AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 61


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

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)
Original List Position: 89
Starring: George C. Scott
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
About: I am a fan of war films. I remember seeing Patton when I was in high school, which might not be the intended audience. There was something about it that popped off the screen and made it memorable. Likely it's the great lead performance from Scott. It's also probably some of the script, which was co-written by Francis Ford Coppola. This probably isn't an incredible film, and I know some don't remember it as fondly as I do. And yet, it still works for me. It was No. 89 on the AFI List, and I have it a bit higher. When the list was updated a decade later, it didn't make the cut at all. Still, it's a film that I enjoy and one that I have a little higher than the AFI voters.

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