Every famous General is defined by the war he commanded. Schwarzkopf had the first Gulf War. Westmoreland had Vietnam. Washington had the American Revolution. And Patton had the European theatre of the Second World War; other Generals were more vital to defeating the Axis powers (Britain’s Montgomery and Patton’s compatriots Omar Bradley in Europe and Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific theatre, amongst others) but Patton alone stands out amongst the U.S Generals because of his larger than life persona. If Patton hadn’t existed, he’d have had to be created because he seems like a work of fiction.
From his Ivory handled revolver and his nickname, “Blood and Guts,” Patton may not have been the man who won World War II but his command presence was the stuff of legend. His tactics and exploits in North Africa, amongst others, are still taught and used in modern military fighting techniques. And frankly he’s much more interesting than the others, thus his cinematic exploits are the stuff of cinematic lore. Patton, for lack of a better description, translates significantly better as a fictional character than the rest.
Immortalized by George C. Scott in Patton in one of the greatest performances by an actor ever, Patton for better or worse is seemingly the face of World War II for cinematic and television purposes. People can discuss Bradley or MacArthur and there’s more to their careers than just World War II; Patton is defined almost entirely by his participation in that war. Patton 360 is a boots on the ground historical approach to Patton’s campaigns in World War II.
Using CGI to help recreate some of the battles from a first person perspective, as well as bringing in military experts, historians, current military personnel as well as veterans who served under Patton during the periods, the series follows Patton’s campaign in World War II by providing two different perspectives: Patton the General and Patton the Man. Giving a personal perspective by using archival letters from Patton to his wife as well as letters from the field between Patton and General Eisenhower, et al, to bring a much more human perspective to a man who has been made mythic as much as Patton has.
To hear him discuss what he thinks could be his role in history as it was happening gives us an insight into making Patton flesh and blood, as opposed to the mythos he normally gets in perspectives. You get a much better feeling about him as the campaign progresses than a normal documentary would normally provide; this isn’t a series of platitudes and dry history. This is a working knowledge of Patton being used to paint the whole picture.
Patton 360, another of The History Channel’s compelling series about World War II, brings a new and challenging perspective to the history of General George S. Patton.
Presented in a widescreen format in a Dolby Digital sound, the transfer for the series is remarkable. This is a graphic heavy series, relying on computer graphics to make for stark visuals, and it comes through amazingly clean and clear.
None.
The History Channel is a godsend for anyone fascinated with military history and Patton 360 is another in a long line of great series from them.
The History Channel presents Patton 360 (The Complete Season One). Running time: 470 minutes. Not Rated. Released on Blu-ray: September 28, 2010.
