Fury as a film leaves a lot unexplained with some glaring oversights. For a start, I still have no idea why the soldiers decided to name their tank Fury. As someone who likes to know these things, it is incredibly annoying.
It’s these small inconsistencies that limit the enjoyment of the viewer despite the excellent special effects and tone of the film.
Brad Pitt plays Don Collier, the hardened leader of his troops. His character, the father figure to his small group, is never truly explained, but this does not detract from what is a perfectly adequate war film.
Supporting Pitt are Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman and Michael Peña among others, who all play distinctive characters. There is little detail given to any of their backgrounds however, making it hard to relate to them.
This stunts the film as on the one hand, it relies on the audience buying in to what the writer is selling, but the problem is that he is not saying an awful lot.
The film concentrates on tank warfare and has a close and private feel to it. The numerous scenes inside the tank make the film feel intimate and personal, something that could have been used to get a better understanding of the characters in the confined space.
It is not about the characters though. It is all about the action. Fury is gritty and dirty and accurately displays what younger audiences will perceive World War Two to be like.
Fury is full of explosions and heroism and almost glorifies the war with the soldiers referring to the job of killing as ‘the best job I ever had.’ There is something twisted about this logic and it is only a younger naive audience that can understand this way of thinking. I am sure my grandfather for example would have a different idea on war.
Like many war films, it follows a small group through their fight against the Nazis. It plays on the idea of tank warfare heavily, something I have not come across before in film. It is a novel idea that works well.
The film however can be summed up in ten words: It’s Saving Private Ryan with less storyline and more tanks.
If you like war films, chances are you should give Fury a go. Not a bad film by any means. Engaging and entertaining throughout, the film just needs more background of its characters to help the audience immerse itself in the story.
