124 FURY
Sherman tanks are obliterated. Fury and his crew, now down to a single tank, pro-
ceed to the crossroads. Fury hits a landmine, and Ellison spies 300 Waffen- SS
panzergrenadiers heading toward their crew. Both leader and crew decide to remain
in their position and ambush the incoming German troops. The crewmen make it
appear as though Fury has been knocked out and then take shelter in their tank.
When the Germans arrive, the crew opens fire, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.
During the firefight, Grady, Bible, and Gordo are all killed and Collier is badly
injured. Ellison and Collier attempt to retreat back to the tank. Collier is killed
when SS soldiers detonate grenades in the tank, but Ellison escapes through a hatch
in the bottom of the tank. Ellison hides from the German soldiers and then returns
to the tank after they leave the area. Norman continues to hide as the surviving
German soldiers advance. The next morning, Norman Ellison crawls back into the
tank and respectfully covers Collier’s body with his coat. Ellison is then found by
American troops and named a hero as he glances back over the destruction caused
by the war.Reception
Fury had a successful commercial run, grossing $85.8 million in North Amer i ca
and $126 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $211.8 million, against
a bud get of $68 million: a substantial net profit, minus promotional expenses. The
critical response was largely favorable, though seldom enthusiastic. Most critics
found the film well- made but too narrowly focused on relentless depictions of
extreme vio lence. Film critic Christopher Orr’s critique is fairly representative of
the critical consensus: “Fury offers a stark and unforgiving portrait of the closing
days of the Good War in the Eu ro pean theater. Shot in hues of gray and brown, it
pres ents a universe of steel and smoke and— most of all— mud: swimming with
corpses, littered with dead trees, and endlessly crisscrossed by tank tracks. The
per for mances are strong, and in technical terms the film is above reproach: This
is almost certainly the most persuasive depiction of tank warfare yet committed to
celluloid... The prob lem with the film is that, over its subsequent hour and a half,
it does little more than repeatedly convey that same experience, albeit at escalat-
ing levels of mayhem” (Orr, 2014).Reel History Versus Real History
Staff Sergeant Don Collier’s nickname, “Wardaddy” references Staff Sergeant Lafay-
ette G. “War Daddy” Pool (1919–1991), a real World War II Sherman tank ace
with the 3rd Armored Division. In an 81- day period (27 June to 15 September 1944)
Pool destroyed 12 enemy tanks and 258 armored vehicles and self- propelled guns
and killed over 1,000 German soldiers, while taking another 250 as prisoners of
war (POWs). Unlike his fictive counterpart, Pool survived the war (though he lost
a leg from his last combat operation). In an interview with Nicholas Milton for The
Guardian (Milton, 2014), Bill Betts, a British radio operator in Sherman tanks dur-
ing WWII, gave Fury mixed reviews for historical accuracy: “Fury accurately por-
trays how superior the German tanks were. A Sherman provided you with protection
against most enemy fire but against a Tiger it could easily become your coffin...