10 Insanely Accurate War Film Details

David Ayer's Fury is a superbly acted, visceral depiction of WWII. The 2014 offering follows the harrowing journey of the eponymous M-4 Sherman and her crew during the European Theatre's final weeks.

Ayer truly goes the extra mile to capture the hells of warfare, utilizing era appropriate weaponry and uniforms in addition to legitimate Sherman and Tiger tanks. However, despite Fury's tank-centric narrative, the director's intricate attention to detail is best exemplified by Brad Pitt's Don "Wardaddy" Collier's sidearm - a Smith and Wesson M1917 featuring a "sweetheart grip".

Although it was not common, servicemen were known to occasionally salvage acrylic from crashed aircraft windows, using the clear material to replace their handgun grips. This allowed for their weapons to feature a picture of a loved one or a celebrity - a contemporary spin on a watch or locket.

This acute piece of detail even manages to hint at Wardaddy's backstory. The grip features a full-body pin-up shot, typical of what one would expect from a soldier. However, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it glimpse of the other side reveals a black and white portrait of an unknown woman - likely Wardaddy's sweetheart.

It's also worth noting that the typical sidearm for the era was the Colt M1911, as opposed to Collier's Smith and Wesson. The weapon's datedness would indicate that Pitt's character has carried it for a long time, and has forgone the standard-issue weapon again (Wardaddy also wields an STG-44, likely stolen from a deceased Wermacht soldier). It's also worth noting that it wasn't uncommon for relatives to send sidearms to soldiers serving in WW2, which is perhaps how Wardaddy was able to retain his revolver for active service.

Layers upon layers.