History Film / Patton

* CallForward: Patton's death is not covered in the movie, but when he is saved in the nick of time from the oxcart and says "After all I've been through, imagine getting killed by an oxcart!", it's looking forward to it. Patton was in a motor vehicle accident in Europe on December 8, 1945, paralyzing him from the neck down. He died two weeks later.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Bradley, to an extent. Was he a greatly respected five-star general? Absolutely. Did he and Patton respect each other's military abilities? Without a doubt. But were the two of them best friends? Not at all. Did they even like each other? Not really, given their vastly different personalities.

!!Rommel, you Magnificent Bastard I read your TROPES!

!!''Patton'' provides examples of the following tropes:

* IronicJuxtaposition: Patton's iconic opening speech about the glories of war is followed by a scene of American corpses at Kasserine Pass being looted by locals.

-->'''Bradley''' You're gambling with those boys' lives just to beat Montgomery into Messina. If you pull it off, you're a hero, but if you don't? What happens to them: the ordinary combat soldier? He doesn't share in your dreams of glory. He's stuck here. He's living out every day, day-to-day, with death tugging at his elbow. There's one big difference between you and me, George. I do this job because I've been trained to do it. You do it because...you love it.

** When Rommel is introduced, he is listed as being the commander of the Afrika Korps. At the time of the Tunisia Campaign, he was in command of Army Group Africa. This can be justified as the Allies often referred to all of the German desert forces as the Afrika Korps, even when the German presence in North Africa (which included the DAK as a distinct formation) greatly expanded to include several corps and an army group.

* RatedMForManly: Patton is the living embodiment of the "blood-and-guts" style of military leadership.

-->For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and [[MementoMori whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting]].

Scott reprised the role in a much lesser-known 1986 TV sequel, ''Film/The Last Days of Patton'', which takes place during and after the car accident that took his life, as well as his earlier career during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

Scott reprised the role in a much lesser-known 1986 TV sequel, ''The Last Days of Patton'', which takes place during and after the car accident that took his life, as well as his earlier career during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

* BloodlessCarnage: Patton shoots two horses that are blocking a bridge, prevented his armored column from advancing. He shoots them in the head, from point-blank range, with a .45 revolver. When the horses are shown afterwards, there's no damage to their heads at all, and no blood in sight. In reality, the .45 rounds would have left massive wounds and blood would have been gushing everywhere.

** When Rommel is introduced, he is listed as being the commander of the Afrika Korps. At the time of the Tunisia Campaign, he was in command of Army Group Africa. This can be justified as the Allies often referred to all of the German forces as the Afrika Korps, even when the German presence in North Africa (which included the DAK as a distinct formation) greatly expanded.

-->'''Patton:''' An ''entire world'' at war, and I'm ''left out of it?!''

-->'''Patton:''' The entire world '''at war''' and I'm left out of it!

-->'''Patton:''' [[DeadpanSnarker It's a pity. I shaved very closely this morning in anticipation of getting smacked by you]].

-->'''Patton:''' "Wonder weapons?" My God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics, nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed? No heroes, no cowards, no troops, no generals. Only those who are left alive and those who are left...dead.

* {{Reincarnation}}: Patton believes in this, unusually for someone who otherwise seems to skew more toward Christianity. He claims that he was present at past battles such as the Siege of Carthage. While unveiling his plan of invading Sicily to a group of British officers, one of them says that had Patton been born in the 18th century he would have made a hell of a marshal for Napoleon, to which Patton responds that, as a matter of fact, he ''was.''

* {{Reincarnation}}: Patton believes in this, unusually for someone who otherwise seems to skew more toward Christianity. He claims that he was present at past battles such as the Siege of Carthage. While unveiling his plan of invading Sicily to a group of British officers, one of them says that Patton would have made a hell of a marshal for Napoleon, to which Patton says that he was.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: After Berlin is conquered, Patton refuses to drink with a Russian general because he's a son of a bitch. The Russian responds that he thinks Patton is a son of a bitch as well. Patton agrees to drink to that, one son of a bitch to another.