Patton Portrayal

Even without possessing much background information, anyone who reads Patton’s speech can clearly determine that Patton is a man of great authority. Franklin J. Schaffner’s movie does a spectacular job at representing this presence through his speech, but it also extends beyond just his words. Patton’s words convey his power and authority, but Schaffner’s depiction also introduces new elements that transform Patton’s speech into a symbol of authority not just for Patton but also for America as an entire nation.

The main idea that remains consistent between both the written and visual interpretations of Patton’s speech is his overall level of power. Patton’s words, uttered from any other mouth, would probably sound ignorant or inane. Yet, coming from such a powerful man, they bear a certain significance that few other men or women could achieve. Schaffner’s movie furthers Patton’s manifestation of power past just what he says. One major aspect of the film that furthers Patton’s appearance of absolute authority is his clever use of audio. As the scene begins, a large amount of chatter can be heard from the audience, but as soon as they are called to attention, it immediately stops. Next, amongst the eerie silence in the assumedly large auditorium, Patton’s footsteps echo reverberantly, emphasizing his approach. Also, the only other sounds that can be heard throughout the scene are the trumpet that introduces Patton and the noise of the audience sitting when Patton commands them to do so. Otherwise, Patton’s dialogue and footsteps are the only audio throughout the whole scene. Schaffner also never shows anything besides Patton in any of the shots. Although viewers are to assume that he is speaking to an audience, they are never shown, and are therefore deemed insignificant in comparison to Patton. Also, while the trumpet is playing, Schaffner included an excellent sequence of inserts showcasing Patton’s brilliant array of medals, pins, and other symbols of his astounding military achievements. Another subtle technique that Schaffner uses is his careful framing. Every shot is facing the stage directly, meaning that the large and very noticeable lines on the flag are always nearly perfectly horizontal, never diagonal. One of the basic rules of composition is that horizontal lines create feelings of peace and stability while diagonal lines symbolize tension or strife. This deliberate choice of framing reflects the sense of peace and stability that Patton is trying to give his soldiers. Patton is trying to ease their fears with his speech, hoping that because of his renowned abilities, the soldiers will trust him, and Schaffner’s use of horizontal lines helps accomplish the same purpose with the viewers.

Schaffner also goes beyond a showcasing of Patton’s power and instead makes other deliberate choices to place a stronger emphasis on American pride as a nation than is apparent in a direct transcription of Patton’s speech. First, Schaffner draws an enormous amount of attention to the flag behind Patton. Most noticeably, he does this by emphasizing its scale. In the first shot, the audience may have a hard time determining the size of the flag, but as soon as Patton takes the stage and the audience is given a point of reference, the enormity of the flag becomes apparent. At about three times Patton’s height even when he is standing relatively far in front of it, the flag is obviously massive, and therefore, commands attention. However, Schaffner also draws even more attention to the flag through careful use of color. Because the flag is so large and made up of bright colors, it already commands a viewer’s interest, but Schaffner furthers this by practically eliminating all other colors from the scene. The curtains are gray, and the only bright color on Patton’s uniform is his blue sash, which also serves to make sure that even the shots which don’t show the blue part of the flag still emphasize red, white, and blue. Combined, all of this focus that Schaffner places on the flag creates a strong sense of national importance to what is being said in the scene. Even Patton, whose importance was undeniable, is dwarfed by the flag. Schaffner is clearly stating that despite Patton’s great strength and power, the issue at stake here is bigger than any one man. The issues that this speech hopes to resolve extend beyond Patton. Patton’s goal is to protect his country, and, without diminishing Patton’s significance, Schaffner hopes to emphasize this point.

~ Sorry this post was so long. I just really liked that piece of the movie.