Jacob Langhamer

AGCJ314-901
2/18/15
Fury: A True American War Story
When watching the film Fury, one may fully embrace the feelings of depression,
horror, and sadness that the soldiers of the American Army experienced during April of 1945 in
Germany while going toe-to-toe against the almighty Adolf Hitler and his gruesome Nazi Army.
Film director David Ayer does an outstanding job displaying an imagery that was extremely
accurate in regards of the World War that took place on German soil. Ayer draws a distinct
picture through the film to reflect what the land looked like during WWII: burnt trees, hazy land,
and army tanks, as well as the ground set on fire. The green and light-brown uniforms full of
pockets and buttons, as well as the large circular helmets worn by the soldiers closely resembled
that of which were worn by WWII soldiers.
It would not take long for the viewer to realize the amount of time Ayer spent adding
gore and dramatic deaths into the screenplay. Men, women, and children who refused to join the
fight on the German side can be seen hung with a sign hanging around their neck. Soldiers at the
American base are constantly getting immediate medical attention for an amputated limb. Based
upon this particular film, Ayer can be compared to gore-loving writer-director Quentin Tarantino
for the bloody, terroristic massacres he displays during Fury. Although this film may be Ayers
most detailed yet, he has been known to produce many fighting-type drama films such as
Training Day and End of Watch.
Brad Pitt stars as Sgt. Don Wardaddy Collier, the leader of the five-man army tank
named Fury who has been fighting alongside the same men since the battle in North Africa.

Starring in an action-packed movie is nothing new for Pitt, for he has also had key roles in Mr.
and Mrs. Smith (2005) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). His men include the gunner, Bible
(Shia LaBeouf), the Hispanic driver named Gordo (Michael Pea), and arrogant mechanic CoonAss (Jon Berenthal). After losing one of his men that resulted in a bloody death, Sgt. Collier and
his men were not too eager to bring in the new guy, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), a tenderhearted young man who has only been enlisted for a few weeks as a typist and has never fired a
weapon nor served in combat before. After showing several weak moments, Ellison is criticized
by his own men, and Sgt. Collier is forced to make a man out of him to ensure the safety of his
men. After being exposed to numerous deaths, losing someone that meant a lot to him very
suddenly, and being responsible for the death of some of the American Army soldiers, Ellison
grows into a determined soldier that is faced with anything but easy decisions.
Although Ayer does a fantastic job of displaying great detail of the actual war, attire
worn, and the sight of German towns in 1945 there is little narrative to compliment it.
Throughout the 134 minute film, constant loud noise may even overpower the nearby theater
room that is in the middle of a different showing. The dialogue is almost too sharp and direct
throughout the entire film, and some scenes are irrelevant to the situations that occur during the
film. As far as acting goes, Brad Pitt did a phenomenal job, as always. As for the co-stars, the
acting performances were good enough to keep the audience intrigued throughout the course of
the film. Fury may be a great movie, however, based upon the outcome of the movie it may
seem unnecessary to even create the film. No actual victories occurred, only moral victories that
may have been meant to inspire or motivate the audience. In conclusion, if Ayer had only spent
less time on the detailed physical attributes of the film and spent more time developing a better
storyline, the film Fury may have been among one of the best WWII films ever produced.

Works Cited
Block, B. (Producer) & Smith, E. (Producer) & Lesher, J. (Producer) & Ayer, D. (Director).
2014. Columbia Pictures [Motion Picture]. United Kingdom: Le Grisbi Productions.
IMDb Fury. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2713180/
IMDb Brad Pitt Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm