"Fury" Review

The gritty World War II film "Fury" sets its sights on a poor box office.  

A few words can sum up the new Brad Pitt World War II film "Fury":  gritty, realistic, and raw.  The film is set in April of 1945.  The Allies have the Nazis on the run and as a last ditch effort to stave off defeat, Hitler has decreed "total war", demanding every man, woman, and child take up arms in defense of the homeland.  The film also sets the stage by letting the audience know that American tanks are out gunned and lack the armor that the more advanced German Panzer and Tiger tanks posess.  Enter the grizzled tank crew of Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier played by Brad Pitt.  We quickly learn that this band of rag tag fighters have been together since the beginning of the war, as Sergeant Collier so eloquently stated,"I started this war killing Germans in Africa...Now I'm killing Germans in Germany."  The film also does a great job of adding details and building the characters' war backgrounds through stories and meaningful dialog between each other.  

The real strength of this film is the extreme realism of the characters, their interactions, and the major theme this film focuses on.  Where many war films paint war in a heroic, almost romantic light, this film focuses on the realities of warfare.  The exchange between tank gunner Boyd "Bible" Swan played by Shia LaBeouf and replacement driver Norman Ellison sums up the theme of the film, "Wait till you see what one man can do to another."  This theme stays evident from one scene to the next. Death is everywhere in this film, from the raw battle scenes to the German civilians that have become casualties of total war.  Director and writer David Ayer does a great job of showing us the realism of warfare.  No character is without flaws and the audience gets the feeling that by cheating death, "by the grace of God", that their grace may be running out.  

"Fury" features great acting by Pitt, LaBeouf and company, along with an excellent storyline and great war action.  This gritty and raw movie has plenty of battle action while setting the stage of this bleek war, and maintaining its overarching theme showcasing the horrors of man in war. If you are a fan of "Saving Private Ryan" or "Band of Brothers" like I am, you will enjoy the storytelling and legitimacy of this film.  Although be warned, this movie is very realistic and depicts the horrors of warfare. I give Fury 5 out of 5 stars.