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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.
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