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Patton
20th Century Fox

Patton reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 91 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.2 out of 10
based on 9 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 9 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG

Starring George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Carey Loftin, Morgan Paull, and Karl Michael Vogler

This Academy Award-winning biography of American General George S. Patton chronicles the general's wartime activities and accomplishments, beginning with his entry into the North African campaign and ending with his removal from command after his outspoken criticism of US post-war military strategy.


GENRE(S): Drama  |  War  
WRITTEN BY: Ladislas Farago (book Patton: Ordeal and Triumph)
Omar N. Bradley (book A Soldier's Story)
Francis Ford Coppola
Edmund H. North
 
DIRECTED BY: Franklin J. Schaffner  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: November 6, 2001 
Video: March 5, 1996 
Theatrical: February 18, 1970 
RUNNING TIME: 170 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

The film won 7 Academy Awards in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor (Scott), Best Art Direction, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Screenplay. Scott famously resused to accept his nomiation and award because he did not feel his craft to be in competition with that of other actors.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
The movie holds up far better than its detractors guessed - splendidly, in fact - not only thanks to Scott's spellbinding acting, but to the epic imagery, Coppola's (and Edmund North's) highly intelligent script and Schaffner's lucid, perfectly controlled direction.
Read Full Review
100
ReelViews James Berardinelli
Patton remains to this day one of Hollywood's most compelling biographical war pictures.
Read Full Review
100
USA Today Mike Clark
Still mesmerizes on the strength of George C. Scott's chew-your-behind performance. [5 Nov. 1999, p.6E]
100
Variety Staff (Not credited)
War is hell, and Patton is one hell of a war picture, perhaps one of the most remarkable of its type ever made.
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90
The New York Times Vincent Canby
A huge, initially ambivalent but finally adoring, Pop portrait of one of the most brilliant and outrageous American military figures of the last one hundred years.
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90
TV Guide Staff (Not credited)
Patton is a war movie of unusual depth and a landmark in screen biographies.
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88
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Not a war film so much as the story of a personality who has found the right role to play. Scott's theatricality is electrifying.
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80
Chicago Reader Dave Kehr
Patton's personality--conveyed with pointed theatrical flair by George C. Scott--is registered in rich tones of grandeur and megalomania, genius and petty sadism.
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75
Entertainment Weekly Staff (Not credited)
George C. Scott's Oscar-winning portrait of the megalomaniacal warrior general is still the glue holding together this blunt study of war as the ultimate human (and dehumanizing) game.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mithyus gave it a10:
The myth of Patton is brilliantly presented, and while it develops controversal ideals, those are shown in the most human of the ways.

Riren gave it a10:
A movie that is guaranteed to grow less popular as the years pass and all things war become less acceptable - a positive notion for society, but an unfortunate one for film. Scott delivers the performance of a lifetime, fully embracing the geniune and outrageous character of General George S. Patton. Much like GANDHI, PATTON focuses very little of the childhood or development phases of its title character, instead thrusting us towards a truly memorable and perplexing human. This story is very thoughtful and driven by dialogue, without much in the way of baseness or bloody action; indeed there is more screentime devoted to the fatigue and damage done by war than to battle. Again like GANDHI, this film avoids criticizing its focal character, and tries to make its audience sympathize with whatever flaws or shortcomings it reveals about him. Really, the only difference between these two biopics (which are quite possibly the two best biographical films in the English language) is their main character's compulsion towards an end; Gandhi driven for peace, and Patton lusting for war. Do not expect PATTON to flinch; to its final scenes, it will not concede that the insensitivity and battle-pride of its main character are wrong. The best it will do is thankfully suggest that people such as Patton are a rare and increasingly unnecessary breed. The score is moving, the settings feel startlingly authentic (especially in contrast to contemporary film's green screen fetish), and the direction is unwaveringly thoughtful. This is a war movie for people who think, and thinking people need to see this movie.

Doug T. gave it a10:
One of the finest actor's portrayal of a historical personality committed to film since Maria Falconetti in "The Passion of Joan of Arc." Similar to "Lawrence of Arabia", and at least that good.

J. Ryan G. gave it a7:
We have to be careful with movies that follow their lead character like a puppy dog. Either we must learn about human nature by seeing the internal workings of the character, or we must learn from his perspective about the world around him. Here we do more of the second than the first, though there is not always a healthy balance. It is interesting to see a rather frank and modern look at the way a political figure (in this case, of the military variety) operates with, against, and under the pressuring phenomenon of public approval. George C. Scott is ordinarily brilliant and intense, but see "The Hospital" for a slightly better sampling of his talent.

Jayson gave it a0:
Even more boring than The Longest Day. It made me feel like the first passengers of the demented ship from Horizon. I wanted to tear my eyes out for my own protection.

David B. gave it an8:
An apparently unbiased WWII movie, with uneven pacing, perhaps. Had any actor other than Mr. Scott been casted we wouldn't be discussing this movie here. Definately a personality vignette rather than a war movie. It left me wanting more footage of the early years of Patton.

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