Keith Hayes

“Patton" is not intended to be a traditional war film, but is rather a character study of one of the greatest tactical generals of the latter half of the 20th century. The war serves as a prop only, the violence is only really hinted at, sort of like when the tacticians gather around a huge relief map with small models of tanks or cannons. When one area is either lost or gained, the models are knocked over or moved. Patton is the centerpiece of the story. His egomania, conceit and brilliance drive the story of a bigger than life personality driven totaling by his lust to lead men into a seemingly hopeless battle, and triumph. A study of Patton's life before the war show him to be a true anachronism, a person out of the time period he was in but rather a man whom behaves as he believes life should be. It’s also the blueprint for how America came out of World War II as the lone superpower to dominate the world stage to this day. Americans such as Patton are how the rest of the world view the U.S., and it’s pretty much accurate. “Patton" is a tour de force for George C. Scott, a once in a lifetime role to create from whole cloth a bigger than life character.