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* TanksButNoTanks: The German Tanks were played by, ironically enough, M-47 Pattons. They didn't even try to hide the fact.
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* TanksButNoTanks: The German Tanks and American tanks were played by, ironically enough, M-47 M47 and M48 Pattons. They didn't even try to hide the fact.
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* NamesTheSame: George S. Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* TheDanza: George S. Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* NamesTheSame: George S. Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* TheDanza: George Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* TheDanza: George S. Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* TheDanza: George Patton portrayed by George C. Scott.
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* DigitalDestruction: The overly smooth and grain-free Blu-Ray Disc released in 2008 helped open people's eyes to the negative side effects of digital noise reduction. Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox released a Blu-Ray with a more detailed and film-like picture quality four years later.
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* TemptingFate: In an argument over the availability of Allied air support, a British officer declares that Patton would never see another German plane on the battlefield. [[SpeakOfTheDevil Immediately afterwards]], two German planes strafe the headquarters.
-->'''Patton:''' [[DeadpanSnarker You were discussing, uh, air supremacy, Sir Arthur?]]
-->'''Patton:''' [[DeadpanSnarker You were discussing, uh, air supremacy, Sir Arthur?]]
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** In reality Patton ''did'' mention the Russians in his speech at Knutsford, but the reporters deliberately left it out of their articles, thus whipping up a scandal on totally fictitious grounds.
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* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: 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".
to:
* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: 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". To be fair he was specifically coached to include the Russians and declined to do so.
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:: Part of his success both in the movie and real life. While contemporaries fought more conservatively, he was able to use the momentum of his attacks to great effect.
** It's also shown backfiring on Patton, though viewers who aren't familiar with WorldWarII might not realize it. In the Battle of the Bulge scene late in the movie, it's mentioned that Patton's troops ran out of gas and got pinned down by German forces, taking heavy casualties. In the actual battle, this was caused by Patton having advanced so fast that his supply trains couldn't keep up with the front lines.
*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either, and as a further irony, Rommel fell to the exact same cause but with a different angle during the African campaign)
** It's also shown backfiring on Patton, though viewers who aren't familiar with WorldWarII might not realize it. In the Battle of the Bulge scene late in the movie, it's mentioned that Patton's troops ran out of gas and got pinned down by German forces, taking heavy casualties. In the actual battle, this was caused by Patton having advanced so fast that his supply trains couldn't keep up with the front lines.
*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either, and as a further irony, Rommel fell to the exact same cause but with a different angle during the African campaign)
to:
**
*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either, and as a further irony, Rommel fell to the exact same cause but with a different angle during the African campaign)
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*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either)
to:
*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either)either, and as a further irony, Rommel fell to the exact same cause but with a different angle during the African campaign)
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*** On the other hand, one has to consider as well that part of the reason which made Patton's (and ironically to an extent Rommel as well) aggressive approach work is the fact that he did not waste the momentum. When an army stops or slow to a crawl or stalemate, the momentum is lost as the enemy gains the chance to react and the initiative shift back. It is therefore crucial to maintain the momentum for it to work. Plus there was actually a deeper reason as to WHY those supply couldn't reach him (hint: he was not the only one who needs them, and he wasn't the highest on the priority list either)
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** In reality, Rommel completed a book on infantry tactics ("Infantry Attacks", which is still available today). His planned book on tank warfare was never completed; much of the material which was intended to go into it is available in "The Rommel Papers".
to:
** In reality, Rommel completed a book on infantry tactics ("Infantry Attacks", which is still available today). His planned book on tank warfare was never completed; much of the material which was intended to go into it is available in "The Rommel Papers". Patton himself was as much a pioneer of tank tactics as Rommel was, as far back as World War I and before.
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-->'''Patton:''' I love it! God help me, I do love it so.
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-->'''Patton:''' I love it! God help me, I do love it so. I love it more than my life.
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** Later on, Patton admits it.
-->'''Patton:''' I love it! God help me, I do love it so.
-->'''Patton:''' I love it! God help me, I do love it so.
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** It's also shown backfiring on Patton, though viewers who aren't familiar with WorldWarII might not realize it. In the Battle of the Bulge scene late in the movie, it's mentioned that Patton's troops ran out of gas and got pinned down by German forces, taking heavy casualties. In the actual battle, this was caused by Patton having advanced so fast that his supply trains couldn't keep up with the front lines.
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** Subverted at the end, when a humbled Patton - after being relieved of command for the second (and final time) - remembers his Roman history:
-->"A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning, that all glory is fleeting"...
-->"A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning, that all glory is fleeting"...
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* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: Patton, because, you MagnificentBastard, he ''[[LargeHam read your book!]]''
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* GenreBlind: Patton does not seem capable of realizing how his actions and words will be perceived by those around him, or the media at large, and that is what consistently gets him into trouble.
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* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Not in the actual physical handsomeness, but the real Patton was a much less impressive public speaker than this movie would lead you to believe. He actually had a weak, somewhat high-pitched voice whereas Scott speaks with a deep gravelly voice.
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* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Not in the actual physical handsomeness, but the real Patton was a much less impressive public speaker than this movie would lead you to believe. He actually had a weak, somewhat high-pitched voice whereas Scott speaks with a deep gravelly voice.
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* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Not in the actual physical handsomeness, but the real Patton was a much less impressive public speaker than this movie would lead you to believe. He actually had a weak, somewhat high-pitched voice whereas Scott speaks with a deep gravelly voice.
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* WarIsGlorious: Perhaps not intended by the producer
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* WarIsGlorious: Perhaps not intended by the producerPatton certainly thinks so
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** If all that death doesn't seem glorious to you, then Patton comes off as being a little nutty.
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** From the point of view of DwightEisenhower (commander over the European theater of the war) it was a win-win situation: the Germans were fooled, and he managed to sideline a general he regarded as an AxCrazy loose cannon.
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* AwardSnub: A famous inversion--George C. Scott refused to accept his award for Best Actor.
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* AwardSnub: A famous inversion--George C. Scott refused to accept his award for Best Actor.
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tidying, links
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What the Nazis couldn't comprehend was that Patton was still punished and kept off the front lines, and assigned to the [[BatmanGambit 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...
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What the Nazis couldn't comprehend was that Patton was still punished and kept off the front lines, and assigned to the [[BatmanGambit 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 one of the better American generals as a punishment...
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* GlorySeeker: Patton. Monty as well. The HamToHamCombat between the two generals is what drives the ''real'' conflict of the movie.
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* GlorySeeker: Patton. Monty [[BernardLawMontgomery Monty]] as well. The HamToHamCombat between the two generals is what drives the ''real'' conflict of the movie.
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* TheRival: [[strike:General]]Field Marshal Montgomery.
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* TheRival: [[strike:General]]Field Marshal Montgomery.BernardLawMontgomery.
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Deleted line(s) 37 (click to see context) :
* JerryGoldsmith
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* MagnificentBastard: Patton's InUniverse line is the TropeNamer, in reference to his WorthyOpponent, Erwin Rommel:
-->"Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your BOOK!"
-->"Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your BOOK!"
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Moving to Namespace.
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patton-5225946z0_7128.jpg]]
->''"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 FrancisFordCoppola based on the life of General George S. Patton. The title general was played by GeorgeCScott in his most iconic role. Its story concerns Patton as he leads the American forces during WorldWarII. 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}}s, including Best Picture of the Year.
----
!!''Patton'' provides examples of the following tropes:
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: "How dare you compare the Nazis to the ''Republicans and Democrats''." Yeah, insulting one's allies, slapping privates, and offering to start World War III is one thing. But insulting the Republicans and Democrats is [[ThisIsUnforgivable unforgivable]]. It wasn't so much the seriousness of the offenses, but their timing. Patton was criticized for the first, and severely punished for the second, but the war wasn't over so he wasn't considered more trouble than he was worth.
* AttackAttackAttack: Lampshaded as part of Patton's opening speech:
-->'''Patton:''' We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose!
:: Part of his success both in the movie and real life. While contemporaries fought more conservatively, he was able to use the momentum of his attacks to great effect.
* BattleEpic
* BerserkButton: Patton is not fond of cowards.
* TheBigBoard: German Captain Steiger keeps one to keep track of German casualties as he researches Patton. Also funny on a meta-level, because Scott's character in ''Film/DrStrangelove'' was the TropeNamer for TheBigBoard.
* BloodKnight: Patton
-->'''Bradley:''' I do this job because I've been trained to. You do it because... you love it!
* BornInTheWrongCentury: Patton. "The pure warrior. A magnificent anachronism." To hear him tell it, he was born in a lot of them.
* ColdOpen: Patton's famous speech in front of the giant flag.
* CombatByChampion: Patton wished he could face Rommel to decide the outcome of WorldWarII. In '''tanks.'''
* [[WriterOnBoard Consultant on Board]]: Omar Bradley (Patton's subordinate, then commander) was the primary consultant for the film. Bradley's awesomeness is talked up by nearly everyone in the film.
* ContrastMontage: As Patton reads the preacher's "weather prayer", we get scenes of night-time battles across snow-covered hills with only Patton's voice for sound. The silent explosions and falling soldiers [[WarIsHell are stark and shocking]], but the prayer provides just cause for why American soldiers fought and died.
* CulturedWarrior: Patton, again.
* CuttingTheKnot: Shooting the mules blocking the bridge.
* DesolationShot: The opening (after the famous "flag speech" that is) where a battlefield is shown full of corpses with human and animal scavengers poking around.
* TheDreaded: Patton himself to the Germans. TruthInTelevision as he was the most feared commander on the Western Front.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: When Capt. Steiger tells Nazi Chief of Staff Alfred Jodl that Patton's [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan 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 [[BatmanGambit 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...
* FieldPromotion: When the Sicilian attack doesn't go as quickly as planned, Patton fires the officer he deems responsible, and promotes the nearest at hand.
* FinalBattle: Ardennes
* FourStarBadass: Patton
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Patton's preferred method of discipline.
* GilliganCut: We have complete air superiority.
* GlorySeeker: Patton. Monty as well. The HamToHamCombat between the two generals is what drives the ''real'' conflict of the movie.
* GratuitousFrench: Patton, on at least three occasions in the film. The first one (an untranslated conversation with his aide in North Africa) is long enough to count as a BilingualBonus for those who understand the language.
* KansasCityShuffle: The First US Army Group, drawing from RealLife.
* TheLancer: General Omar Bradley is Patton's Lancer in the early days of the war, in North Africa and Sicily. Then he gets promoted '''over''' Patton after that slapping incident and Patton becomes Bradley's Lancer in France after D-Day.
* LargeHam: George S. Patton
* MillionMookMarch: Lots of scenes of military traffic by both {{Redshirts}} and {{Mooks}}.
* MononymousBiopicTitle: One of the most recognisable ones.
* MrExposition: The German officer Captain Steiger. Screenwriter FrancisFordCoppola said part of the reason he invented the character was to give out biographical information about Patton to the audience.
* NumberTwo: Patton, to Bradley, late in the film.
* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: A general theme is the conflict between Patton's aggressive philosophy and the other generals' more conservative approach.
* OutscareTheEnemy: Patton says that he'll make his men unafraid of the Germans, but he hopes to God they never stop being afraid of him.
* PoliticalCartoon: Patton is the victim of one.
-->'''Patton:''' A swastika! On ''my boot''!
** In RealLife, 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.
* RatedMForManly
* RealityIsUnrealistic: Patton actually had a quite high-pitched voice, unlike George C. Scott's gravelly tones.
* TheRival: [[strike:General]]Field Marshal Montgomery.
* SceneryPorn: The movie is ''gorgeous'' to look at. Until everything gets blowed up by tanks.
* StaffOfAuthority: 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.
* TanksButNoTanks: The German Tanks were played by, ironically enough, M-47 Pattons. They didn't even try to hide the fact.
* TrashcanBonfire: Used to burn documents in the Nazi headquarters at the end of the war.
* TheUnseen: DwightDEisenhower. Film makers wanted to cast someone to have Ike appear as a cameo but it never worked out. Instead, Eisenhower becomes a God-like being able to pass judgment on Patton and his (mis)deeds.
* WarIsGlorious: Perhaps not intended by the producer
-->'''Patton:''' The entire world '''at war''' and I'm left out of it!
* WarIsHell: The war is glorious ''for Patton''. The scenes of the dying and wounded still allows for this interpretation.
-->"There goes Old Blood and Guts." "Yeah, our blood, his guts."
* WarriorPoet: Patton, arguably the TropeCodifier.
* WorldWarII
* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: 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".
* WorthyOpponent
** Rommel, of course.
** Patton also mentions he would give the German pilots who strafed his command center far behind the lines a medal for valor if he could. The German pilots had unwittingly proved Patton's point more eloquently than the man could himself.
* WroteTheBook: Played with. General Patton knows that Rommel literally wrote the book on tank warfare, so he reads it and uses that knowledge to predict what Rommel will do at their first big showdown.
-->'''Patton:''' Rommel, you MagnificentBastard, I read your book!
** In reality, Rommel completed a book on infantry tactics ("Infantry Attacks", which is still available today). His planned book on tank warfare was never completed; much of the material which was intended to go into it is available in "The Rommel Papers".
* YouWillKnowWhatToDo: When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face.
----
->''"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 FrancisFordCoppola based on the life of General George S. Patton. The title general was played by GeorgeCScott in his most iconic role. Its story concerns Patton as he leads the American forces during WorldWarII. 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}}s, including Best Picture of the Year.
----
!!''Patton'' provides examples of the following tropes:
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: "How dare you compare the Nazis to the ''Republicans and Democrats''." Yeah, insulting one's allies, slapping privates, and offering to start World War III is one thing. But insulting the Republicans and Democrats is [[ThisIsUnforgivable unforgivable]]. It wasn't so much the seriousness of the offenses, but their timing. Patton was criticized for the first, and severely punished for the second, but the war wasn't over so he wasn't considered more trouble than he was worth.
* AttackAttackAttack: Lampshaded as part of Patton's opening speech:
-->'''Patton:''' We're going to kick the hell out of him all the time and we're going to go through him like crap through a goose!
:: Part of his success both in the movie and real life. While contemporaries fought more conservatively, he was able to use the momentum of his attacks to great effect.
* BattleEpic
* BerserkButton: Patton is not fond of cowards.
* TheBigBoard: German Captain Steiger keeps one to keep track of German casualties as he researches Patton. Also funny on a meta-level, because Scott's character in ''Film/DrStrangelove'' was the TropeNamer for TheBigBoard.
* BloodKnight: Patton
-->'''Bradley:''' I do this job because I've been trained to. You do it because... you love it!
* BornInTheWrongCentury: Patton. "The pure warrior. A magnificent anachronism." To hear him tell it, he was born in a lot of them.
* ColdOpen: Patton's famous speech in front of the giant flag.
* CombatByChampion: Patton wished he could face Rommel to decide the outcome of WorldWarII. In '''tanks.'''
* [[WriterOnBoard Consultant on Board]]: Omar Bradley (Patton's subordinate, then commander) was the primary consultant for the film. Bradley's awesomeness is talked up by nearly everyone in the film.
* ContrastMontage: As Patton reads the preacher's "weather prayer", we get scenes of night-time battles across snow-covered hills with only Patton's voice for sound. The silent explosions and falling soldiers [[WarIsHell are stark and shocking]], but the prayer provides just cause for why American soldiers fought and died.
* CulturedWarrior: Patton, again.
* CuttingTheKnot: Shooting the mules blocking the bridge.
* DesolationShot: The opening (after the famous "flag speech" that is) where a battlefield is shown full of corpses with human and animal scavengers poking around.
* TheDreaded: Patton himself to the Germans. TruthInTelevision as he was the most feared commander on the Western Front.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: When Capt. Steiger tells Nazi Chief of Staff Alfred Jodl that Patton's [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan 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 [[BatmanGambit 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...
* FieldPromotion: When the Sicilian attack doesn't go as quickly as planned, Patton fires the officer he deems responsible, and promotes the nearest at hand.
* FinalBattle: Ardennes
* FourStarBadass: Patton
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Patton's preferred method of discipline.
* GilliganCut: We have complete air superiority.
* GlorySeeker: Patton. Monty as well. The HamToHamCombat between the two generals is what drives the ''real'' conflict of the movie.
* GratuitousFrench: Patton, on at least three occasions in the film. The first one (an untranslated conversation with his aide in North Africa) is long enough to count as a BilingualBonus for those who understand the language.
* KansasCityShuffle: The First US Army Group, drawing from RealLife.
* TheLancer: General Omar Bradley is Patton's Lancer in the early days of the war, in North Africa and Sicily. Then he gets promoted '''over''' Patton after that slapping incident and Patton becomes Bradley's Lancer in France after D-Day.
* LargeHam: George S. Patton
* MillionMookMarch: Lots of scenes of military traffic by both {{Redshirts}} and {{Mooks}}.
* MononymousBiopicTitle: One of the most recognisable ones.
* MrExposition: The German officer Captain Steiger. Screenwriter FrancisFordCoppola said part of the reason he invented the character was to give out biographical information about Patton to the audience.
* NumberTwo: Patton, to Bradley, late in the film.
* OpposingCombatPhilosophies: A general theme is the conflict between Patton's aggressive philosophy and the other generals' more conservative approach.
* OutscareTheEnemy: Patton says that he'll make his men unafraid of the Germans, but he hopes to God they never stop being afraid of him.
* PoliticalCartoon: Patton is the victim of one.
-->'''Patton:''' A swastika! On ''my boot''!
** In RealLife, 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.
* RatedMForManly
* RealityIsUnrealistic: Patton actually had a quite high-pitched voice, unlike George C. Scott's gravelly tones.
* TheRival: [[strike:General]]Field Marshal Montgomery.
* SceneryPorn: The movie is ''gorgeous'' to look at. Until everything gets blowed up by tanks.
* StaffOfAuthority: 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.
* TanksButNoTanks: The German Tanks were played by, ironically enough, M-47 Pattons. They didn't even try to hide the fact.
* TrashcanBonfire: Used to burn documents in the Nazi headquarters at the end of the war.
* TheUnseen: DwightDEisenhower. Film makers wanted to cast someone to have Ike appear as a cameo but it never worked out. Instead, Eisenhower becomes a God-like being able to pass judgment on Patton and his (mis)deeds.
* WarIsGlorious: Perhaps not intended by the producer
-->'''Patton:''' The entire world '''at war''' and I'm left out of it!
* WarIsHell: The war is glorious ''for Patton''. The scenes of the dying and wounded still allows for this interpretation.
-->"There goes Old Blood and Guts." "Yeah, our blood, his guts."
* WarriorPoet: Patton, arguably the TropeCodifier.
* WorldWarII
* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: 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".
* WorthyOpponent
** Rommel, of course.
** Patton also mentions he would give the German pilots who strafed his command center far behind the lines a medal for valor if he could. The German pilots had unwittingly proved Patton's point more eloquently than the man could himself.
* WroteTheBook: Played with. General Patton knows that Rommel literally wrote the book on tank warfare, so he reads it and uses that knowledge to predict what Rommel will do at their first big showdown.
-->'''Patton:''' Rommel, you MagnificentBastard, I read your book!
** In reality, Rommel completed a book on infantry tactics ("Infantry Attacks", which is still available today). His planned book on tank warfare was never completed; much of the material which was intended to go into it is available in "The Rommel Papers".
* YouWillKnowWhatToDo: When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face.
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