FURY [Movie Review]

This may be the first movie in decades that I've actually gone with my father to see in a theater. He likes historical movies, but usually has no interest in actually going to the 'over-priced' theaters. And of course the seniors discount (a whole amazing $0.25 - wow!) was somewhat insulting.

M4A3E8 Sherman with main cast.

This is a war movie.
This is historical fiction.
However this is not 'based on a true' story, or set in a easily located place. It takes place in Germany, 1945. That is about all you know. They never refer to any town by name. Which is a good mechanic to use, it prevents nit picking over some historical details... which I imagine many are doing to this movie anyways.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Shermans in battle line.

I've actually read a few articles that bemoan certain tiny details in the movie. Some I understand, some are just whiny.

Those are not why this movie was good. Yes, the tanks were quite spectacular. The Shermans were quite nice, and seemed to have multiple load outs. Maybe some were the 75mm, and at least the Fury appears to be the one with a 76mm, the Easy 8. I do not think that any of the Shermans are the Jumbo with extra forward armor. Then there is the Tiger. The Tiger is amazing... and it is 100% accurate because they used the only surviving Tiger in the world, Tiger 131.

The Tiger 131. Quite impressive.

Yes, the tanks are nice. Very nice.

However the real quality of the movie comes from the emotional feel of the film. You never ever feel comfortable. The whole movie is uncomfortable, and it is meant to be. From watching a young man struggle to learn to kill, to watching how cruel the American soldiers are towards the German women, to the abject brutality of the SS. There is nothing in the movie that feels calm, that does not have that edge of tension, the slight feeling of panic and nerves. Even simple conversations have an air of uneasiness. Not a lot of movies deliver such all encompassing tone and feel.

This is also not a happy movie. The movie depicts war crimes being committed by both sides. It is a disgusting and disturbing bit of film, and yet it never wavers from showing how dark and brutal and horrible war actually is. War should never shown in a good light. If you scroll back up to the top and look at the poster you will see the words Honor, Glory, and War. Only one of those three words can truly be found in the movie - War. The scraps of honor are brief and pitiful and quickly squashed into the mud and blood beneath steel tracks. There is no glory, save false praise. There is only war and death and brutality and survival.

This movie is worth seeing, but not if you are wanting some typical heroic war movie. This is about the grit and the grime, the horror and fury of war. It is not pleasant, nor is it meant to be. However it is a movie that is very powerful and certainly worth the ticket price.

Tiger vs Sherman - aka: the battle of plot armor.