The movie Patton does a great job of portraying two great military leaders of the Second World War, Patton and Bradley. It is shown in the movie that both of these men are great leaders and contributed a lot to the military campaign of the United States Army. Given that both men are held as great military leaders you would expect them to act the same. However, these two men have different ways that they use to be the great military leaders that they are.
It is easier to explore the ways that Bradley and Patton were similar, because the list is significantly shorter than their differences. One thing that can be immediately noticed is their patriotism. It is overwhelmingly apparent that both of these men love their country and are willing to do whatever it takes to protect it. They are also portrayed as being resilient men. There are multiple scenes in the film that show Bradley and Patton in situations where the odds look to be stacked against them. Yet, through all odds, they manage to push through time and time again. Patton and Bradley have immense respect for the people who lay down their lives in an attempt to protect the United States. This is shown in the movie multiple times. There are many soft moments in this harsh war film where we can see Bradley or Patton looking somberly at fallen soldiers. It is apparent that they both believe that both Patton and Bradley wish that the death of so many good men was avoidable. Although it is hard to find the similarities between Patton and Bradley, they are there if you look for them. These similarities that you find between Patton and Bradley are the core to which these great military leaders are built around.
Patton and Bradley have many differences and how they lead and how they present themselves. The most apparent difference between the two is that Patton leads more through fear and flexing his muscle, while Bradley leads more with compassion and understanding the struggles of his army and showing them respect. Patton is not afraid of reprimanding his soldiers if they are out of line and he shows no fear in the face of the enemy. His soldiers comply with him in the fear that they will be punished severely if they do not. Bradley does not do this. Instead, it is seen that he has more of a personal connection with the soldiers he commands which makes him respected by his troops. Patton is also much more radical than Bradley in his way of fighting. Patton is willing to take risks, push boundaries, and deviate from plans that he does not agree with. He shows this very radical side of him when he takes the city of Palermo in Sicily and when he pushes his troops to help defend allies in Bastogne. Bradley on the other does not take risks and follows plans exactly as he is commanded. This very reserved attitude of Bradley is seen throughout the entire movie. Patton’s behavior is caused by his desire to be a war hero. This desire and his overwhelming patriotism is what makes Patton make decisions that other view negatively. The list of bad decisions that Patton is very long. It includes slapping his own soldier, attacking a plane with a pistol, insult the US’s allies the Russian multiple times, and have a rivalry with a British general. It is not very hard to see that Patton is a very different man his counterpart Bradley.
If I had to choose to be either one of these esteemed military leaders, I would want to be Bradley. I feel like Patton can be a little overzealous which manages to get him into trouble. He managed to get through the war and end up a war hero only through what I would call luck. Patton is just a little too radical for my taste. He makes a good story to tell about, however it is just not a lifestyle I would want to live. Bradley is a better fit for me because he is a personable guy who plays by the rules and knows his limits.
The film Patton did a great good in portraying the both similarities and difference of Bradley and Patton. This film makes it apparent that there are many different ways to be an effective leader. Although they may be different in many ways, Patton and Bradley are no doubt excellent leader.
Sources:
Patton. Dir. Franklin Schaffner. Perf. George C. Scott and Karl Malden. Twentieth Century-Fox, 1970. DVD.