Fury (1936)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Absolutely brilliant

A lot of fun.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Directed by Fritz Lang, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bartlett Cormack that was based on Norman Krasna's story, this essential drama, an indictment of "mob rule", features Spencer Tracy, Sylvia Sidney, and Walter Brennan (among others). Krasna received an Academy Award nomination for his Original Story. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 1995.Tracy, with fiancée Sidney, is suspected of kidnapping and arrested by Brennan. An angry mob, led by Bruce Cabot, is incensed and storms the jail where Brennan can't stop them from burning it down. Sidney and the others assume Tracy was killed in the fire, but he wasn't. He shows up at his brother's (Frank Albertson) and learns that the real kidnappers have been caught. So, he wants the mob prosecuted for "lynching" him. Walter Abel is the DA who pursues a conviction against a couple of dozen from the crowd.The problem is, of course, Tracy wasn't actually killed, even though everyone (save his brother) thinks he is. Can he be convinced not to go through with his revenge which may mean the execution for murder of many people?

Fritz Lang's first Hollywood movie is an indictment of mob justice and vengeance that might've seemed out of place at MGM, known for their polished melodramas and musicals. This was the type of movie one might expect from Warner Bros, known for their movies about crime and social issues. The film stars Spencer Tracy as a man wrongly accused of kidnapping while passing through a small town. Soon a lynch mob is formed and they attempt to kill Tracy by burning down the jail with him inside. Unknown to them, he manages to escape and plot his revenge.It's a powerful film, particularly for the era, with excellent direction from Fritz Lang and dynamite performances from Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney. This was Sidney's only film for MGM. The supporting cast includes solid players like Bruce Cabot, Walter Abel, Edward Ellis, Frank Albertson, and Walter Brennan. Oh and Tracy's dog in this is played by the same dog that played Toto in the Wizard of Oz, which is a bit of cuteness in an otherwise somber film. The ending isn't perfect but it's not the studio-imposed cop-out some reviewers make it out to be. This is a real classic and one of Lang's best American films.

Eighty years after its first release, this story of mob violence in USA is a savage indictment of the American system of mob "justice" from the 1880s to the 1960s. The fictional events of this movie, based upon a true incident, took place in the 1930s. Produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, directed by Fritz Lang, it stars Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney in the key roles; with an excellent supporting cast, this is a story that stands the test of time.I won't comment much on the plot and the story, both of which have been adequately addressed by the storyline on the main IMDb page, and a ton of detailed reviews here.However, without Lang and Mankiewicz on this production, the dramatic irony would not, I think, have been as effectively portrayed - for two reasons. First, Lang coming from a Germany where Nazism was ascendant, knew all too well what injustice was all about and how people can prostitute their principles for what is perceived as justifiable retribution. Second, Mankiewicz was a highly experienced actor/producer/director who has shown, throughout his career, that injustice in all its forms must be shown for the evil it is. With such a combination at the reel wheel, this movie was guaranteed to be hard-hitting.Lang's direction is very much on form, using lighting and shadow for full effect; using close up, quick editing in mob scenes; using the camera in extreme close up to ensure viewers note a particular item; and cross-cutting and inter-cutting scenes to heighten suspense. Not the first director to use those techniques, but Lang was a master at it. For the most part, the script and dialog are excellent. My only critique centers upon the courtroom scenes and dialog which, by today's standards, are somewhat stagy; the repartee, between the prosecution and defense counsels, is particularly so, too often for this viewer. And the very last scene, seemingly preachy and even corny, which involves a long verbal exchange between the judge (Burton) and one of the main characters, can only be fully appreciated in the context of the times: a long history of lynching across the USA, an economy in the midst of a Great Depression and a nation on the cusp of another world war.For Lang enthusiasts, Fury is a must see movie, despite the presence of a couple of handy coincidences, an improbable result with the use of dynamite and a glaring loose end - at the very end. Still, this is a movie that should be seen by all, and one I heartily recommend. Eight out of ten.April 24, 2015

There isn't Much going on in this Small Town so when there is a Celebrity Suspect Caught in a Widely Known Kidnapping Case the Citizens Spiral out of Control in Their Dimwitted Zeal and Decide to Unleash some Mob Justice.A Towny Leaps on a Table in a Bar and Shouts..."Let's go have a little fun!"So with Ropes and Self-Righteousness on Their side its off to the Jail and a Burning, Bombing, "Lynching", takes place. In this Odd Film from MGM (they had absolutely no confidence in it), Director Fritz Lang Begins in America with His Display of Social Commentary. Something the Studio Usually Shunned.Spencer Tracy is Fine as a "Jekyll and Hyde" Everyman and Sydney Sylvia has an Expressive Face with Deep Concern and Exudes Empathy. Lang is a Stylist and here He Manages some Expressionistic Shots that Add to the Odd Feel of the Film. The Good Cast is Cloaked in Melodrama and the Movie is a Dark, Artistic Display of Depression Era Desperation and Bad Behavior.It's a Scathing Indictment of Unconstitutionality and the Populace Running Amok. A Barber says..."I had to read the Constitution to become a Citizen...you didn't have to because you were born here."The Film is Dense in its Societal Concerns as the Country was Experiencing the Pains of the Depression and the World was Waiting for War. They didn't have to Wait Long and Lang Knew what was Coming and was Determined to Shout Out to Anyone who would Listen, Using His Symbolic Sensibilities and a Flare for the Dramatic.Overall, it is a Movie that is Thought Provoking through the Lens of Lang and Predicted the Use of Electronic Surveillance Footage to Convict Criminals. Fritz Lang's Films were Almost Always Ahead of Their Time and the Director was Forever Pushing it to the Limit with more Artistry then Believability and that was part of His Appeal as an Auteur.