Synopsis: April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. (c) Imbd

 

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It’s time for Inglorious Basterds to move over. In Brad Pitt’s latest war epic, Fury delivers blood, guts, and entertainment.  Fury, centers on a small American WWII crew, lead by sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) that operates a tank called Fury. It story takes place in the final months of world WWII, where the Allies were making their final push to take down the Nazis. While the film incorporates a significant amount of battle scenes, there is a fair amount of on-screen time devoted to the relationships of the crew-men.

What makes Fury intriguing is the perspective that the audience gets to see the story unfold in. Wardaddy might be the leader of the crew, but we witness the film mainly through the eyes of Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman). Pitt plays a significant part in the film, and is the major focus of the publicity campaign for the film. Lerman on the other hand, is the film’s backbone. In an otherwise dark and gruesome story, Lerman’s character brings life and innocence to a ruthless and vicious world portrayed.

Norman is thrown into the Fury crew against his will. A military copywriter who is assigned combat action. He’s a a very religious person who now has been ordered to kill. He is the complete opposite of what Wardaddy wants him to be. The other crew members  (Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernathal, and Michael Pena) bully Norman for not being tough enough. The relationship between  Wardaddy and Normal unfolds as the film progresses. It’s a significant part of the film.

On the surface, Fury looks like a hardcore war movie, it is that and more. Beneath all the disturbing violence on-screen, you get the witness the close bonds and relationships these men share together. Director David Ayer does a hell of a job showcasing the terrors that a war brings. The gritty, raw and in your face realism is explodes on the screen. Cinematographer Roman Vasyanov gets to the very core depicting concise details of what it was like to be in the field of battle. The inside of a tank is can be likened to a home that these men share. Pictures of loved ones glued on the corners. Sentimental items placed near their respective spaces. Vsyanov and Ayer presentation of the story isn’t what you might expect. That majority of the film takes place in the bright lights of daylight, only the pivotal scene near the end is shot at night. The inclusion of a bright daylight stage for the barbaric violence is an unique aspect of the film. The sounds are spectacular. Moments where you feel you might need an earplug.  Chilling moments where you might find yourself looking up to the roof of the theater expecting to see the sea of air crafts that the characters are cheering on.

The acting is as realistic as you need for a film of this nature. Brad Pitt does a meaner and colder version of Aldo Raine. He’s as ruthless as you can get. He’s not the most sympathetic of characters, however the character refines over the course of the film. It’s a more than meets the eye kinda performance. The actors playing the crew members are an unlikely bunch that seems to gel ideally. Shia LaBeouf finally can escape the shadows of Transformers, he does well in a supporting role. As long as he keeps the grocery paper bags off his head, this movie goes a long way to legitimizing him as a serious actor. Michael Pena and Jon Bernathal are solid. It did puzzle me that Pena’s character had a stereotypical Hispanic lingo to him. It was unnecessary. The breakout star of the film is undoubtedly the least famous of the mentioned actors, Logan Lerman. He’s outstanding as the shy and righteous Norman. He adds heart and humanity to an inhumane world he’s part of. His performance could be very much in the running for an Oscar.

Fury is not a movie for everyone. It’s just too dark and violent.  The sheer grotesque realistic display of faces blowing-up in chunks, legs shattering to pieces due to land mines, and images of young people being hung on poles is too harsh to handle for most. The vivid imagery is part of what makes this movie a hit. Even though the character’s story is fictional. The reality of the film is unquestioned. These things did indeed happen in WWII, as well as many other wars. The terror is real, and the audience will feel it. The intimacy is unparalleled. The courage and fear of these soldiers will be felt by everyone who is viewing this. Fury is a well crafted and authentic view of  the war. Ayer takes you on an exclusive historical field-trip that many films haven’t been able to accomplish. Its’ disturbing, gruesome, vicious and eye-opening, yet you get to witness the most important elements of humanity. The bravest of men also feared what they did. The most ruthless of them, also had compassion deep down inside. They killed and tortured, yet they loved those closest to them like no-other.  Had loyalty to their brothers that ran through to the core of their souls. The title says it all. It’s not just a name of a military crew that’s imprinted on the barrel of their tank. It’s a fury by the terms of rage, anger, wrath, and outrage that war brings with it. As Pitt’s character notably says, “Ideals are peaceful, history is violent.” That phrase nicely sums up what this film displays.

Fury- 8.5 out of 10!

One of the most realistic WWII film portrayals to date