¶ … Patton, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Specifically, it will contain a critical review of the film, which will briefly summarize the film and provide some analysis, which will look at the historical accuracy of the film and George C. Scott's portrayal of General George S. Patton, Jr. Patton is as accurate as any Hollywood film can be, while still entertaining an audience. Scott's portrayal of Patton is deadly accurate - he captures the nuances of a man alternately known for his cruelty and his pathos. The film is historic because it does attempt to portray the real man, the real war, and the real emotion men faced in battle. PATTON was obsessed with the belief that the war would end before I got into it." (General George S. Patton Jr.)

General George S. Patton, Jr. was probably one of the most controversial and yet admired generals in the history of the United States. "Few military figures in American history have laid siege to the public imagination more relentlessly than George S. Patton, Jr. Half a century after his exploits in North Africa, on Sicily, and across occupied Europe, his name still evokes the dash and brio of a cavalry charge" (Patton xi). In the film "Patton," George C. Scott portrays the general as a man obsessed with war, and with the impact he can have on winning. He is sometimes cruel, sometimes humorous, and always looking out for his men, except when they show cowardice or unwillingness to stand up and fight, and the famous scene with the nervous soldier shows. "It's my nerves, sir. I just can't stand the shelling anymore. Your 'nerves?' Why hell, you're just a goddamn coward. [slaps him] Shut up! I won't have...

These intimate portrayals of a man who could in turn be cruel and then introspective earned George C. Scott an Oscar for his portrayal, and brought the general into focus for an entire generation who had never known the man or the legend. Scott handled both with ease.
This portrayal comes straight out of the pages of his diary, "War as I Knew It," and it seems if Patton were alive today, he probably would have enjoyed Scott's portrayal immensely. Scott seems to have found the soul of Patton and brought it to the viewer, so they would have a better understanding of this complex man who studied military history, read poetry, and lived to fight. Scott is at his best as Patton when he is roaring at his men, urging them into battle. "We're gonna keep fighting!! Is that CLEAR?!! We're gonna attack all night we're gonna attack the next morning!! If we're not VICTORIOUS!! Let no man come back alive!!!" (Patton). It is clear the film screenwriter and Scott studied Patton and his writings, or the film would never have depicted him so accurately.

This film only portrays Patton's career during World War II, and then not all of it, but only selected battles and occupations. In his diary, he gives much more detail into his time in Africa and Italy before he made it to the European front, and he clearly spells out his disgust at Eisenhower and Montgomery when they do not agree with his battle plans. By the time Patton gets to France, his diary begins to offer differing opinions of the Allied battle decisions and defensive…