Fury Movie Review

The setting of World War Two has been used many times in film, with numerous stories of soldiers, civilians and other perspectives that retell the most deadly and widespread conflict in history. With modern films from this category, it’s becoming more and more difficult to offer something which hasn’t been done before. With the newly released Fury however, director David Ayer and company have mostly succeeded in this regard.

Set in rural Germany in 1945, Fury focuses on the titular tank and the crew that mans it. Seargent Don “Wardaddy” Collier and his comrades are given a simple mission; push through Germany and take each town as they go. For the task, they are given a new member, the young and inexperienced Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman). As the squad battles their way across European battlefields, they encounter remnants of society and all manner of deadly obstacles. The plot is comprised of mostly heavy combat sequences broken up by a couple of more subdued moments in between. Like many war films before it, Fury homes in on the degeneration and desensitisation of humanity present in any major conflict and this is made immediately apparent with Norman’s arrival; he’s never killed anyone before and yet he is often at the mercy of the crew who have all become fully consumed by the act of killing and all have their own ways of dealing with the pressure. Fury does a fine job of conveying the experiences of the soldiers, and the premise is incredibly simple, allowing audiences to quickly focus on the characters.

The film’s title may match the name of the tank but ultimately Fury is a film about the crew. At the centre is the bond between Sgt “Wardaddy” and Norman which is a very interesting one. At first it seems that Norman is at Wardaddy’s mercy as he is forced to engage in matters he would want nothing to do with, but as Norman ventures deeper into warfare, his sergeant becomes a kind of mentor for him, training him how to act in and out of battle. The side characters are more straightforward; having all been impacted by the war, they’re more detached and even callous about Norman’s arrival in the unit. If there’s any issue with the characters, it’s that aside from Pitt and Lerman, the other characters don’t get nearly as much development; they mostly fall under archetypes of the genre including violent brute and constant drinker. When the film is trying hard to give us a new perspective on World War Two, these somewhat underdeveloped characters do stick out a fair bit. There’s also some character threads which suffer from similar issues; there are a few moments where “Wardaddy” takes a moment to hide his emotional side from his crew and this doesn’t really receive any kind of payoff. Similarly Norman’s transformation from scared young boy to ruthless combatant seems a little rushed, with him moulding almost instantly in the film’s first act. Despite these gripes, the film does manage to put its characters first which was definitely the right choice to make for a film in this genre.

Fury’s depiction of World War Two combat is a grey and gritty one; you’ll notice that compared with other films in the genre, there’s hardly any light or serenity in the environments which gels seamlessly with the futility of the soldier’s struggle. The authenticity on display here is outstanding, which comes primarily through the use of real tanks, including the only operational Tiger 131 in the world (which is stored at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England). The sounds are among the best you’ll ever hear in a war film; every shell and bullet impact as tanks and infantry engage each other is incredibly impactful, transporting you into the setting effortlessly. The cinematography is also highly commendable both in and out of the tank; low angle shots show off the gargantuan scale of the war machines and despite the cramped nature of the interior sections, the film offers a clear view of the action despite the carnage that unfolds on-screen. The final piece of the presentation is the lighting which really comes into its own in the final battle which makes great use of weapon flashes to create a foreboding and moody atmosphere.

Fury offers a different perspective on a long standing film genre, maintains a dark and grimy tone throughout and is ultimately able to stand alongside some of the best films based on the conflict. Any fans of action or war films shouldn’t let it slip past them this year.

Rating: 4/5 Stars