Fury
Dir: David Ayer
2014
***
Considering David Ayer's previous films, I wasn't surprised to see Fury explore the more violent aspects of War but the graphic images didn't always sit well. I think that is a good thing. War isn't as romantic or glorious as it is often portrayed in film, many of us will have had Grandfathers who they'd like to remember as sweet little old men rather than trained killers but unfortunately there is an element of truth to it. Indeed I remember my Grandfather telling me once when I asked why he didn't talk of the War (he was actually in the First and was too old for the Second) that "The Grandfathers who talk most of the War are the ones who did the least amount of fighting" and he often refused to talk about it, especially not to his impressionable Grandchildren. There was a quiet dignity to this 'don't talk about it' attitude adopted by many (my other Grandfather whom I never met was apparently much the same, although he didn't fight at all and was captured on his second day and was a Japanese POW for the remainder of his War) , however, then all I was left with in my youth was old War films and none of the ones I was allowed to watch really showed the true horrors of War, quite the opposite, which wasn't really helpful in my understanding as the only good War film is an anti-War film. Fury is, up to a point, a good War film. There are heroics but no true hero that we often see in Hollywood's representations. By no means does this mean that many solders are bad, but back in WW2 when people had very little choice, people were pushed and lines were crossed. Very few had an easy time of it, with suffering comes fury and that is addressed admirably within the film. However, the message seems to have been thrown out in the films final act where every single War cliche is brought out as if there just wasn't any way to avoid it, which is such a shame as the film looses credibility because of it in my opinion. Well directed, with capable acting and a suitable intense and uneasy feel to it, somewhat undone by a contradictory conclusion. Good but not as great as it could have been.