FURY
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Jim Parrack.
Jason Isaacs.
Classification: LV16
Running time: 134min
Horrors of the battlefield lie exposed
Debashine Thangevelo
Rating: ***
I HAVE to admit, Brad Pitt was a big incentive in me watching Fury. What can I say, I’m a sucker for great casting and am always hopeful that it is supported by a solid script. Also, I was curious to see what he would bring to the table after World War Z and The Counselor.
At 51, his interest is clearly piqued by how layered the character is and telling his story with conviction.
And, to his credit, he really gets into the skin of his character, US Army Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier – the leader of a close-knit group of veteran soldiers who are assigned the M4A3e8 76mm Sherman tank named Fury.
The story takes place with World War II on the brink of ending. The US army are rolling through towns and taking out the Nazis.
With Don’s team one man down – they are assigned a rather reluctant soldier, Private Norman “Machine” Ellison – before rolling out to their next assignment. The polarised view of Don and Norman is a poignant one. As their journey continues their relationship evolves.
I could make comparisons to the plot executions of Saving Private Ryan or The Hurt Locker, but it wouldn’t be fair despite the fact that they are of the same ilk. Writer, director and producer Ayer didn’t set out to retell those stories – he conceived his own.
This story is about Don, his team – Boyd “Bible” Swan, Trini “Gordo” Garcia, Grady “Coon-Ass” Travis and, of course, Norman.
As they roll out on their new mission to hold a vital crossroad with a platoon of four tanks – led by Fury – Norman can’t bring himself to pull the trigger.
But he is forced to rethink his passive disposition when they come under heavy fire and start losing tanks and men.
The true test, however, arrives when they hit a landmine en route to their outpost – and there are in the line of fire of a company of about 300 German soldiers.
Despite being outgunned and outmanned, Don decides to ambush them. And his soldiers stand by him in solidarity.
Ayer, given his military background, does a commendable job recreating a warzone environment. The ambiance is bleak, the battles are brutal with casualties on both sides. There is no room for empathy or hesitation. It’s a kill-or-be-killed environment.
That said, there is a solid bond that develops between the crew of Fury. While they rag each other – to the point where they can annoy and be downright disrespectful to each other – there is a respect and love that’s unmistakable.
While Pitt anchors the story – it is Norman who ends up stealing the show. His transition from reluctant fighter to hero is beautifully executed.
Was the final battle an act of bravery or foolish recklessness? I would say a bit of both. But in such an act of patriotism, you can but only salute it.
Fury is by no means a brilliantly crafted story – it does lag at times and reaches, too. But it is good enough to move its viewer. And, for me, that is a win.
If you liked Saving Private Ryan, Inglourious Basterds or The Hurt Locker you should enjoy this.
Another movie for you to add to your war collection
Munya Vomo
Rating: ****
Whenever you see Brad Pitt in a film you need to pay attention. Of course, the ladies may still be stuck on the magazine cover images, but if you are into raw talent then you know that the man is more than just a pretty face.
Besides, if you go in for the shirtless Pitt in this film, make sure you don’t blink because he does it once and it is in a very short space of time. He makes up for that by portraying the hard-core US staff sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier who has seen it all and almost prefers going to war than going back home.
Wardaddy commands a small army of men who operate tanks right at the end of World War II. In his company are his hero-worshipping sub-ordinates Boyd “Bible” Swan (LaBeouf), Norman Ellison (Lerman) and Grady Travis (Bernthal) and Sgt Binkowski (Jim Parrack). As a soldier who is also a Christian, it is perplexing to see Swan attempt to strike a balance between religious morality and the demands of war. With a moustache , LaBeouf manages to convince us that he has grown out of the Transformers kid era.
Lerman, however, steals the show. The movie is centred on his character, Norman Ellison, an inexperienced office soldier who is deployed to Nazi Germany as a tank driver under Wardaddy. He learns how to operate a tank on the mission to clear out all Nazis. He is reluctant to fight, but when the realities of war (and the relentless push of Wardaddy’s hand) hit, he ends up stomaching the idea of taking life. The ever wide-eyed Lerman did a good job portraying a fish-out-of-water kid whose life changed thanks to the realities of war.
It is also refreshing to see TV stars Bernthal (Shane in The Walking Dead) and Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry in True Blood) break into big-budget films. They both looked at home sharing screen time with Pitt.
The story is basically an on-the-road account of how a small tank team made some commendable strides in World War II. The ending is grand and you will either love or hate it, but it was necessary.
If you liked Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Saving Private Ryan, you will like this