Fury Review

Rated R (Strong Sequences of War Violence, Some Grisly Images, and Language Throughout)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 14 Minutes

Cast-

Brad Pitt-Sergeant Don 'Wardaddy' Collier

Logan Lerman-Private Norman Ellison

Shia LaBeouf-Technician Boyd 'Bible' Swan

Michael Peña-Corporal Trini 'Gordo' Garcia

Jon Bernthal-Private Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis

Jason Isaacs-Captain Waggoner

Jim Parrack-Sergeant Binkowski

Brad Henke-Sergeant Davis

Kevin Vance-Sergeant Peterson

Scott Eastwood-Sergeant Miles

Laurence Spellman-Sergeant Dillard

Xavier Samuel-Lieutenant Parker

Anamaria Marinca-Irma

Alicia von Rittberg-Emma

Directed by David Ayer

The crew of the Fury.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

William Tecumseh Sherman—a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War—famously coined the phrase 'War is Hell.' It's a harsh truth that director David Ayer repeatedly beats viewers over the head with in his latest film "Fury," set during the waning days of World War II. With over sixty million casualties (and that's only a rough estimate), World War II remains by far the deadliest military conflict in human history. However, this destructive global clash is routinely portrayed through rose-tinted glasses as a 'good war.' It's an overly idealistic myth that has been regularly 'reinforced in countless motion pictures, on television, by teachers, in textbooks, and by political leaders.' Ayer sets out to tear down this myth in "Fury," which follows a five-man M4 Sherman tank crew over a twenty-four hour period. There's a particularly brutal, nasty streak running through Ayer's work (especially in his most recent film, the action/crime thriller "Sabotage"), which often depict manly, masculine men in physically and emotionally stressful situations that push them toward the breaking point. This approach unfortunately robs some of his films of nuance and subtlety, which is the main issue that prevents "Fury" from joining the ranks of great World War II movies like Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" and Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line." Ayer's latest boasts an uncanny attention to period detail and fine performances from its lead cast but the film ultimately feels muddled with its one-note themes and thin characterization.

April, 1945. The Allies have entered Germany and although victory seems all but assured, the Nazis continue to fight back with 'fanatical resistance.' Following a devastating battle that leaves his whole platoon and assistant driver dead, Sergeant Don 'Wardaddy' Collier (Brad Pitt) and his remaining tank crew—Technician Boyd 'Bible' Swan (Shia LaBeouf), Corporal Trini 'Gordo' Garcia (Michael Peña), and Private Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis (Jon Bernthal)—limp back to base in their barely held together M4 Sherman tank dubbed Fury. While his men refuel and resupply the tank, Collier is confronted by a fresh-faced recruit named Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), who informs the sergeant that he's just been assigned to his crew as their new assistant driver. Collier's men are none too happy about the situation and are immediately dismissive of Ellison, who's only been in the army for eight weeks and has had no tank training whatsoever. Prior to his reassignment, he was a mere typing clerk. Collier attempts to harden the young man during a rescue mission but the terrified recruit can't bring himself to kill. The horrors of war that Ellison experiences soon convince him that the battlefield has no place for idealism. 

"Ideals are peaceful, history is violent."

David Ayer has built a career on telling stories revolving around the LAPD (both the corrupt and honorable kind) but "Fury" represents a change of pace for the writer/director. It's a bid for respectability, with Ayer's aspirations for the coming awards season being made plainly obvious with the subject matter he's chosen here. Graded on its technical merits alone, Ayer's latest easily earns top marks. However, the film stumbles with a narrative that is unsure of what kind of point it wants to make. Logan Lerman's character, Norman Ellison, is meant to be a proxy for the audience as he's thrown into this hellish world that he wants absolutely no part of. In fact, his first order is to jump into the tank and clean up the gruesome, bloody remains of his predecessor. "Fury" primarily focuses on the relationship between the young recruit and Brad Pitt's Don 'Wardaddy' Collier, who puts Ellison through a savage baptism of fire by forcing him to kill a Nazi soldier who's already surrendered. Yea, I'm pretty sure that's a war crime, Mr. Ayer. At first, "Fury" appears to question whether Collier's harsh tactics are justified in a time of war but it soon becomes apparent that the director actually agrees with the character. I understand that these are people who are all damaged beyond repair. However, it's hard to sympathize with what Collier and his men are going through because they all appear to be sociopaths who seem to enjoy the act of killing. Sure, the people they're killing are Nazis yet these are human beings all the same. Before being shot dead, the soldier that Ellison is forced to kill shows pictures of his wife and children while begging for mercy. Now I'm not saying that the Nazis were in the right as they most definitely weren't but not every soldier who served was evil like Hitler, a point which is proven in the last few minutes of the film.

What really killed the film for me was the second act, which goes on for far too long and exhibits an unsettling rapey vibe. After liberating a small German town, Collier and Ellison invite themselves into the home of a middle-aged woman and her teenage niece. They're obviously no threat so there's no reason for the two soldiers to stay but Collier orders them to make them meals and otherwise wait on them. Now he does this politely yet it's clear that the two women have no choice in the matter since they're implicitly being held at gunpoint. Ellison notices their piano and sits down to play. The niece, named Emma (Alicia von Rittberg), is charmed by the young recruit and sings with him. It's a sweet moment that represents a brief respite from the ugliness of war. And then Collier says, 'If you don't take her in that bedroom, I will.' The audience laughed at his remark. I was uncomfortable. To be clear, there is mutual consent between Ellison and Emma, and the two seem to have enjoyed their intimate moment judging from the smiles on their faces after. However, Ayer never questions what would have happened if Emma simply refused. She says yes but you have to keep in mind that she and her aunt are basically being held at gunpoint. We're never privy to what these two are actually feeling in this scene. The situation takes a disturbing turn when the rest of Collier's crew shows up, with Grady's behavior practically one-step away from being a rapist. One can only imagine what would happen if Collier wasn't there to control him. Scott Mendelson from Forbes describes this sequence as being 'both the best and worse scene in the film,' and I agree. Ayer mines the tension for all its worth but it doesn't change the fact that this scene is just icky to watch.

The battle sequences are viscerally intense but "Fury" never resonates as strongly as it should.

"Fury" certainly impresses on the action front, particularly during a tense tank vs. tank showdown that closes the second act but the graphic violence can border on being pornographic at times. One battle even reminded me of "Star Wars" as the Allies and Nazis trade fire with each other across a field, with the ammunition given a colored, laser-like effect. The film closes with an obligatory 'last stand' moment, with Collier and his tank crew facing off against a battalion of SS soldiers. It's a visceral, expertly-directed sequence thanks to Ayer's impeccable attention to period detail yet it ultimately comes off as emotionally hollow due to his script's thin characterization. Despite spending over two hours with these men, you don't feel like you really know them. The cast do what they can with the material they're given and deliver fine performances all around. Brad Pitt's Sergeant Don 'Wardaddy' Collier is essentially a toned-down version of Lieutenant Aldo Raine from Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," released back in 2009. Although Collier may not go around scalping Nazis with an oversized Bowie knife, he does share Raine's intense hatred of them. Through his restrained performance, Pitt shows that his character is a man who's been through hell and back, and it's only through sheer force of will that he hasn't broken down into a mess. Logan Lerman is great as well, with the young actor taking care to portray Ellison as vulnerable but not a coward. The rest of the supporting cast unfortunately doesn't receive the same amount of attention due to their underwritten roles and are there to fill the usual archetypes in war movies. Shia LaBeouf is the devout Christian, Jon Bernthal is the loose cannon, and Michael Peña is, well, the Latino. Again, their performances aren't bad. However, they never resonate as strongly as they should because Ayer often saddles these characters with clunky and repetitive dialogue about whether God is watching over them or not. Although I hate to admit it, it frankly feels like a waste of their talents.

Released on October 17, 2014, "Fury" has received largely positive reviews with 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it was a 'well-acted, suitably raw depiction of the horrors of war that offers visceral battle scenes' but admitted that it 'doesn't quite live up to its larger ambitions.' Given Brad Pitt's superstar status, Ayer's film easily took the top spot at the domestic box office with $23.5 million and its success overseas is pretty much guaranteed. The bigger question here is its awards prospects. As I mentioned before, "Fury" is fantastic from a technical standpoint so it should garner a few nominations in those categories. The acting is suitably strong as well but the writing just isn't up to par. Still, Columbia Pictures/Sony could conceivably make an awards push if the film continues to do well financially. I really wanted to like "Fury" as it's Ayer's most ambitious work to date. From its intense battle sequences to the A-list cast, the film gets a lot right yet feels oddly one-note and distant, with the story circling around the 'War is Hell' theme over and over again and offering little else. A director with a subtler touch could've worked wonders for this picture.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"Ideals are peaceful, history is violent."