Page 98 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK

HISTORY HOLLYWOOD

VS

Fact versus fi ction on the silver screen

FURY Director: David Ayer Starring: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf,

Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal Country: USA, UK Released: 2014
Does this tense and grisly action flick reflect the horrors of war? VERDIC ury accurately portrays the tragedy of
war while still managing to romanticise it.
WHATTHEYGOTWRONG… WHATTHEYGOTRIGHT…

During the battle with the The film lacks any sort of Pitt’s character being Themythofthe Fury captures the emotional and physical
01 Tigertank,theSherman’s 02credible infantry tactics 03able to make such 04 Germans possessing toll experienced by soldiers in war, and the
armour-piercing round could on both the US and German regularuseofaGermanStG44 tanksthatwerevastlysuperior characters exhibit extreme mood swings and
have penetrated the front armour sides.Thelackofcombinedarms is highly unlikely. They weren’t toanythingtheAlliescouldfield PTSD from the horrors they have witnessed.
oftheTigerquiteeasilyatshort (artilleryandairsupport,for common and ammo and spare is a common misconception, and Some veterans have remarked how well the film
range. ‘Fury’ was an ‘Easy Eight’ instance)ontheUSsideandthe partswouldhavehadtobe onethatisperpetuatedbythis portrays this.
Sherman, and its 76mm high- SS battalion’s inability to destroy scrounged from the battlefield. film. The M4 ‘Sherman’ medium
velocity gun would have been a theimmobilisedtankaretwo Forobviousreasonstankers tankwasoneoftheAllies’most
match for most German armour. standout examples. preferred more compact arms. effective vehicles.

© Rex Features

98