Fritz Lang delivers another great critique of society with "Fury", much like "Metropolis". Although this one is not a view on society at large, but of human mentality and the danger of forgetting our humanity and the worth of a life. Lang is really effective at building suspense and energy, especially in the moments leading up to the mob confrontation. Lang makes a great example of how people are prone to a mob mentality and how quickly information gets twisted and exaggerated as it's passed on, like a game of telephone.
It's interesting how Lang shows the women spreading the gossip and cuts to a shot of hens, and when the men start to gossip, they quickly become violent. It seems to make the women's part in the lynching seem less harmful, but everyone involved is guilty. Although the ones actually committing the acts of the lynching hold more responsibility.
Where I do take away points is the outdated way the characters speak about Native Americans. There aren't even any in the film so the remarks really stand out. The film was released in 1936, so it's debatable whether we should apply modern expectations to it. But watching it as a modern viewer, I feel it's important not to pretend this aspect of film history exists.
It's interesting how Lang shows the women spreading the gossip and cuts to a shot of hens, and when the men start to gossip, they quickly become violent. It seems to make the women's part in the lynching seem less harmful, but everyone involved is guilty. Although the ones actually committing the acts of the lynching hold more responsibility.
Where I do take away points is the outdated way the characters speak about Native Americans. There aren't even any in the film so the remarks really stand out. The film was released in 1936, so it's debatable whether we should apply modern expectations to it. But watching it as a modern viewer, I feel it's important not to pretend this aspect of film history exists.