The first and most immediately noticeable difference with the new films like Fury is the significantly increased special effects. These films can make use of digital and modern technology to add incredible special effects. These special effects have a significant impact on the film as a whole, greatly improving it. The special effects create explosions and such to make the film much more representative of real war. Special effects also make the film better because everyone likes explosions.
Another significant change is the way the movie is filmed. Fury follows only five soldiers, and there was only one main story to follow surrounding all five soldiers. The older movies, however, followed after an entire army, and each group was filmed individually, making for multiple stories to follow. I personally prefer the more modern method because it allows the story as a whole to progress faster. Additionally, the viewer gets very emotionally invested in the characters since there are fewer and more time is spent on each person. This is significant because people get more upset when a character dies, as was the case in Fury. Although it is sad, this ultimately makes for a better movie-watching experience and therefore a better film.
Another significant change is the moral light in which the U.S. Military is viewed as a whole. Fury shows the darker sides of the U.S. Military and how some soldiers aren’t always nice. Some soldiers even executed prisoners of war, a crime according to the Geneva Convention. Although ultimately the good guys, the U.S. Military isn’t always angelic, nor are they fighting the devil, the main characters encountering children as German soldiers.
Modern war films are significantly different from their ancestors, in the way they portray both characters and the U.S. Military as a whole.