Films of the 1970s, No. 31

 


Throughout 2023 I'm looking at my favorite films from the decade of the 1970s. I'll be counting down from 50 to 1 throughout the year, posting a new installment each Friday. Agree? Disagree? Want to share a story? Post it in the comments below!

Patton: Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, then anything built by man can be overcome.

Patton (1970)
Starring: George C. Scott and Karl Malden
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
About: General Patton cut an imposing figure in the history of our country. Likewise, the film that bears his name makes an impression. It won Best Picture, among its haul of seven Academy Awards. Schaffner won for directing and the script, co-written by Francis Ford Coppola, also won. But when you think of the film, just as you think of the man, you think of the performer. Scott was an incredible actor who gives a magnificent and striking performance. His monologues, many of which are delivered straight to camera, bring Patton the warrior to life. Fittingly he won the Best Actor trophy for the film and it is probably his most memorable and iconic role. I remember first seeing the film and how Scott's performance and the story struck me. It still stands out, more than 50 years later. It was an easy call to put it on this list and it's fitting that this entry lands on Memorial Day Weekend.

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