Among the best WW2 movies, and the best "tank movie"

Rating: Null/10 (25 October 2014)

I cannot claim that "tank movie" qualifies as a separate genre by itself but those who enjoyed "Battle of the Bulge" (1965) half a century ago would love "Fury". Both anchored on the post-D-Day period when the Nazis made a desperate final attempt to turn the tides of war by unleashing the last instalment their still superior hardware: Tiger tanks. While "Bulge" is a dramatic (actually somewhat melodramatic) heroic epic that essentially entertains, "Fury" is an intimate account that entertains, probes, moves and challenges.
"Fury" can boast of the distinction of being shot with the ONLY remaining real, working Tiger tank in the world, "T-131", that was captured from the Nazis during the war and still kept intact in a museum. Pitched against Tigers were American Sherman tanks, decidedly outclassed in both fire power and armor protection.
With some simplification, I could say that "Fury" is a brief (a few days) account of intimate scrutiny of 5 people who man the titular Sherman tank, starting with the arrival of newcomer (replacement of a lost assistant driver) Norman (no reference to "Psycho", I think) who was obviously in the wrong place, having joined the army for only 8 weeks, "fighting" with nothing deadlier than a typewriter. You can look at this multi-dimensioned movie as a coming-of-age story of Normal, well performed by Logan Lerman.
The soul of the movie however is squad leader "Wardaddy", superbly portrayed by a Brad Pitt who never stops surprising the audience with his virtuosity, such as the dumb idiot in "Burn after reading" (2008) that you would never have associated with him until you see the movie. In "Fury" the first impressive I have is that I have never seen Pitt so old, not old as in Benjamin Button, but in the sense of being world-wearied and war-wearied. Shia LaBeouf finally capitalizes on a role that can showcase his acting ability, a soldier nicknamed "Bible" which quite aptly defines the character. The delicate bond between Wardaddy and Bible is quite subtle but still palpable. The other two members are nicknamed Gordo (Michael Pena) and Coon-Ass (Jon Bernthal), two varieties of the gruffly, macho soldier from the grass root.
The one thing that must be remembered is that except for newcomer Norman (who finally got accepted and earned a nickname "Machine") these people have been through hell, over and over again, in the claustrophobic interior of a tank. The bonding this has on them is something that we can only try to appreciate, but never truly empathize with.
Those looking for action should be well satisfied with the final two set pieces. First, we witnessed several Sherman tanks destroyed one after another by a Tiger which was ultimately vindicated by Wardaddy and his boys through skill and courage in maneuvering Fury. This level of excellence in filming a tank battle you have never seen before. In the grand finale, their tank, the only one remaining in the group, got stuck after hitting a land mine. All alone in the middle of nowhere, working to repair the tank, the found (through Norman posted on a watch) that marching towards them in a collision course is a troop of some 300 German infantry, too many for 5 men to cope with, even with a stalled tank that can still fight. The war was on the verge of being won and the logical course of action appears to be to hide in the woods until the troop passes. But "No", says Wardaddy, "this is my home", patting Fury with deep affection. The rest is history (for the movie).
There is one interlude that deserves mentioning. I shall not go into details but briefly, during a respite in a German town captured, Wardaddy and Norman find a moment of quiet domesticity in an apartment where two attractive German women where to prepare and share a quiet meal (eggs provided by Wardaddy – don't ask me how he got them) with them. While Normal is drawn to the piano and plays from the music scores there, the younger of the two women (a girl, essentially) is drawn to him and starts singing to the music. This leads to a tender love scene that is left mostly to the audience's imagination. But when the other three members of the crew walk it, real drama and tension starts - a mixture of absurdity and reality.
Finally, I must mention the opening scene which could be a tribute to a similar scene in "Lawrence of Arabia" – a faint dot appears in the center of the screen and is gradually reveals as a man approaching on horseback. This underlies the mesmerizing photography with which "Fury" is shot.