Fury, Lynching Sequence

This excerpt from Fritz Lang's 1936 film "Fury" features Spencer Tracy in a powerful and disturbing sequence that illustrates the dangers of mob justice and the impact of circumstantial evidence. In the scene, an innocent man, wrongfully suspected of kidnapping a child, is held in the town jail. The atmosphere quickly escalates as agitators stoke the community's fear and anger, inciting a mob to demand the prisoner's surrender. When the sheriff and his deputies refuse to comply, unable to contain the growing mob, the situation spirals out of control. The crowd, driven by inflamed passions and misinformation, storms the jail, setting it ablaze with the innocent man trapped inside. This sequence powerfully critiques the judicial system, the potential for mob violence, and the consequences of hasty judgments, providing a stark commentary on justice, prejudice, and the fragility of civil order.