Les derniers jours de Patton

Following World War II and the events depicted in the wildly successful "Patton" (1970), victorious George C. Scott (as George S. Patton) remains in Germany to work on the defeated county's reconstruction. The US general's decision to employ ex-Nazis (and sympathizers) irks superior Richard Dysart (as Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower) and Patton is reassigned to a desk job. Even worse, he is involved in a serious car crash. While Mr. Scott suffers life-threatening injuries, flashbacks continue to reveal events from General Patton's young adulthood (as Ron Berglas). The title strongly hints our hero will very likely not survive...

This belated sequel to "Patton" (1970) appeared as a CBS-TV three-hour (including commercials) epic movie. It was a popular success, but surprisingly garnered only one "Emmy" award (for make-up) and one further nomination. Allyn Ferguson's music lost, but it is one of this story's main strengths. It evokes the 1940s. The more critically acclaimed 1970 film won most of that year's "Oscar" awards. It featured make-up and music that looked and sounded more like 1970 than the 1940s. The soundtrack music was beautifully composed, but Jerry Goldsmith should have added 1940s flavor, as Mr. Ferguson does...

Scott continues to breathe life into the role for which he is most famous. There isn't much excitement left in Patton's life, but Scott and director Delbert Mann manage to move it along well, considering. Both this sequel and the original 1970 "Patton" will seem too long for the average viewer. Along with an improvement in setting, "The Last Days of Patton" boasts superior supporting performances. Most valuable player is Murray Hamilton (as Hobart "Hap" Gay). And, Patton's love-life is well-represented by cheated-on wife Eva Marie Saint (as Beatrice Ayer) and former "Dark Shadows" TV regular Kathryn Leigh Scott (as Jean Gordon).

******* The Last Days of Patton (9/14/86) Delbert Mann ~ George C. Scott, Murray Hamilton, Eva Marie Saint, Kathryn Leigh Scott

I'm curious about the assertion that some have made that the film was a "character assassination." I myself saw nothing that would lead one to come to such a conclusion. Certainly, the film indicated he was not without faults, but I believe this only served to make this formidable militarist icon more approachable, actually breathing life into a dusty history lesson.

I enjoyed the film a great deal, even though I think it could have benefited by some reduction in the length. The ending was quite moving- -giving us a personal glimpse into the last moments of a living, breathing human being--instead of just a decorated martinet. It forced me to turn my thoughts to my own mortality and the events that have shaped my own life. As a result, I had a long and fruitful discussion with my parents which had been long over due.

I'd recommend the film highly, giving it an "8" out of 10.

Like Exorcist III, a great movie that was largely shunned by original Exorcist fans because it wasn't spooky enough, "The Last Days of Patton" is another piece of powerful cinema which was shunned by many Patton fans because it didn't have enough action. The point in both of these sequels was not to continue/rehash the heart-pounding spectacle of the first, but rather to present a quiet, heavy, introspective, script driven drama. Who else but the great George C Scott can pull this off?

"The Last Days of Patton" begins on June 7, 1945 when a victorious Patton returned to Bedford, MA to throngs of fans & reporters, and it takes us through the last 6 months of Patton's life which ended in December that same year. There's no combat, no gunfire, no "war" other than a frustrated General Patton attempting to take charge and rebuild a war-ravaged Bavaria, much to the opposition of Eisenhower's political interests. This is a quiet drama that focuses on the private hell of a soldier without a war.

George C Scott and an excellent script full of literary quotations make this an intellectual film, and I'd be lying if I said I recognized all the references. I found myself pausing the movie so I could google things like who said "Up he rose, and forth they went / Away from battleground, fortress, tent / Mountain, wilderness, field and farm / Death and the General, arm-in-arm" (save you the trouble: it's Arthur Guiterman). The character also quotes Kipling, Foutenelle, Napoleon and others, with each quote holding deep significance and insight into the mind of the general.

One of the most memorable lines, spoken as only Scott could with a mix of bitter irony and light hearted humor: "I do not suffer, my friends; but I feel a certain difficulty in existence."

Supporting actors and actresses were fantastic with a standing ovation for Murray Hamilton (Patton's friend General Hap Gay) who himself was dying of cancer during filming and passed away the month it was released, Sep 1986. Knowing this, you might be particularly affected by a scene where Hap laments the impending death of his friend Patton, a quiet but powerful monologue where he talks about the tragedy of a great life ending in such a common way.

The only "problem" with this film, through no fault of its own, is that it's in serious need of restoration. The only available copies seem to be on DVD transferred from VHS in 4:3 made-for-tv screen size. I would pay good money if this were remastered from the original 35mm print and released on blu-ray. In the first half there are stunning scenes of the European natural landscape, as well as convincing recreations of war-torn Bavaria with wrecked streets and castles. Unfortunately since this is an obscure film, we might never get that. So grab it while you can.

July 1945. The war in Europe is over and General George S Patton, 3rd Army commander and a man who made a large contribution to the Allies' victory over Germany, is now military governor of Bavaria. True to form he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with his superiors and is prone to making comments that they don't approve of.

A sequel to the excellent 1970 film Patton, of sorts. The 1970 film covered Patton's death so chronologically not a sequel but this, the 1986 film, concentrates 100% on Patton's post-war life while the 1970 film devoted about 1% to it. The fact that George C Scott reprises his role as Patton in this film having won an Oscar for his portrayal of the General in the 1970 film certainly makes this look like a sequel.

The outcome is quite interesting, showing Patton's governorship of Bavaria and how his methods don't accord with General Eisenhower's policies, his reassignment and final days. Quite educational in many respects and quite accurately told. While I'm not an expert on these things, the medical procedures and prognoses towards the end seem very authentic: no dumbing down of that aspect, which is a relief. The last portion of the film is also quite emotional.

Good performance by George C Scott (again) with a solid supporting cast that includes Eva Marie Saint as Patton's wife, Beatrice, and Richard Dysart as Eisenhower. I found Murray Hamilton a bit hammy and irritating as General Gay though.

This film is not in the same league as the first Patton though. Admittedly, that film did win the 1971 Best Picture Oscar so it was always going to be a tough act to follow. While the first film was a compelling, enthralling depiction of the life of one of WW2's greatest generals, this film is much more subdued and conventional.

... but it isn't as bad as the other commentators might make you think.

Based on Ladislas Farago's followup to Patton: Ordeal and Triumph (one of the source materials for the original film), Last Days shows Patton on his deathbed, and intercuts flashbacks, mostly of his early life, his courtship of Bea Ayers, his days at the Point and before the first world war. (Patton's adventures on Pershing's 1916 Punitive Expedition to Mexico, and in World War I could make another great film, in the right hands.)

Eva Marie Saint plays Bea very well, and it's always nice to see a pair of contemporaries playing an aging couple, rather than allowing the casting to be dictated by "who's hot," and then relying on makeup to age them.

Overall, a good movie, although I'm tempted to agree that is was an unnecessarily long movie.