Fury

***Fury*** is a 2014 American war film.

## Synopsis

A grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.

## Plot

It is April 1945. As the Allies make their final push into Nazi Germany, Don "Wardaddy" Collier, a battle-hardened U.S. Army staff sergeant in the Second Armored Division, commands an M4 Sherman "Easy Eight" tank nicknamed *Fury* and its veteran crew: gunner Boyd "Bible" Swan, loader Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis, driver Trini "Gordo" Garcia and assistant driver–bow gunner "Red". They have been together since the North African campaign. Don has a deep hatred for the infamous Waffen-SS. Red is killed in action and replaced by Private Norman Ellison, a fresh recruit trained only as a clerk typist.

As they move deeper into Germany, Norman's inexperience becomes dangerous. He spots but fails to shoot Hitler Youth child soldiers who ambush the commanding officer's tank with a Panzerfaust, killing the crew and later during a skirmish with anti-tank guns he hesitates under fire. Don is angered at his incompetence and after the battle he orders Norman to murder a captured German soldier for wearing a U.S. Army coat. When Norman refuses, Don wrestles the pistol into his hand and forces him to pull the trigger, killing the prisoner and traumatizing Norman. Don then leads the tanks to capture a small German town, where Norman kills several German soldiers who were burning alive after being struck by white phosphorus, much to Gordo's annoyance, telling Norman he should have "let them burn".

While searching an apartment, Don and Norman find a German woman, Irma and her younger cousin, Emma. Don gives the frightened women eggs and asks for hot water to clean up. Norman starts to play their piano and Emma sings along. The two go into the bedroom and have sex. When Irma tries to intervene, Don stops her, saying that the two are "young and alive". The four then share a meal but the rest of the crew drunkenly barges in, with Grady viciously harassing the women, angering Don and Norman, the former of whom rebukes Grady. They are then called away for an urgent mission and as the men prepare to leave, German artillery targets the town, with Emma being killed in the bombardment, traumatizing Norman further.

The platoon is ordered to capture and hold a vital crossroads to protect the division's supplies and rear echelon. On the way, they are ambushed by a Tiger tank. Don eventually destroys the Tiger by out-manoeuvring it and firing into its thinner rear armor but the other three Allied tanks and his radio are knocked out. He decides to continue on alone to the crossroads. Upon arriving at the crossroads, the tank is immobilized by a landmine. While scouting a nearby house, Grady apologizes to Norman for his treatment towards him and the two make amends.

Don sends Norman to scout a nearby hill, while Grady, Gordo and Bible begin working on repairing the tank. While on guard, Norman spots an approaching Waffen-SS battalion heading their way, much to the crew's horror. The crew prepare to flee but Don refuses to leave, stating that *Fury* is his only true home. Norman also refuses to leave Don, with the rest of the crew eventually agreeing to stay. They disguise Fury to make it appear knocked out and hide inside. While they wait, Norman is finally accepted by the rest of the crew and is given the nickname, "Machine." As night falls, they ambush the Germans and in the intense, prolonged fighting, scores of Germans and most of the crew are killed. Grady is killed by a Panzerfaust that penetrates the turret, Gordo accidentally drops one of his own grenades into the tank after being shot, sacrificing himself by covering it with his body and Bible is shot in the head by a sniper who also severely wounds Don. Out of ammunition and surrounded, Don orders Norman to escape through the emergency hatch in the floor, as the Germans drop grenades into the tank. Norman slips out just before they explode, killing Don. Norman is spotted by a young SS soldier, who hesitates, then leaves with his comrades without alerting them. The next morning, Norman crawls back inside the tank, where he covers Don's body with his coat. He hears movement outside and, grabbing Don's revolver, prepares to make his last stand. To his relief, American soldiers have arrived, praising him as a hero. As Norman is being driven away, he looks back at the hundreds of dead Germans lying around the destroyed Fury.