Fury

Nick Schwab

A lame-duck, societal-issue drama by Fritz Lang that is quite ineffective in its drama. The plot struggles for life and verisimilitude in the first half, while the cleverness of the second half is absent, becoming heavy-handed in its plot and hiccuping in its pace. Odd Lang's M is so effective during its resolution's similar plot points 5 years earlier, while Fury chokes to death on an awkward self-importance.

José Neves

Cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. Rewatched yesterday: it is by cinema-the supposed filmed document that exposes the participation of the individuals on trial in the attempted lynching-that the truth is revealed, that is, it is through representation that is assumed the truth of the facts, anticipating with this démarche our factual world of images a la minute and representation issues. With the fiery faces of M.

ASHES IN THE HOURGLASS

This would have been a masterpiece had it not been for it's portrayal of the media and the mob. What I'm saying is that, for a film that criticizes the way the media sensationalizes crime, the film ironically doesn't seem to have a problem sensationalizing the media and the mob. Other than that this was the best performance by Tracy to whom the film is sympathetic but never makes the mistake of being blind to reality

Howard Orr

Hasn't aged because, like all good films, "Fury" crystallises pretty much unchanging aspects of human behaviour. I can't help seeing this as a crucial influence on film noir, in that it represents the constant threat of decent people being dragged down by bad luck and malevolence.

Dave

Joseph Ruttenberg is the only one I can really praise here. I actually consider it the most overrated film of Lang's American movies, if not his whole career.

filmcapsule

Interesting Hollywood film from Fritz Lang, that benefits greatly from his subtle but dramatic camerawork and facility with both silent storytelling and artful use of sound. Spencer Tracy smolders as the film careens from a tender love story, to a "wrong man" drama, to a morality tale of vigilante justice and revenge.

Daniel S.

First film directed by the German master in Hollywood and the first of a cycle, that would not end until 1956, dedicated to the American legal system and its flaws. Another Lang theme, the blind behaviour of the mob, is also handled in FURY, a film that should belong to any well-educated gentleman's library. Masterpiece.

Christopher R. Smith

Fritz Lang's fatalistic drama is very dated in some respects, but also surprisingly modern in its cynical depiction of the media and criminal justice system. The far-fetched plot is often heavy-handed, but Lang's taut direction and strong performances make it worth watching, even if it falls short of the classic it's been described to be.