Brad Pitt Turns to More Serious, Contemplative Work in “Fury”

By Michael James Gonzalez
The topic of World War II battles might sound dull for many, as it is arguably the most written about topic and most depicted on film than any other world war. Writer/Director David Ayer, however, has produced one of the most original and exciting new films in recent war movie history with Fury, a gritty action drama set deep in Nazi Germany a few months before the end of the war where Don “War Daddy” Collier, played by Brad Pitt, leads his tank crew against merciless and desperate Nazi forces who outnumber them. Ayer-who is known for high-concept, high action movies like The Fast and the Furious, Training Day, and End of Watch-wrote what is no doubt his most sophisticated screenplay to date with Fury. While there are plenty of explosions and gunfire to satisfy the most ardent action-movie fans, it is the relationship of the tank crew and how they individually and internally cope with the carnage, the death, the utter destruction of war that keeps us interested. We begin as the four-man tank crew-which includes Shia LeBeouf, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Pena-is on a temporary and much needed respite from battle after one of their gunners has just been killed. Norman, a child-like, enlisted typist with no battle experience is assigned as the new gunner. He’s played by Percy Jackson’s Logan Lerman. Not surprisingly, Norman is immediately despised by the crew-who have been together since the North African Campaign several years earlier-for his innocence and lack of experience. The wise and battle-weary “War Daddy,” however, understands that their survival is predicated on trust, and he therefore assumes responsibility for coaching Norman, through some painful teachable moments, to become a warrior. A bond between all of the men is forged and strengthened after much loss and devastation. On a mission to hold off a vital German supply route, an entire tank platoon of Allies is obliterated and only Fury-the nickname of our protagonists’ tank-remains functional but immobile after running over a landmine. With a parade of a few hundred SS soldiers marching toward the only surviving tank crew, the men are faced with the choice of either hiding in the German forest to wait for reinforcements, or fight to the death. All of the performances in this film are bold and raw with emotion albeit restrained. Brad Pitt convincingly embodies the strong, silent, battle-hardened commander, and the respect and reverence he was no doubt given on set by his fellow actors is quite palpable on screen. Ayer purposefully steers clear of the fast-cut, steadicam shooting style that has now been overused in other films to heighten war sequences and instead uses slow tracking shots and still, wide frames which effectively juxtapose the beauty of the German countryside with the ugliness of human misery, a style which keeps the tension alive while giving us a sense of calm before the storm. This is Ayer’s second collaboration with cinematographer Roman Vasyanov who diminishes the film’s color palate to make vivid the grayish mood of the narrative. It is beautifully photographed but retains the grit and harshness of the disrupted landscapes. The film is a tightly woven two hour thriller that hangs on knife’s edge and has real potential to go down as a classic war film. Only time will tell, however.

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