15,697
edits
Changes
m
The physical bravery of Patton is also shown several times in the movie. It also accurately portrays Patton's outspokenness and his love of publicity. Never shy to boast about his exploits, Patton was regularly in the papers and was a very well-known figure in America. The movie also traces the relationship between Patton and General Omar Bradley, and indeed the two men were close friends and colleagues. The film gets right many of the details of Patton’s life such as his pearl-handled revolvers and his white English bull terrier.<ref> Essame, p. 203</ref> These were part of the public image of Old Blood and Guts, which he cultivated assiduously. The movie does catch the character of the General.
<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>====Related DailyHistory.org Articles===={{#dpl:category=World War Two History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=7}}</div>
Admin moved page How accurate is the movie Patton? to How accurate is the movie Patton
It is generally accepted that Patton or "Old Blood and Guts" as his men liked to call him was an outstanding soldier who possessed an oversized personality. Scott effectively captured the essence of the man and his many contradictions. Patton was a cultured man and believed in traditional values, yet he could also be crude and a bully.<ref>Essame, H., Patton: A Study in Command (New York City: Scribner & Sons, 1995), p. 67</ref> The drive and the ambition of Patton are also brilliantly captured in the movie. He was a very ambitious man and believed that he was a great leader. Even from childhood, Patton believed that he was destined for greatness.
The physical bravery of Patton is also shown several times in the movie. It also accurately portrays Patton's outspokenness and his love of publicity. Never shy to boast about his exploits, Patton was regularly in the papers and was a very well-known figure in America. The movie also traces the relationship between Patton and General Omar Bradley, and indeed the two men were close friends and colleagues. The film gets right many of the details of Patton’s life such as his pearl-handled revolvers and his white English bull terrier.<ref> Essame, p. 203<dh-ad/ref>These were part of the public image of Old Blood and Guts, which he cultivated assiduously. The movie does catch the character of the General.{{MediaWiki:AmNative}}
====Patton and the Phantom Army====
After his disgrace in Sicily, Patton was essentially sent out to pasture. Instead of being to the D-Day invastion he was placed in charge of the "Phantom Army.’ <ref>D’Este, p. 2013</ref> In real life, Patton was placed in charge of a "phantom army" that was designed to deceive the Nazis concerning the location of the D-Day landings. Patton was part of an elaborate plan of misinformation that fooled the Germans into thinking that the invasion of Europe would happen at Calais and not in Normandy.
The Battle of the Bulge was one of Patton’s and indeed the American army’s finest hours. The General led his units in a counterattack that was pivotal in driving the German counter-attack back. The role of Patton in the Battle is not exaggerated, and he played a significant role in the American victory. One famous scene in the movie is incorrect. We are shown Patton as praying for the weather to improve so that he and his men could receive air support to defeat the Nazis.<ref>Farago, Ladislas, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph (New York City: Ivan Sergeyevich Obolensky, 1964), p. 145</ref> Patton ordered an army Chaplin to compose a prayer to ask God for clear weather. This order happened but it did not happen during the Battle of the Bulge but it was issuded during the 3rd Army’s campaign in Lorraine.
====Patton and Reincarnation====
One of the sub-themes in the movie was Patton’s belief in reincarnation. In one scene Patton is shown as visiting the battlefield of Zama where the Romans had defeated Hannibal. Patton is shown as sensing, that in a previous life he had fought in the battle, over 2000 years earlier. This visit with Bradley was highly unlikely. The belief in reincarnation is shown to be very important in Patton life’s and gave him a sense of purpose and a belief that he was a person apart. This was probably very important in the development of the mental outlook of Patton.<ref>Fargo, p. 213</ref>
Much of the details of his role in the defeat of Germany are true. The only real omission was the lack of focus on Patton’s Lorraine Campaign, where he distinguished himself. There are some exaggerations in the movie and some minor distortions such as in the weather-prayer scene. In general, the movie managed to produce a great overview portrayal of the character and career of an extraordinary American leader.
<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>====Related DailyHistory.org Articles===={{MediaWiki#dpl:AmNativecategory=World War Two History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=7}}</div>
[[Category:Historically Accurate]][[Category:World War Two History]][[Category:Military History]][[Category:20th Century History]][[Category:Wikis]]
====References====
<references/>
January 20, 2019
