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Picture and Sound
Patton was shot using the Dimension 150 70mm format, which was used for only one other film, John Huston’s The Bible. This allowed for an enormous scope, all the better to capture this epic. Patton used no processing, no blue screen, no models. Everything on screen is there, and the giant panorama made the most of this. While home theater has yet to capture what this experience must’ve been like in a properly formatted theater, the disc still manages to convey the spectacle of the film with a nice, clean transfer and booming, clear sound.

Extras
On the first disc, there is the film, in all of its THX digitally remastered sound and picture glory. The print shown on television today must’ve come from this master because I remember a time when Patton looked really bad on TV.

We also have an audio commentary by Charles M. Province of The George S. Patton, Jr. Historical Society. While a little dry at first, Province proves to be both entertaining and a wealth of knowledge on the historical Patton.

There are also trailers for Patton, Tora, Tora, Tora, and The Longest Day. The trailer for Patton seems to have been cleaned up, although not as well as the film itself. What surprised me is just how boring and unexciting it was. It was long, dull and lacking any art or sizzle, although today’s MTV-style trailers may have just ruined me on the form.

The second disc features a spectacular documentary, The Making Of Patton: A Tribute To Franklin J. Schaffner. A vintage audio interview with the late Schaffner provides the framework for the piece and he gives an amazing account of the making of Patton. This interview is filled out by interviews with director of photography Fred Koenekamp (The Towering Inferno), producer Richard Zanuck, composer Jerry Goldsmith, and Oliver Stone. It also includes film clips, production and behind-the-scenes stills, behind-the-scenes footage, screen tests, and promo material. This was a fantastic 50 minutes, but I was surprised at the inclusion of Stone. He was at the height of his conspiracy nut phase and blamed Nixon’s obsession with Patton on his bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. While there was a brief, vintage audio interview with Scott, his and Coppolla’s absence was also notable and missed.

There is also another treat on this disc that is not done often enough. As an alternate audio track for the documentary, we get Jerry Goldsmith’s complete score of the film. At the end of the score, we get to hear some musical outtakes, complete with Goldsmith’s voice, as well as a series of radio spots for the film.

The Bottom Line
You don’t have to be a student of history to enjoy and appreciate this film. While knowing the background and events certainly helps fill in the bigger picture, it is never lacking without this knowledge. While the film is art, it is never medicine.

Patton is one of the best war films ever made and the best military, historical biopic ever. Even in light of some great war films made since, such as Glory, Platoon, and Saving Private Ryan, Patton holds up spectacularly. It never feels dated and still carries the same power and majesty that it held over 35 years ago.

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