Fury is furious as hell. Simple as that.
The director of Harsh Times and Sabotage is nowhere to be found in this film. This is the End of Watch David Ayer behind the camera and he tosses us right into the chaos of wartime. While Fury brings the action in full force, Ayer pushes the human element right up against it, face to face. It’s a raw, unrelenting ride through the massacre and mud, and the director follows and focuses on characters while capturing their defining moments. You just have to do your best to keep up.
This is a tense, unforgiving WWII film that does not shy away from showing the horrors of battle and the scars are there in plain sight. The focus is on a tank brigade that has traveled all over the world with no regard for murder and bloodshed. The men they were no longer exist. They are hardened with tarnished souls. The leader of this group is Sgt. Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) along with his brothers Grady Travis (Jon Bernthal), Trini Garcia (Michael Pena), and Boyd Swan (a remarkable Shia LaBeouf). But they are soon joined by Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), a kid who has never fired a gun or even been inside of a tank before. The transformation of Norman leaves a lasting impression of how the environment around you can soon consume you.
Lerman’s breakout role was in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but he turns it up a notch in this film. He is tremendous as Norman, who represents the innocence that the rest of the gang has not seen for a very long time. He knows the difference between defending and murdering. This is a blurry line for most of the guys in uniform. Also, it’s another first-rate performance by Pitt. He portrays a grizzled tank commander who hides his pain, but is not scared to show mercy. Wardaddy is battle fatigued, but still never questions his next mission. He’s a man who shouldn’t have a conscience after all he has seen and been through yet he does. It still shines through even during the darkest hours.
Fury is brutally told, but it’s necessary. It feels like you are riding inside the 30-ton slaying machine yourself waiting for something to explode and shake you down to your foundation. Even during the quiet moments of the film, there is still this unpredictability and uneasiness sweeping over you. However, it’s the final scene of the film that visually describes the hellishness these men have endured for so long. It’s not a pretty sight and that’s the point.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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