By Humbler Acts
When I think about how a war movie now shows the spiritual, soul-destroying ritual of killing foes without severing the connection between mind and heart of participants, it astonishes me. How can it be possible for people-- who probably once lived simple lives of mediocre intensity-- to now be risking their lives or extinguishing others'... daily?. It's amazing! And yet we as viewers digest it all and seem to enjoy the whole panoply. I guess as long as we are not the ones getting killed or killing- and know it is, of course, only a film, something real weird kicks in; and we watch and redeem something.
I guess it helps that-- as the winning team in the new film, "Fury"-- we're the good guys. Surely, though, the writer and director, David Ayers, shows how World War II (in a Sherman tank-fighting the last month of the war) has made monsters out of brave Yanks. This one Sherman tank we are focused on is bossed by Brad Pitt, a hardened veteran of three years of tank warfare. "Wardaddy" is his nickname: to show that his mindset is killing Nazis as well as ensuring that he and his other four crew members survive.
But when the film opens, one of the four has been killed, and a new gunner has been assigned to them. He is a young, innocent, peace-loving "Norman", played by Logan Lerman. He lacks experience and surely doesn't know a tank from a taxi. He's not welcomed by Wardaddy or the other three crew, Graddy ("Coon-Ass") played by Jon Bernthal, Boyd ("Bible") played by Shia La Beouf, and the last guy- Trini "Gordo"-played by Michael Pena... They want someone who'll take the place of their slaughtered teammate: Norman acts like a joke. And they ill-treated him till he gained some of their respect. To me, the film was all about how Wardaddy handled his own dysfunctional leadership and guided Norman to dysfunction-- at least as far as survival.
There were a couple of noteworthy bonding scenes between these two. In one-a scene that's quite full of suspense-- their one surviving tank pulls up to a town and rests there.. As young krauts surrender from a building-some of them teenagers-- Wardaddy sees-- peekng out of a top floor window-- a woman; and he quickly grabs Norman and heads up to that unit. There they find the older woman (Ima), who's played by Anamaria Marinca and her niece (Emma) played by Alicia Von Rittberg-escapees from all that has happened below. Terrified of their fate- as it appears to be- the women wait tensely for what Wardaddy and Norman might command them to do.
But Wardaddy behaves calmly: he gives them cigarettes and a carton of eggs and asks the aunt to fetch him hot water. Meanwhile, Norman spots a piano and starts playing a piece of classical music. The niece is touched and steps behind him and refreshingly begins to sing. (Wardaddy to Norman: "You ought to take her in the bedroom... If you don't, I will.") And so that's where they go. But Norman is tender. He asks for her hand, and starts to explain her fortune, and gradually they relax. When she and he exit that room, both have cute looks upon their faces, which confess to the adults what has happened.
Meanwhile, Wardaddy has shaved and started to eat something the aunt has cooked for him. About that time, in come the other three crew guys. Having been in celebration down below in the square, they act crude, rude and what you might expect from horny guys. Wardaddy puts them in their place, and shows them that his social skills are still somewhat intact-even after all the battles he's borne.
Another scene, also to show the way Wardaddy is guiding him to manhood or murderhood: Norman is forced to shoot a Nazi who has surrendered after another score. This episode shows all too clearly how Wardaddy's own being has become doused with kraut-killing. "Here's a pistol... Shoot him!" He calls out to Norman. "It's either kill him or be killed!" "Then kill me!" sobs Norman. Wardaddy grabs Norman, and holding the pistol himself but pressing Norman's hand over it, and standing at the man's back, Norman force fires. Between these two scenes you see what Wardaddy's done. Soon after that, Norman starts to kill Nazi's as soon as he sees them in his sight. Now it's like he relishes it. Is that called character development? How does character grow when you kill folks? That's the real tragedy of people fighting wars. But if you see this movie, you'll see an ending which may redeem the character of at least one sole survivor.
I thought the overall excellence of "Fury" was evident. I don't buy war, but I know that the world-- being what the world is... War will always remain man's fate. It's almost part of his organic construction. Even though men do not want war, a lot of warriors will tell you, it was the best job they ever had; it was the part of their life where they were part of a real team- where they would die for others; and others would die for them. Where else can you find that?
And this film shows that brotherhood, and it shows the way men bonded after bloodshed. The tank battles-- and the spatial confinement of men in those tanks fighting to live-- fearing to die-- are starkly shown. Roman Vasysnov, the cinematographer, does a superb job with those scenes The film score by Steve Price brilliantly informs when emotional turmoil ensues.. "Fury" by the way is the name given the tank and printed right on its long gun. When I walked out of the theater, I thought, 'EIGHT!' And that's the grade I will stick with.
What My Grade Grants:
8.) "About as good as it could get."
7.) "Lacking that bit of excellence."
6.) "Somehow it just didn't work well."
5.) "I have to feel bad about it."
4.) "All that work and nothing to show."
