Patton: The Movie and the Man
Released in 1970, this film is a masterpiece of the Genre, with Patton a Mad Genius of a General…
General George Patton always considered himself a ruthless, innovative, and brave professional soldier, as he had undoubtedly proven himself to be in WWI, and again in North Africa and Sicily in 1942. The German High Command certainly thought him the best general the Allies had, and for them it was therefore inevitable that Patton would lead the invasion of Europe, whenever that might be.
The Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, also knew the respect the German Army had for Patton, and he intended to use the blaspheming, mad genius of a General (who loved to sport, in western style holsters,
a pair of ivory handled .38 revolvers) as the major player in a massive game of deceit and subterfuge in the days and weeks leading up to D-Day. It has to be said that Patton, the man of action, wasn’t too happy about that, but it had of course been all his own fault.
And the director of the 1970 movie, Franklin J. Schaffner — who also made The Planet of the Apes — gets it right from start to finish — with a brilliant script by…
