Fury – here’s hoping for visceral realism

There are a lot of people hoping for big things from the movie Fury, from gamers to tanker veterans to just about everyone I know.  The previews are extremely promising, which is just another reason why so many of us hope they get it right. From the production information they shared with me and the conversations I've had, it looks like they're making every effort to do just that.

Fury takes place over a period of approximately 24 hours in April of 1945, less than month before Germany surrends to the Allies. It centers on the crew of a single Sherman tank caught in the dying throes of a defeated Wehrmacht.

Among the many measures they took to create an accurate and realistic film was the inclusion of several WWII tanker veterans. Among them were Donald Evans (a veteran of the 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division),  Paul Andort (41st Infantry, 2AD), George Smilanich  and Ray Stewart (both also of the 2AD). Their recollections of combat, service under General Patton and the daily life of a tanker in 1945 were, according to film makers, crucial to crafting verisimilitude. They also used military armor/cavalry combat veterans, including many from Afghanistan, for the tank crews used in the movie rather than collectors.

Five WWII-era Sherman tanks from the UK were used for the movie, along with a German Tiger abandoned by its crew in North Africa after fighting Churchill tanks of the 48^th Royal Tank Regiment. It is one of only six remaining Tiger tanks in the world, and the only one still operable. “Fury” herself as seen in the movie was supplied by the Bovington Tank Museum.

We'll see if all that effort translates into a movie that reaches its potential.