Patton: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."''|'''George S. Patton'''}}

 

'''''Patton''''' is a 1970 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and co-written by [[Francis Ford Coppola]] based on the life of General George S. Patton. The title general was played by [[George C. Scott]] in his most iconic role. Its story concerns Patton as he leads the American forces during [[World War II]]. On the battlefield, he was a military genius respected by both sides. Off the battlefield, Patton's ego and volatile temperament more than often reared its ugly head. While Patton believed himself destined for greater glory, his very temperament is what proves to be the undoing of his military career. This was the winner of seven [[Academy Award|Academy Awards]], including Best Picture.

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Desolation Shot]]: The opening (after the famous "flag speech" that is) where a battlefield is shown full of corpses with human and animal scavengers poking around.

* [[The Dreaded]]: Patton himself to the Germans. [[Truth in Television]] as he was the most feared commander on the Western Front.

* [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good]]: When Capt. Steiger tells Nazi Chief of Staff Alfred Jodl that Patton's [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|preferred method of discipline]] is about to get him a court-martial and off the battlefield, Jodl replies that they would never "keep their best general out of the war just for slapping a soldier." Of course, Steiger ends up being right. Which you could just as easily call "Common Sense Cannot Comprehend Politics". What the Nazis couldn't comprehend was that Patton was still punished and kept off the front lines, and assigned to the [[Batman Gambit|humiliating job of decoy]] while the Allies planned their Normandy invasion. The Nazis were convinced (until it was too late) that Patton was leading a (fictitious) army into Calais, and it kept the German reserves inactive until the Allies practically freed most of France. The Wehrmacht never thought that the Allies would hold back their best general as a punishment...

* [[Field Promotion]]: When the Sicilian attack doesn't go as quickly as planned, Patton fires the officer he deems responsible, and promotes the nearest at hand.

** In [[Real Life]], Patton hated cartoonist Bill Maudlin (he of "Willie and Joe" fame) and personally threatened the artist after an unflattering cartoon that dissed Patton's obsession with orderly uniforms.

* [[Rated "M" for Manly]]

* [[The Rival]]: <s>General</s>Field Marshal Montgomery.

* [[Staff of Authority]]: General Patton is portrayed frequently carrying a riding crop, indicating both his status as an officer with something of a flair for the dramatic, and his background in the cavalry.

* [[Tanks, But No Tanks]]: The German Tanks were played by, ironically enough, M-47 Pattons. They didn't even try to hide the fact.

{{quote|"There goes Old Blood and Guts." "Yeah, our blood, his guts."}}

* [[Warrior Poet]]: Patton, arguably the [[Trope Codifier]].

* [[Worst News Judgment Ever]]: During a speech to a crowd of British women, Patton says that the Americans and British will rule the world, and makes no mention of the Russians. Cut to newsreel proclaiming "Patton insults Russian allies".

* [[Worthy Opponent]]

{{reflist}}

{{Academy Award Best Picture}}

[[Category:Films of the 1970s]]

[[Category:National Film Registry]]