war

Unspoken Part of War

Boyd Swan: Wait until you see it.
Norman Ellison: See what?
Boyd Swan: What a man can do to another man.
— Fury directed by David Ayer

Does Fury have a lot of blood? Yes. Does Fury have an epic, final-stand, battle scene at the end of the movie? Yes. Does Fury have a character scared of war who by the end of the movie becomes heroic? Yes. Fury has everything that every war movie has with a pretty predictable plot, yet Fury brings something different to the table that most war movies do not bring. Fury highlights the idea of morality and human nature in war.

I have read many reviews on the movie and a lot of those reviews are stuck on the plot and war scenes. The reviews never talk about what I believe is the point of the movie, which is showing human nature in war. David Ayers could have done a historically accurate take on a US veteran's story, but instead he created his own narrative in a historical setting. Instead of being tied to history and facts, I think Ayers decided to create his own narrative on purpose in order to create a realistic dialogue while addressing the idea of human nature in war. 

Great, Ayers is trying to highlight human nature in war, but what does that really mean? Most people live their whole life not having to kill another person. In war, part of your job is to kill. When murder is staring at you for the first time, their is a mental block. Is it right for me to kill this person? In the movie Fury, you see the internal struggle between a person's morality. Some characters are numb to killing, while others are not. The contrast of characters' morality is enlightening. 

Wardaddy: Why are you here? You’re here to kill him. You know why he’s here? He’s here to kill you. He’s here to kill you. He’s here to rip your throat out, put a bullet in your… I’m trying to teach you something. Are you here to get me killed? Are you going to get me killed? I need you to perform. Just get it over with. Just get it over with.
Norman Ellison: I can’t do it.
Wardaddy: Yes, you can. I know you can. He kills you or you kill him. It’s simple math. You or him: pick.
Norman Ellison: Just kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me, please. I can’t do it.
— Fury directed by David Ayer

There has been a lot of talk in the press about veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. I think a lot of war movies just show the gore or the heroes, but Fury not only shows the physical war, it shows the mental war. If life goes the way I plan it, I will not be entering war in my life. To be honest, I do not know what it means to be in war. I cannot empathize with veterans; all I can do is sympathize for veterans. This movie helped me and hopefully will help you get a little more insight into the mental part of war which is something society unfortunately shies away from. 

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