Patton debuts in high definition with an image quality that's simply stunning, far superior to any and all expectations I had for the transfer. The film's 1080p, 2:20:1 framed imagery looks like it was filmed yesterday. The movie screams to be witnessed on a large screen, and I felt my 65" television didn't do the scope of the movie justice. This Blu-ray disc is simply a revelation, and any and all fans of
Patton are going to be ecstatic. The transfer is crisp, absolutely pristine, beautiful, and features exquisite detail, this Blu-ray edition far surpasing the quality of the two-disc DVD version of the film I own that came out in late 1999. It's not even close, really, the difference night and day, the DVD appearing soft, far less vibrant, and showcasing painfully less detail than is evident on this incredible Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray is virtually free of any and all print blemishes, scratches, and pops that are clearly evident over the entirety of the DVD image, although a few stray hairs and nicks do creep up every now and then. Look at the image of a dead body with two scorpions walking on it just after the beginning credits are through rolling. Every single rock and grain of sand are seen individually, the detail so high that the viewer is put right in the middle of this war-ravaged area. I also noticed small nuances to the scene I had never seen before, the post-battle carnage a bit more gruesome than I remembered. The film's opening is glorious, the detail so fine on Patton's jacket and the medals thereon so vivid that you can almost reach through the screen and touch them. From first frame to last, the image is incredibly bright and clean, always sharp and radiant with excellent color reproduction and very little softness. Blacks are true and deep, and flesh tones rate as impeccably perfect. This film has barely aged a day in nearly 40 years (at least on this version), and while
Patton doesn't look like
I, Robot, this disc merits a top rating nevertheless, this 1970 film looking far superior to most discs on the market, 38 year old catalogue title or not.