George S. Patton, Jr.

George Patton

American General George Patton (1885–1945) was born on a ranch in San Gabriel, California.He perfected the art of lightning-fast tank maneuvers and unrestrained aggression. He was first given control over the 3rd Cavarly which was transfered into a tank division. Once Patton led his men in war games in Atlanta that were supposed to last for many days. Patton's aggression and the enthusiasm of his men enabled him to win the games in just a day or two. Patton inspired a unique loyalty and spirit in his men that enabled his troops to win quicker and with few casualties than everyone else. A german profile once said he could swear like a stable boy, but be as complimentary as a king. Patton had no part of the D-Day landings because he was in temporary disgrace, having physically assaulted a number of shell-shocked US soldiers while visiting a military hospital during the Sicily campaign.

The 1970 movie

The 1970 movie, Patton, won seven academy awards including "Best Picture." It is a biographical film, based factually on Ladislas Farago's book Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, and General Omar Bradley's A Soldier's Story. It starred George C. Scott, and critic Roger Ebert called it "one of those sublime performances in which the personalities of the actor and the character are fulfilled in one another."

The movie conveys many facts about Patton's career, but highlights his colorful personality and his controversial role in the public eye.

The opening of the film has become famous, and is frequently alluded to or parodied. A gigantic American flag fills the screen, and Patton addresses his (unseen) troops with frankness and brutality; the screenplay was inspired by a real speech Patton actually gave. His most famous line in that scene was "I want you to remember that no bastard has ever won a war by dying for his country. We won by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!" "We will not only kill our enemies, but cut his liver out and shine the tracks of ours tanks with it!".

The movie was originally filmed and presented on 70mm wide-screen film, and had a dimension of spectacle which cannot be fully appreciated in home video. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and originally distributed by 20th Century Fox.

The movie has been interpreted as both anti-war and pro-military; Ebert judges the movie to be "a hard-line glorification of the military ethic, personified by a man whose flaws and eccentricities marginalized him in peacetime, but found the ideal theater in battle."