Adapted Screenplay (Unpublished Material or True Facts)
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Adapted Screenplay (Unpublished Material or True Facts)
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Production Design
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Film Editing
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Actor (Drama)
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Visual Effects
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Picture (Drama)
Golden Globe 1971
— Best Director
BAFTA 1971
— Best Original Score
BAFTA 1971
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 1971
— Best Original Score
Key opinion
Patton is widely regarded as a definitive biographical war epic, anchored by an iconic, powerhouse performance from George C. Scott. While its technical craftsmanship and narrative ambition are largely praised, the film remains divisive due to its glorification of military authority and its narrow, sometimes controversial, historical perspective on World War II.
| Acting | George C. Scott delivers a magnetic, definitive performance that captures the complex, often contradictory nature of General Patton's personality. | |
| Direction | Franklin J. Schaffner's direction creates a well-structured, classic epic that balances personal character study with large-scale military history. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is lauded for its sharp, precise dialogue and intellectual depth in exploring the paradox of a warrior operating in a bureaucratic world. | |
| Production | The cinematography and overall production scale are praised for their immersive, high-quality visual presentation of the wartime era. | |
| Pacing | The pacing and quantity of action are divisive; some find the film’s deliberate, monologue-heavy structure essential to its character study, while others find the relative scarcity of battle footage boring. | |
| The film's thematic portrayal of Patton as a glorified, honorable hero is deeply contentious, with critics split between viewing it as a nuanced character study and an uncomfortable, pro-military romanticization of a flawed historical figure. |