Shattering, unflinching, brutally honest portrayal of war in a tank

Rating: 10/10 (30 October 2014)

Fury is unflinching in its portrayal of war, and is probably the most honest, least patriotic American anti-war film made about WW2. The only alternative I can think of is Steve McQueen's Hell is for Heroes. Saving Private Ryan, this ain't. It's one of those where you get the feeling that everything on screen probably happened, at least once. The only exception is the final battle, which is a bit Hollywood but at the same time not entirely impossible either, if you read of Audie Murphy's last battle.
Technically, it is incredibly well-researched. The details of the tanks, the crews, and armored combat are spot-on. It doesn't glorify anything, and shows both the positive and the negative qualities that Americans likely had in abundance at that stage of the war. The only thing it doesn't have is the smell. The sound effects are incredible.
Dramatically, watching it was a soul-shattering experience. It builds tension, both in and outside of combat, in a realistic way that few movies pull off successfully, especially most Hollywood war movies. The battle with the Tiger for me was especially tense, especially to anyone familiar with how Shermans had to fight Tigers in order to win. The actors disappear in their roles- even the big names. I believed every one of them could have been real.
I think the comparisons that have been made with Das Boot are very apt. I also saw similarities to Platoon, but it is done better in Fury because there is no clear good guy or bad guy, as Barnes and Elias were in the former.
Judging by the reviews it's gotten, it probably won't be recognized as such, but I think this is one of the great anti-war movies of history. It's certainly one of the most realistic.