Movie Review: Fury
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
Fury is a film about an American tanker unit during the last stretch of WWII in 1945. The Allies are well into Germany at this point and only the real fanatics, primarily the SS units, are the major problem. However, being fanatics the fighting is particularly intense as it is the phase of the war where the German soldiers are protecting the fatherland itself. Fierce resistance is an understatement. The film was written and directed by David Ayer, who also wrote Training Day (2001) and The Fast and the Furious (2001). He directed End of Watch (2012) and Sabotage (2014). In short, the guy knows action.
This film is intense – as it should be. War is indeed hell. Fury successfully shows us that. The opening is a jarring scene and sets the tone. Death comes quickly, like a shadow in the fog, and it is brutal.
The film begins with the tanker crew of the tank named Fury, led by Sgt. Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt), awaiting the last of the enemy to clear the area so they can make their way back to their own side of “the Front.” The battle is over. Wreckage and carnage and smoke cover the area for miles around them. They sit in Fury reeling from their losses. They are the only surviving tank in their platoon. Worse yet, their assistant driver has been killed right in their midst. He is the first fatality in their small, tightly knit unit after years at war. So the crew waits and bickers and waits some more.
The remaining crew is made up of three men, in addition to Sgt Collier. The driver is Trini “Gordo” Garcia (Michael Pena). The gunner is Boyd “Bible” Swan. The engineer/loader is Grady “Coon-Ass” Travis. The nicknames alone tell you who’s who here. The Fury makes its’ way back to the Allied line and gets new orders to head out on the next mission. Also, their missing man is replaced. Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) is a raw recruit that has been assigned to the Fury. He has only been through basic training, never seen combat, and has no tank training at all.
Director Ayer, who also wrote the film, uses the rookie to introduce us to life inside a tank crew. They are stuck together closer than a submarine crew and must often face the unknown, battle, boredom and daily living together in such a way that bonds the men even when they clearly have little in common with one another. Norman is a good way into the group for the audience as we are all outsiders.
Right away, Norman, is introduced to tanker life with his first order. Clean out the seat he will be sitting in. Blood, viscera, and part of the prior tenant’s face are all strewn about the close confines of the assistant drivers’ spot. Welcome to the war Norman. Norman’s job as the assistant driver is to operate a machine gun that is set low enough to protect the tank from close proximity attacks, these attacks would easily be out of the limited range of the canon that the gunner is operating, and to act as the secondary offensive weapon. Norman has never fired a gun before.
What follows is a series of impressive battle scenes. The spectacle of the tracer bullets is awesome and horrifying all at once. Distilled chaos; but with better special effects. The battles are paralleled by the war between Norman and Don. Norman is going to lose, just as the Germans are, but both sides will pay a price in the end. Don knows he needs to get Norman up to speed right away or he will get the entire crew killed if he freezes at the wrong moment. Getting Norman in killing mode is job one at the top of Don’s list. The second act is about making that conversion happen. Getting naive Norman to understand the need to become a killer is required. Otherwise he will die. Don at one point tells Norman,”Ideals are quiet. History is violent.”
The inevitable occurs as the third act approaches. This is a war movie after all. The Fury is sent on a mission that is absolutely critical as described by Captain Waggoner (Jason Isaacs) in a surprisingly convincing Bronx accent. The crossroads that the tanker platoon must go and defend is the only defense the supply train has got. If the Germans can cut the Americans’ supplies then the entire division, thousands of soldiers, will be at risk. Don has just four tanks to hold the line with. The conclusion of fighting to the last man is expected but magnificently executed. Each man is terrified but determined. Tears and bullets mix at times.
The acting in this movie is truly top notch from the whole cast. Pitt was the best I have ever seen him. Got a little Eastwood in him here I would say. But at the same time you can see, and there a few scenes dedicated to showing it, that the task of leadership and the general overall horror of it all is eating away at him.
The only real setback the movie has is the script. Mostly it is fine, but the conversion of Norman to Don’s point of view isn’t given enough time to develop. Moralist to killer happens so fast it sort of makes your head spin. It really detracts from the believability of the story. This might be more of an editing issue I suppose but it certainly sticks out either way. Otherwise, I would say Fury is the best war movie I have seen since Saving Private Ryan (1998). It is a realistic look at a tough subject to watch (much less experience).
Steven Gahm
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