War is hell. Many a war
film seeks to represent this oft-quoted phrase in cinematic form and
David Ayer's WWII tank action drama certainly seeks to give its
audience a glimpse of the depravity of war. But above all the
explosions, expletives and terror, does Fury manage
to be more than a solidly made piece of entertainment?
Amongst
Fury's impressive cast
there's a more unusual character: Brad Pitt's hair. Never before have
I seen such coiffured locks in a war film and hair which never strays
out of place, even when confronted with a grenade or two. Such a
resilient hairdo belongs to Staff Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier
(Pitt), who commands a tank known to its crew as “Fury”. But when
Don and his crew are sent on a mission behind enemy lines, disaster
strikes and the tank team find themselves out-gunned and outnumbered
against the Nazis.
Let's
begin with the good things – and don't get me wrong – there is
plenty to be admired in this film. From a pacing perspective, David
Ayer strikes an appropriate balance between action and scenes showing
the soldiers during the more banal moments of war which sees the
tanks trundling through the German countryside and the tank crews
interacting with one another. The battle sequences are shot with a
raw intensity and shocking realism which serves to hook the audience
and draw them into the theatre of war. That said, such competent
cinematography could have been used to trap the audience into the
claustrophobic world of the tank, possibly one of the most hellish
machines of battle. In a film about tank warfare, the camera felt
rather under-used within the confines of the tank.
Just
as the fog of war spread across Europe during the final, messy stages
of WWII, so too does the screenplay of Fury (which
was, incidentally, written by Ayer) create ambiguity through its
characters and situations. The audience is, for example, first
introduced to Brad Pitt's character as he pulls a German soldier from
a horse and stabs him in the eyeball. A little later, he forces naïve
new recruit Norman (Logan Lerman) to shoot a captured German soldier
in the back. This is what war is, we're told. The other members who
make up Fury's crew are a suitably motley bunch: Shia LaBeouf plays
gunner Boyd “Bible” Swan, Jon Bernthal plays loader Grady
“Coon-Ass” Travis and Michael Peña
gives a good performance as the driver Trini “Gordo” Garcia.
All
these characters are both endearing and repulsive simultaneously and
I often found myself wondering whether or not I should be rooting for
them. This is a great credit, I think, to Ayer's writing and the
overall tone of the film. The film's denouement is an exhilarating
and tense affair and, whilst the film's ending won't win any awards
for originality, it is very satisfying.
Despite
all the positives, I was left feeling that something was lacking
which would make Fury a truly affecting and powerful film. Yes
the fighting is thrilling and yes, the performances are assured, but
the whole experience feels rather superficial. Fury might not
quite achieve its quest to represent the actualities of war, but its
dynamic set pieces, enjoyable performances and nicely choreographed
action create a punchy and compelling film.
Clapperboard Rating: * * *
