7. American movies reflected the divisiveness affecting the country in 1970
1970 was a banner year for American films, driven in part by the development of multiplex theaters. More screens demanded more films. 1970 saw the release of Airport, which generated a number of sequels. Five Easy Pieces cemented Jack Nicholson as a major star. Anti-war films such as M*A*S*H, Little Big Man, Joe, and Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came all found supportive audiences. Another anti-war film, Catch-22, also debuted in 1970. The film Woodstock appeared, presenting the counterculture of the ‘60s and ‘70s in a positive light, and least to their fellows in the counterculture.
Another war film, Tora! Tora! Tora! depicted the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor factually, while attempting to present the Japanese as more honorable than perfidious. But the big film of the year, which resonated with patriotic Americans and those who supported the Vietnam War, was Patton. The movie presented Patton as a dedicated and misunderstood warrior, glossing over the many foibles which made him problematic to his commanders. The film won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It also won Best Actor for George C. Scott but he refused the award, saying, “I don’t want any part of it”.