Curiously titled, there are two lots of "fury" to consider in this film as an angry mob burn down the jail where an innocent stranger is being held on circumstantial evidence, while subsequently the stranger survives and in a fit of anger decides to keep his survival a secret in order that the lynch mob can be prosecuted for first degree murder. It is an interesting premise and Spencer Tracy is superb in the lead role, playing a character who becomes ever-so-slowly less sympathetic with his increasingly bloodthirsty desire for revenge. Walter Abel also provides good support as the district attorney in charge of the case who maintains a sense of humour in court, while Sylvia Sidney is effective as Tracy's girlfriend, shown in striking close-up at several key points. The completely silent scene in which she rushes to see the jail alight is an utterly breathtaking sequence and with Fritz Lang at the helm the film looks as good as one would expect. For all its virtues, 'Fury' is not a subtle film though, and it is hard to say what comes off as more detrimental: the loud thunderstorms that only start up as Tracy argues with his brothers near the end, or Tracy's preachy speech in the final scene. The plot is also a little hard to buy at times (would Tracy really be locked up over such sketchy evidence?), but if nothing else, 'Fury' will definitely make you think twice about carrying salted peanuts in your pocket. The intense scenes of the angry mob in action also offer a stark reminder of just how irrational we, as human beings, can be in the wrong set of circumstances.
