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‘Fury’: a raw, powerful film

Brad Pitt stars as an army sergeant who commands a tank.

Rounding out the box office in the number one spot, this intense World War II action movie delivers an emotional kick to audiences. The star-studded cast of Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal command a tank past enemy lines into the heart of the war. Set in April 1945, in the height of the German invasion, the team loses their assistant driver, and young, inexperienced Norman (Lerman) is thrust in his place. The crew faces overwhelming odds in their attempts to take out as many Nazis as possible.

“Fury” is a hard, gritty look at the horrors of war. Mud coats every scene and nothing is too bold or disgusting for this film to tackle. Lerman’s character Norman is young and innocent, and the film documents his struggle to keep his humanity intact while becoming a coldhearted soldier. Some of the scenes in the film are grotesque and worth the R rating. Nothing is glamourized or sugarcoated, and the actors give a gravely realistic portrayal of “shell-shock” (PTSD). Though Brad Pitt has a history of portraying Army generals in World War II movies, he is able to define his character away from his performance in “Inglorious Basterds.” Shia LaBeouf is outstanding and worth watching alone. After a brief crazy stint, it appears that he is in fact still famous and needs some work. His character is deeply religious, significantly contrasting with the brutality of murdering hundreds of German soldiers.

The film is overwhelmingly dark and suspenseful. The emotional roller coaster of the final few scenes puts the audience on edge, patriotism and all. The only thing comical about the film was the depiction of firefight. In order to distinguish the ammunition, the effects team made the bullets and tankfire light up like lasers. The “Star Wars” effects detract from the entire film and lose seriousness in otherwise intense moments.

Overall, “Fury” is not a disappointment by any means and a perfect action movie for any history buff. The acting is superb, the story is raw and the themes are real. “Fury” is rated R for or strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images and language throughout.