Review: ‘Fury’ is a horrific, ugly look at the terrible costs of war

Posted on October 24, 2014

By MARK VIOLA

Written and directed by David Ayer (“End of Watch”), “Fury” is brutal, ugly, dirty, bloody, powerful, compelling, heartbreaking, thought-provoking and unforgettable. Although the conditions these characters endure are well beyond my own experiences, I have read that one WWII veteran, who talked with the cast and crew during filming, said the final product is more accurate in its portrayal of tank crews’ lives than any depiction before it. In this case, I defer to those with more knowledge than I.

“Fury” is not an easy film to watch, and it is unflinching in its look at the horrors of war, regardless of what those horrors may be. But it is also one of the best war movies I’ve seen in years. Ayers not only gives us a powerful story to watch and compelling characters to follow, he also brings out stellar performances from his entire cast, led by Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”), but also including Logan Lerman (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”), Michael Peña (“End of Watch”), Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead”) and Shia LaBeauf (“Lawless”).

This movie has one of the most emotionally powerful closing scenes in a movie I’ve seen. Between the nonstop tension from start to finish and the horrific imagery, I left the theater almost physically tired.
“Fury” features a level of realism–again judged by others who have the experience to make that determination–that we don’t often get in movies. Ayers, who has already made a name for himself as a writer, has proven again, he is a director to keep an eye on. His film presents war in all of its ugliness, and in doing so, gives us a powerful story that may be hard to watch, but is well worth the time and effort.

The film is rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images and language throughout.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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