Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

Screenplay by

Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund North


Scene 1: The Speech [this scene runs from the beginning of the film to 6-12.]

This speech at the very beginning of the movie is taken from the actual speech Patton gave a number of times to troops preparing for D-Day.

Patton: Be seated. Now, I want you to remember [pause] 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. Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse-dung. Americans, traditionally, love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the faster runner, the big-league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose, a war, because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

Now, an army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote this stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating.

Now we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. You know, my God, I actually pity the poor bastards we're going up against, by God I do. We're not just going to shoot the bastards, we're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks! We're going to murder those lousy Hun bastards by the bushel!

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you're going to chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you, that you will all do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy! Wade into them! Spill their blood! Shoot them in the belly! When you put your hand into a bunch of goo, that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do. Now there's another thing I want you to remember. I don't want to get any messages saying we're holding our position. We're not holding anything. Let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding onto anything but the enemy. We're going to hold him by the nose and we're going to kick him in the ass! 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!
There's one great thing that you men will be able to say when you get back home. And you may all thank God for it. Thirty years from now, when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what did you do in the great World War II, you won't have to say, "Well, I shoveled shit in Louisiana."

All right, now you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime, anywhere. And that's all.

Scene 2: Researching Patton [Scene runs from 39:45 to 41:29. For those with DVDs, it begins 20 seconds into chapter 11.]

German headquarters in Berlin. Captain Steiger follows General Jodl, German Chief of Staff, into Rommel's office.

Jodl: [to Rommel, who seems to be suffering from sort of sinus problem] Field Marshall, Rommel, I hope you are feeling better.Captain Steiger has been assigned to research General Patton.

Rommel: Very well, what do you have for me?

Steiger: [opening his folder] General Patton comes from a military family. His grandfather was a hero of the American Civil War. He was educated at the Virginia Militray Institute and at West Point.

Rommel: You're not telling me anything about the man.

Steiger: He writes poetry and believes in reincarnation. He's one of the richest officers in the American army. He prays on his knees, but curses like a stable boy. He has one standing order, "always take the offensive, never dig in."

Jodl: [to Rommel, who is staring to the side] In fifteen minutes, we meet with the Fuehrer. He will want to know how you plan to deal with Patton's forces.

Rommel: I will attack and annihilate him. Before he does the same to me.

American headquarters in North Africa. Two American soldiers enter into Patton's sleeping quarters. Camera follows their gaze to an open book by Patton's bedside, The Tank in Attack, by Erwin Rommel.

Scene 3: A Simple Old Soldier [Scene runs from 1:03:50 to 1:08:40. For those with DVDs, it begins 1 minute and 50 seconds before ch. 15, and runs 50 seconds into ch. 16.]

American newsreel captured by the Germans and being viewed in German headquarters in Berlin. Patton and Bradley landing in Sicily. The newsreel first shows Patton coming ashore from the landing craft. He has a cigar in his mouth.

German officer: Here's the gangster Patton, landing at Gela with his Seventh Army. This film was captured after the landing.

Another officer: I didn't realize he was so tall.

Another voice: Over six feet.

Patton goes back onto the landing craft, and disembarks a second time, as if he were re-shooting the scene.

German voice: He's constantly giving personal orders.

Jodl: Obviously, they now have two prima donnas in Scily, Montgomery and Patton. [laughter]

General Bradley appears in the newsreel, also landing in Sicily.

German officer: There's another three star general.

Jodl: General Bradley, Commander of America II Corps. He is most capable, but unpretentious.

Steiger: from his seat behind Jodl: Unusual for a general. Jodl starts to turn to him. Sorry.

Map room. Patton's headquarters in Sicily.

Officer: I don't think I've made myself clear, sir. It's true Montgomery has met the toughest resistance in the campaign there at Catania. However, if we're…

Patton: (interrupting, and using a "twitty" mock-British accent) Perfectly clear. Ol' Montgomery is as stuck as a bug on flypaper.

Officer: Yes, sir. But this order from General Alexander directing you to give up the Baucina road and turn it over to Montgomery!

Patton: And then ol' Bradley will have to slug, slug mind you, his way up the center of the island, over those tough mountain roads, won't he?

Officer: Yes sir.

Patton: (drops fake accent) Messina, Bill. Messina! That's the heart of it. (gets up and looks at map—he is angry) If they'd followed my plan I'd be there by now, I'd cut off the retreat of every God-damned German on this island! (slams fist on map) Well now you know what I'm going to do? First, I'm going to go to Palermo, and I'm still going to beat that limey son-of-a-bitch to Messina if it's the last thing I ever do! (again slams the map)

Enter Bradley

Bradley: Hey, what's all this I hear about taking the Vizzini road away from 2nd Corp?

Patton: General Alexander's orders. The road goes to Montgomery.

Bradley: That road was assigned to me! How can I get up north without it? You know the terrain up there.

Patton: I'm sorry, Brad, but Monty's run into some tough opposition, very tough.

Bradley: Now, you wouldn't be taking advantage of this situation, would you George?

Patton: I don't know what you're talking about.

Bradley: Well, without that road, your whole army, except my 2nd Corp, would be out of a job. Free for you to go to Palermo if you felt like it.

Patton: Who said anything about Palermo?

Bradley: I can read a map. Does Alexander know you've pushed out this far?

Patton: It's a "reconnaissance in force."

Bradley: George, are you telling me I've got to slug it out over those mountains with heavy resistance, just so you can make a bigger splash than Monty?

Patton: General, I just follow my orders, like the simple old soldier I am.

Enter another officer, with a message in hand

Officer: Sir, General Alexander has heard we're moving west. He says "stop immediately. Go no further than Agrigento.." Repeat: "stop immediately."

Patton: That's what you think it says. I think it was garbled in transmission. Ask them to retransmit the message, and take your time about it. That'll take half a day at least. Now, Brad, where were we?

Bradley: We were talking about a simple, old soldier.

Cut to army on the road. Patton stops his jeep to look back upon a long line of his army's vehicles advancing up a winding mountain road

Patton: Look at that, gentlemen! Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance!

Scene 4: The Slapping Incident and Its Aftermath [Scene runs from 1-31-06 to 1-35-58. For those with DVDs, it begins ch. 21.]

Visiting an army hospital after a battle, Patton finds a soldier crying and mumbling that he could not stand the shelling anymore. Patton, asserting that he is a coward and should not be taking up space with men lying wounded and dying in a "place of honor," slaps him and orders him back to the front. Newspapers print the story, causing public outcry against Patton. Patton's superior, General Eisenhower, commands Patton to apologize for his deed.

Patton at desk with letter, head bowed. Enter Bradley.

Bradley: You wanted to see me, George?

Patton: I've got a letter here from Ike.(gives him letter) I was re-reading Caesar's Commentaries last night. In battle, Caesar wore a red robe, to distinguish him from his men. I was struck by that fact because (trails off) "Despicable"--it's the first time in my life anyone's ever applied that word to me.

Bradley: Well, at least it's a personal reprimand, it's not official.

Patton: The man was yellow. He should have been tried for cowardice and shot. My God! Have they forgotten about all the people who have taken a helluva lot worse than a little kick in the pants? I ruffled his pride a little bit, what's that compared to war? Two weeks ago, when we took Palermo, they called me a hero, said I was the greatest general since Stonewall Jackson.

Bradley: (with good humor) And now they draw cartoons about you.

Patton: The dirty bastard! They've got me holding a little GI there and kicking him with an iron boot. Do you see that, what's on my boot! A swastika! On my boot, an iron boot with a swastika on it! (reading from letter) "You will apologize to the soldier you slapped, to all the medical personnel in the tent at the time, to every patient in the tent who can be reached, and last but not least the Seventh Army as a whole, through individual units, one at a time ." God, I feel alone.

In a chapel.

Patton: Oh, God, Thou art my God. Verily, will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee. My flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land. So as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary. My soul followeth hard after Thee. [Patton leaves chapel, and begins walking toward balcony, where army is assembled.] But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. Thy shall fall by the sword. They shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone that sweareth by Him shall glory. But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped

Command: [As Patton approaches] Ten hut.

Patton: At ease! I thought I would stand up here, and let you people see if I am as big of a son-of-bitch as some of you think I am. [laughter] I assure you, I had no intention of being either harsh or cruel in my treatment of the [pause] soldier in question. My sole purpose was to try to restore in him some appreciation of his obligations as a man, and as a soldier. If one can shame a coward, I felt, one might help him regain his self-respect. This was on my mind. Now I freely admit that my method was wrong, but I hope you can understand my motive, and can accept this [pause] explanation and this apology.

Scene 5: Aftermath of Knutsford Speech [Scene runs from 1:56:40 to 1:58:07. For those with DVDs, it occurs at the beginning of ch. 25.]

After the Allies take Sicily, Patton is relieved of his command. He awaits a new assignment in England. General Bedell Smith tells Patton that he is being used as a decoy to persuade the Germans that the Allies will invade at Calais. He delivers a speech at Knutsford, England, where he says, in keeping with the theme of British-American friendship, that the British and the Americans are destined to "rule the world." His aide warns him to mention the Russians as well, but it is too late. Protests in America object that Patton has insulted our Russian allies and call for Patton to be "severely disciplined."

Scene: General Bedell Smith's office.

Patton: No, no, Bedell. This time I didn't do a damn thing. They promised me there wouldn't be any reporters there. All I did was make a few remarks off the record.

Bedell: Ike told you to keep your mouth shut. You wouldn't listen. Don't you know how suspicious the Russians are of the British and ourselves?

Patton: I was only trying to be polite to the old ladies. If there had been any Russians there I would've mentioned ‘em. I don't like the sons-of-bitches but I would have mentioned them out of politeness! Bedell, I don't know anything about politics, you know that. I don't have any political ambitions after the war. All I want to do is to command an army in combat!

Bedell: Well, it's out of our hands now. Ike sent a message last night to the chief of staff. So now it's up to General Marshall to decide whether you stay here as a decoy or whether he sends you home.

Patton: Well, he's a good man. At least he's a fair man. I'll let it rest with him.

To his aide after he leaves Bedell's office:

Patton: I feel I am destined to achieve some great thing. What it is I don't know. But this last incident is as trivial in its nature as terrible in its effect. It can't be the result of accident! It has to be the work of God. The last great opportunity of a lifetime, an entire world at war, and I'm going to be left out of it! God will not permit this to happen. I'm going to be allowed to fulfill my destiny. His will be done.

Scene 6: All Glory Is Fleeting [Scene runs from 2:48:38 to 2:49:52 . For those with DVDs, it occurs at the end of ch. 36.]

Patton has just been relieved of command, and he is walking his dog in a vast field with a windmill.

Patton: [Voiceover] For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors 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 in chains before him. Sometimes, his children, robed in white, stood with him in his chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.

Questions on Patton

Guide to unit 2

back to unit 2