Fury

[JasonPratt]

I have a suspicion the final fight was meant to evoke Audie Murphy.

Watched it this afternoon with the Bro, since my birthday parties tend to be overrun with nieces.  :D Bank's closed on Vet Day so he was able to meet me for a matinee to celebrate the holiday and my birthday early.

Every criticism I've read upthread I agree with 150%. Also the praises: I didn't care for any of the characters (except the Sarge), but I admit they were acting the hell out of the parts anyway. Everything actually involving tank action == great if not always realistic (final battle). Creepy seeing so many Empire vs. Rebel tracer rounds -- were they really that prevalent? I've seen color film (taken in color, not colorized) of WW2 action and that just doesn't seem true.  :o ??? Looked great but seems fake. No other modern post-Star Wars WW2 movie looks like this. Maybe it's supposed to be stylized like the maddened/maddening German chanting in the background when action approaches or heats up.

The dinner scene felt like PAADDDDDINNNGGGGGGGGG the film. Made worse by the uncomfort of course.

Who the hell was Jason Isaacs playing? Captain someone, I saw in the credits, but I don't remember any British characters at all. Was he playing the American captain giving orders in a few scenes?? He deserves an Oscar for that, if so, because I didn't recognize him at all. Or do I have the wrong guy? {checking imdb} Nope, that was Captain Hook / Lord Malfoy (and other British supervillains, heir apparent to Alan Rickman.)

[Staggerwing]

I'm no expert but weren't there lots of different tracer colors? I've heard that some German tracer rounds burned yellow/green and others red depending on the type/caliber of weapon and where it was being used and that the US 30 and 50 ww2 cal tracer rounds burned orange. Maybe someone less lazy than I can wade through a few google chops and wiki pages to get the full details.

[Centurion40]

if someone watched a modern rendition of Audie Murphy's  brass balls in action without knowing the actual history you would cry bullshit all day and twice on Sunday.

I've never quite thought of it like that, but you're absolutely right. If they remade To Hell and Back today, a lot of people would think it was some Michael Bay over-the-top fantasy.

Hollywood!  Are you listening???!!  We want a remake!!

[Sir Slash]

Hear, hear. With the real Marcus Latrell as Murphy. And a digitalized John Wayne as his father. And for Hitler, anybody but Putin... too close to being real. ::)

[JasonPratt]

I'm no expert but weren't there lots of different tracer colors? I've heard that some German tracer rounds burned yellow/green and others red depending on the type/caliber of weapon and where it was being used and that the US 30 and 50 ww2 cal tracer rounds burned orange. Maybe someone less lazy than I can wade through a few google chops and wiki pages to get the full details.

I do think there were some "red" Nazi shells from cannon rounds in the film (though I may be misremembering).

It was the utter prevalence of tracer shots that seemed so weird, though the green/red color division made it seem even weirder.

I would say it's a case of reality being unrealistic (real modern Vulcan cannon fire looks like a death ray, or it used to anyway, thanks to the tracer packs -- though I've seen attacks from Warthogs that didn't look like that), except I don't get anything like that impression from color reality footage. Not WW2, not Korea, not Vietnam...

[Nefaro]

I'm no expert but weren't there lots of different tracer colors? I've heard that some German tracer rounds burned yellow/green and others red depending on the type/caliber of weapon and where it was being used and that the US 30 and 50 ww2 cal tracer rounds burned orange. Maybe someone less lazy than I can wade through a few google chops and wiki pages to get the full details.

I do think there were some "red" Nazi shells from cannon rounds in the film (though I may be misremembering).

It was the utter prevalence of tracer shots that seemed so weird, though the green/red color division made it seem even weirder.

I would say it's a case of reality being unrealistic (real modern Vulcan cannon fire looks like a death ray, or it used to anyway, thanks to the tracer packs -- though I've seen attacks from Warthogs that didn't look like that), except I don't get anything like that impression from color reality footage. Not WW2, not Korea, not Vietnam...

I don't think the A-10's gun uses as many tracers (if any at all?) as your typical machinegun or especially a mini-gun on a Spectre.  Probably to provide more AP rounds to the limited ammo mix, the explosive ones flash when they hit, and the gunsight is computed anyway?  ???

[Staggerwing]

Found this online:


German MG-42

US M1919 30 cal:

US M2 50 cal:

[JasonPratt]

Hm. Obviously the first video didn't have any tracers at all (until the end at night); but the others were interesting.

Also interesting: watching the tracers track the ricochets, especially the 30 cal. Just about every single shot spacked off the water at a low trajectory. They ought to show that in gun safety training classes.

[Sir Slash]

Yes! Great videos Stagger. I imagine if the MG 42 was shooting at me, I wouldn't know what color the tracers were cause I'd be curled into a fetal position with my head between my knees and digging a hole in the ground with my ass.

[Nefaro]

Hm. Obviously the first video didn't have any tracers at all (until the end at night); but the others were interesting.

Also interesting: watching the tracers track the ricochets, especially the 30 cal. Just about every single shot spacked off the water at a low trajectory. They ought to show that in gun safety training classes.

I think the M1919 was loaded with mostly tracers.  Better for putting on a show, I suppose.  ;)

[TacticalWargames]

Really enjoyed it..more so than Private Ryan.

Yes it was over the top at the end but still a decent war film.

[BanzaiCat]

Yes it was over the top at the end but still a decent war film.

My sentiments exactly. My expectations were very low andI was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

[airboy]

I finally caught this today and I think the point is mostly missed by the people here.  its a condensed story of a virgin soldier losing his innocence in a 48 hour period.  ya, the girl part was somewhat forced but we had that same experience in Band of Brothers with the medic.  granted there were some continuity errors in the final fight but, Ive read enough to give it a pass as odder shit has actually happened.  thats where medals are given.  if someone watched a modern rendition of Audie Murphy's  brass balls in action without knowing the actual history you would cry bullshit all day and twice on Sunday.

Not a movie guy - but I watched this flying back to the USA from Europe yesterday.

I agree with Star about this being one of the primary themes of the movie.  The other theme is the sheer disgust the US troops have about fighting child troops and a handful of adult fanatics when the war was lost.  Brad Pitt counters this in the movie by stating that "would you give up if it was your home?"

Ditto all of the tactics comments - the tactics of the infantry versus the Sherman was just nuts.

I have one more observation.  Why did the Tiger close with the Shermans?  Seems like it would fire and then reverse to keep the 3 Shermans from getting a tail shot on them.  Why charge to super close range?  Am I missing something?

Overall, perhaps a 7 out of 10.  It captured the angst at the end of the war and how hard it was to integrate a rookie with a veteran outfit.  The background scenery, the tanks, the shots of working the inside of a Sherman, the child soldiers ambushing tanks, etc.... were all well done.