Let me thank my buddy @jitender for making me watch this WWII-based classic movie “Fury” once again. It’s a 2014 release movie (now available on Netflix). I have always enjoyed stories with War as a backdrop and a handful of soldiers battling it out against a huge army, the grit, the valor, the gumption to take on disproportionate opponent has always inspired me. It could be Baji Prabhu Deshpande’s Panhalgad battle or Veer Tanhaji’ s Sinhagad quest, or 300 Spartans fighting mighty Persians, or Havildar Ishan Singh’s handful of soldiers defending Saragrahi fort or Major Kuldip Sigh’s valor at Battle of Longewaal, The list is endless, in every war or battle you will come across such unsung heroes, and a well-made movie about them is indeed a great tribute to their sacrifices.
Fury is all about an Armored unit commander Don “wardaddy” collier played by handsome Brad Pitt and his unit of 4 brave men and their war tank named FURY. It is set in the twilight period of WWII when Hitler’s mighty army is falling back, and the allied army is giving their final push and has entered deep inside German territory. Receding Nazi army is giving them fanatical resistance with superior military hardware. Fury is on a mission to secure a crossroad, other tanks in the platoon have been destroyed by the mighty Tiger tank of Nazis and as luck would have it even the Fury is immobilized by a landmine at the crossroad. Wardaddy has two options now a) to stay put in the crippled tank and face the Nazi battalion of 300+ men or b) to desert the tank and flee.
The option chosen by Braveheart’s is obvious and they stay put and take care of this Nazi battalion before laying down their lives. It’s a story of courage & valor which also bluntly showcases the ugly truth of war as to “War never ends quietly” (which is an apt tagline of the movie). Though it is a fictional account very realistically recreated. On the performance front Brad Pitt continues from where he left in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, he is too good. All his tank crew is simply awesome, especially Logan Lerman who is a rookie soldier just inducted in the US Army he is a typist hence his fingers move effortlessly on a typewriter than on pulling triggers of high caliber guns. His metamorphosis from a humane person to a war hero is awesome.
War scenes are beautifully shot, especially the combat between mammoth Tiger tank of nazis and technically inferior Sherman tanks used by Allied forces is an edge of the seat experience. It was also great learning that it’s total teamwork when it comes to a battle tank, there has to be great coordination between driver, asst driver/bow gunner, loader & Tank Gunner.
If you love war movies, then don’t miss this one.
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