Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal
Directed by: David Ayer
Screenplay by: David Ayer
"Ideals are peaceful. History is violent."
It's April, 1945 and WWII is almost over. The Americans are campaigning through Europe trying to defeat the Nazis. German tanks both out man and outnumber American tanks. American casualties are incredibly high because of this, but they are still pushing through. This story follows one group of men who drive one of the American tanks, a tank they call "Fury". Led by Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt), these men are at the forefront of a great deal of violence and are witnesses to many atrocities. The tank's main gunner, a character we do not see in the film, has been killed in battle, and upon their return to base, they need a new gunner. That's where Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) comes in. A fresh recruit, he's not trained to shoot the tank's gun and he's never seen combat before. This poses a problem for the other guys in the unit. They aren't used to him and are having difficulty getting to know him. Norman is entering and must become part of this band of brothers in order to survive the war.
This is a film, not so much about WWII itself, but the people who fought it. The men the film portrays are not killing machines like some other war movies may depict soldiers to be. These soldiers are depicted as human beings who have to deal with really difficult things that most people will never have to deal with in their lives. Wardaddy and his men show a great deal of hatred toward the enemy, yet despite this hatred, have difficulty grasping the job they are tasked to do. Nobody in this film shows it quite like Norman does, especially since he is not used to carrying out such horrific acts such as killing another man.
The film puts a more human perspective on these soldiers, by depicting just how difficult their job is. The movie is broken up into two parts separated by one scene in particular that defines the power of this film and the effect it will have on viewers. In this scene, the platoon has gone deep behind enemy lines and captured a German town. In this town, Collier and Norman go to search one of the homes and find that a German woman and her cousin are hiding there. The movie takes a long pause at this point and spends about twenty minutes following the characters in this house. Collier and Norman are treated well because they are nice to these two women. When the other men in Collier's tank unit arrive part way through the scene, things get a little different as the others are quite rude to these women who are taking care of them for this scene. What makes this scene special is that it showcases perhaps the best performances of the film by all the actors. The interaction is truly something amazing to watch and is far and away the best part of the entire movie.
Director David Ayer puts these characters wholly in the war, meaning that there is a great lacking in character development. Normally, character development helps the audience understand characters better, but Ayer makes nothing, such as where they came from or what their lives back home were like, matter at all. All that matters and all that we know about these characters is their role in the war, which makes the film special in that way. Having the focus solely on the war brings out some terrific acting from all of these actors.
This may be one of Brad Pitt's finest performances, and perhaps the best performances for actors Michael Peña and Shia LaBeouf. But the best performance is that of Logan Lerman. I suspect he will get some attention when the awards season draws near because this is a performance so fierce, he could be nominated for an Oscar or even a Golden Globe for it.
Ayer depicts a wartime scenario similar to that of Saving Private Ryan (1998) in the way that scenes are constructed. Battles are often fought on cloudy days with fog rolling in at times. The difference is that Fury is not nearly as bloody, but showcases some of the same intensity that is shown in Saving Private Ryan.
This is one of the best war movies I've ever seen and perhaps the best WWII movie since Saving Private Ryan. This is a film that is receiving quite a bit of praise from critics and audiences according to Rotten Tomatoes and I suspect will receive lots of recognition come award season. I cannot recommend this movie enough because it is simply not to be missed!
I give Fury an A.
Directed by: David Ayer
Screenplay by: David Ayer
"Ideals are peaceful. History is violent."
It's April, 1945 and WWII is almost over. The Americans are campaigning through Europe trying to defeat the Nazis. German tanks both out man and outnumber American tanks. American casualties are incredibly high because of this, but they are still pushing through. This story follows one group of men who drive one of the American tanks, a tank they call "Fury". Led by Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt), these men are at the forefront of a great deal of violence and are witnesses to many atrocities. The tank's main gunner, a character we do not see in the film, has been killed in battle, and upon their return to base, they need a new gunner. That's where Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) comes in. A fresh recruit, he's not trained to shoot the tank's gun and he's never seen combat before. This poses a problem for the other guys in the unit. They aren't used to him and are having difficulty getting to know him. Norman is entering and must become part of this band of brothers in order to survive the war.
This is a film, not so much about WWII itself, but the people who fought it. The men the film portrays are not killing machines like some other war movies may depict soldiers to be. These soldiers are depicted as human beings who have to deal with really difficult things that most people will never have to deal with in their lives. Wardaddy and his men show a great deal of hatred toward the enemy, yet despite this hatred, have difficulty grasping the job they are tasked to do. Nobody in this film shows it quite like Norman does, especially since he is not used to carrying out such horrific acts such as killing another man.
The film puts a more human perspective on these soldiers, by depicting just how difficult their job is. The movie is broken up into two parts separated by one scene in particular that defines the power of this film and the effect it will have on viewers. In this scene, the platoon has gone deep behind enemy lines and captured a German town. In this town, Collier and Norman go to search one of the homes and find that a German woman and her cousin are hiding there. The movie takes a long pause at this point and spends about twenty minutes following the characters in this house. Collier and Norman are treated well because they are nice to these two women. When the other men in Collier's tank unit arrive part way through the scene, things get a little different as the others are quite rude to these women who are taking care of them for this scene. What makes this scene special is that it showcases perhaps the best performances of the film by all the actors. The interaction is truly something amazing to watch and is far and away the best part of the entire movie.
Director David Ayer puts these characters wholly in the war, meaning that there is a great lacking in character development. Normally, character development helps the audience understand characters better, but Ayer makes nothing, such as where they came from or what their lives back home were like, matter at all. All that matters and all that we know about these characters is their role in the war, which makes the film special in that way. Having the focus solely on the war brings out some terrific acting from all of these actors.
This may be one of Brad Pitt's finest performances, and perhaps the best performances for actors Michael Peña and Shia LaBeouf. But the best performance is that of Logan Lerman. I suspect he will get some attention when the awards season draws near because this is a performance so fierce, he could be nominated for an Oscar or even a Golden Globe for it.
Ayer depicts a wartime scenario similar to that of Saving Private Ryan (1998) in the way that scenes are constructed. Battles are often fought on cloudy days with fog rolling in at times. The difference is that Fury is not nearly as bloody, but showcases some of the same intensity that is shown in Saving Private Ryan.
This is one of the best war movies I've ever seen and perhaps the best WWII movie since Saving Private Ryan. This is a film that is receiving quite a bit of praise from critics and audiences according to Rotten Tomatoes and I suspect will receive lots of recognition come award season. I cannot recommend this movie enough because it is simply not to be missed!
I give Fury an A.
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