Fury
Fury
(2014)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: David Ayer
Written by: David Ayer
Starring: Jon Bernthal, Shia LaBeouf,
Logan Lerman, Michael Peña,
Brad Pitt
Rating: 14A*
Release Date: October 17th, 2014
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| Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Brad Pitt, Michael Peña & Jon Bernthal in Fury © 2014 - Columbia Pictures |
Entering the Second World War in the final year of combat, Fury follows the eponymous tank squad. Consisting of 5 members; Don 'Wardaddy' Collier, Boyd 'Bible' Swan, (Shia LaBeouf), Trini 'Gordo' Garcia, (Michael Peña), Grady 'Coon-Ass' Travis, (Jon Bernthal), and a late machine gunner, Fury's inner parts are relentlessly beaten down by war. Opening with the squad's lone survival of a massive battle, we see the group lament the loss of their counterpart and friend, as well as kill Germans in hand to hand combat. Mere moments later, they have returned to the nearest outpost, restocked their supplies, have picked up a new gunner, and are on the road again; there are no rest stops in war. The new gunner, Norman Ellison, is a baby-faced writer, stuck on tank duty having never seen a tank before. What follows is his baptism by fire, and descent into the heart of darkness.
Fury is a film of moments. Like Brad Pitt's earlier work in the fantastic Inglourious Basterds, certain scenes tie together to create a complex whole. A scene with Pitt and Lerman making brunch with innocent German civilians is simultaneously funny and gut-wrenching, and the interplay between the actors is like cool jazz. LaBeouf's teary-eyed stare into Pitt's furious glare is shockingly moving, and the most important parts of the scene are the moments between spoken lines. Not only is it brilliant writing, but it takes brilliant actors to pull off such work. Say what you will about LaBeouf's personal tribulations in reality, on screen he's a brilliant actor. So too, are the others; Lerman once again proves he's an actor to watch, (his work in The Perks of Being a Wallflower was transcendent), Michael Peña gives a subtle and layered performance, (he's been fantastic since his work in the otherwise mediocre Crash), Jon Bernthal's work as a grunt with an underlying sympathy for others is transformative, and Pitt gives arguably the best performance of his career. As 'Wardaddy' Pitt is called upon to be the patriarch of the group - having to mask his anguish and horror and appear as a psychological rock for his squad. His work in Fury, especially the final half hour, is some of the most varied and talented work I've seen on screen in years. It's a shame that Pitt and LaBeouf didn't receive any love this Oscar season, because they certainly deserved some.
Not only is Ayer's script whip-smart and taut, his direction is stellar. Every scene is impeccably choreographed, the lines are delivered fluidly, and the masses of men and machinery moves like wind. The fact Ayer was able to materialize his vision into such crisp imagery is a miracle. The imagery, courtesy of cinematographer Roman Vasyanov, is visceral and compelling. While grotesque and wholly disturbing, Vasyanov's imagery is beautifully shot, capturing human indecency and carnage with an artists eye, like some of Francisco Goya's paintings, or paintings from the Romantic era.
Overall, Fury is one of the best war films since Schindler's List. While it does fall back on a rousing finale, it's still a subtle, angry and disturbing picture. Like the greatest of war films, Fury illustrates that war is never pretty, and that, like 'Bible' says, it forever changes a person, "seeing what a man can do to another man."
Grant's Rating: 5/5 Stars
Fury clip: "Tiger Battle"
*Note that while the Canadian Home Video Rating System, (CHVRS), has slapped Fury with a 14A rating, it's an extremely graphic and extremely unsettling film, aimed at a mature audience. I recommend watching Fury, but realize that it's not for the faint of heart, and if the Canadian rating system weren't such a goat rodeo, Fury would likely have received a rating of R.
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