Fury
In the year 1945, the Allies were making a final push deep into German territory in an effort to end World War II once and for all. US Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) is the battle-hardened leader of a Sherman tank named Fury and its crew. His military experience has kept his team alive and together since the moment the US joined the battle. Wardaddy has promised his men a safe homecoming, and in return, they pledge their unquestioned loyalty.
The movie opens with Fury having suffered its first death. In addition to Wardaddy, the surviving crew consists of Trini “Gordo” Garcia (Michael Peña), Grady “Coon-Ass” Travis (Jon Bernthal), and Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shia LaBeouf). Each man has his own unique personality that adds interesting dynamics to the unit. For example, LaBeouf’s Boyd is a Christian who has entrusted his life to God’s plan. He believes their survival and actions are the will of God, and at times, his faith annoys the team. Despite their differences and occasional clashes, the squad is extremely close with one another, having been together since the beginning.
Fury is assigned a new gunner, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman). Ellison is a typing clerk who joined the army 8 weeks prior and has never seen battle. Norman struggles to adapt to his new role as a soldier on the front lines. At first, he is unwilling to compromise his morals, even refusing to fire at the enemy Nazis. As the crew relies on each other to do their job to keep each other alive, there is no room for error. They berate Norman, in an attempt to harden him to the cruel reality of war and to convince him that killing enemy soldiers is a necessary evil to prevent future casualties and bring an end to the violence.
As they press on into Germany, the focus of the film is primarily on Norman, the changes he experiences, and his eventual acceptance as a full-fledged member of the crew. Fury is a film driven by the characters, their relationships, and their inner struggles. As such, Fury benefits greatly from solid performances all around, although Pitt, Lerman and LaBeouf especially shine in their roles. Jon Bernthal says that director David Ayer demanded they act as if “this was the last movie you were ever going to make.” Prior to filming, the actors of the tank battalion took part in a weeklong boot camp, where they even lived and slept in a real tank together. The actors’ commitment to their roles and chemistry with each other was evident, with no small thanks going to Ayer and his strength a director.
In addition to character development, Fury excels in giving a raw depiction of life on the front lines. Tense battle scenes will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. In one of the more powerful sequences, the aftermath of a battle is shown through the pillaging of a war-torn village and the debauchery that the victorious soldiers engage in. This is a side of war that often goes unmentioned in the history books. Ayer uses these scenes to challenge Norman’s morality and show that in war, there is a time for violence and a time to be merciful.
In striving to create the most realistic war movie to date, David Ayer was inspired by his grandfathers, who both served in World War II. Rather than stories of victorious battles, they recounted the personal and emotional price that the war exacted on them. Ayer isn’t making a political statement about war and its necessity or lack thereof. Instead, he brings into focus how such a devastating event can force even the most honorable men to commit acts of unthinkable brutality. At its heart, Fury is a movie about human nature and how people act in the worst of situations.
Many war movies thrive on the formula of using realistic and sometimes brutal depictions of the horrors of war. Soldiers are portrayed as hardened and fatigued by countless battles, as well as having an unbreakable brotherhood among their military bretheren. Although David Ayer’s Fury does not deviate too far from this blueprint, the film was made to deliver a slightly different message than most of its war movie counterparts. Through Ayer’s attempts to make the most raw depiction of war to date, the line between morally justifiable and excessive violence becomes blurred.
At the time of its theatrical release in October 2014, Fury was pegged by many critics as a film that could make noise during the awards season. While Fury ultimately went unrecognized by the Academy, it is not a film that should be overlooked by audiences. The controversy surrounding American Sniper and its Oscar nominations is dominating the war movie conversation for better or worse. Much like Wardaddy and his crew, it appears Fury has been left alone on the battlefield to fend for itself. Like Sniper, Fury is an excellent film: right on target with elite acting, vivid images, and a powerful message that draws out the deepest emotions from the hearts of viewers. Where Fury succeeds more than other war films is in its ability to be appreciated for its merits alone, regardless of one’s political affiliation.
Fury
Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout
Runtime: 134 min.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal
Directed by David Ayer
