‘Furiosa’: A tale of catharsis
Image sourced from IGN.com
George Millers’ dystopian saga roars back to the silver screen, shiny and chrome, with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” a prequel story in a series that has spanned nearly half a century.
Calling the movie “MEDIOCRE!” in those famous words of Immortan Joe, would be a vast mischaracterization. This ride on the road to Valhalla is not only a beautifully stunning visual spectacle, it’s a loud, vibrant, and violent tale of cathartic retribution.
‘Furiosa’ explores the shadow self we all possess, where anyone might lose their way faster than a feral War Boy if they choose to take that blood and gasoline-soaked road.
THE BACKSTORY
Now, as for the long-and-winding journey to this latest classic: It was nearly 10 years ago that “Mad Max: Fury Road” not only raised the stakes but blasted past the competition like a turbocharged V8, setting the bar of what an action film can and should be. George Miller was 70 years old when Fury Road was finally released in theaters, after more than 15 years of production. Storyboarding, concept design, and the groundwork for what finally revved its way to the ravenous fans of the Mad Max saga were laid back in the late 1980s, and pre-production started in 1998. Many stalled attempts at tackling the beast created a longing for what finally satiated the demands of the masses.
What Miller finally unleashed in 2015 was nothing short of a fuel-injected masterpiece, leaving any sequel with massive boots to fill. But he had already planned the next installment as far back as 2010 and not long after Fury Road’s release, the announcement of the next film, a prequel
titled “Furiosa,” whetted our whistles once more for high-octane vehicular destruction in the Wasteland.
I went into Furiosa nearly blind, having not watched a single teaser or trailer leading up to the film. However, as a rabid and adoring fan of the franchise I was well-versed in the stories and themes that would be at play. Not only is the world of Mad Max superbly fleshed out on film, but the story and themes were expanded upon in the 2015 “Mad Max” video game created by Avalanche Studios and Warner Bros. and in the “Mad Max: Fury Road” graphic novels co-created by Miller himself, Nico Lathouris, and Mark Sexton, and published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics.
These two, sister embellishments of Fury Road helped lay the asphalt to what we finally now receive in Furiosa.
The scabrous character Scrotus, one of Joes’ sons whom we never got to meet in Fury Road, Max’s Black Thumb – a colloquial name for a mechanic – and a sidekick, Chumbucket, are remnants of the video game. now proudly cemented in film canon. In the script, notes can be read: “ake it clear the ‘Mad Max’ video game is canon.”
If you have not experienced either, I would highly recommend them, as a fan of the entire series and its beautifully sculpted action.
Would my appreciation for the new film be any different having never consumed these two extra morsels of Wasteland tale? I cannot say. Yes, they add to the already supremely imaginative and harrowing world in which we are immersed, but I do not believe they are truly necessary.
INTO THE WASTELAND
That being said, Furiosa hits as hard as can be expected, on every level.
Anya Taylor-Joy takes up the mantle that Charlize Theron once carried, portraying the character of Imperator Furiosa. Her story arc begins when she is a little girl and ends in fire and shrapnel as she grows into the Dark Angel of Retribution that we already know so well. Taylor-Joy not only upholds the strength and furious wit of the character, but also brings an otherworldly beauty to one of Immortan’s fiercest officers.
Through the trials faced by Furiosa we come to learn how she was taken from her family and her home, “The Green Place,” and how she loses her arm and acquires her gas-powered prosthesis. We witness her become a ruthless survivor, mechanic, and War Rig driver, and we discover the truth about her life under Immortan Joe.
Furiosa, like Immortan Joe himself, is a complex and multi-dimensional antihero. They are neither objectively good nor bad people, and like all others in this post-apocalyptic waste, they are the sum of the suffering and tribulations of war and depravity. Everyone loses in this war, everyone has lost their loved ones, and nearly everyone has succumbed to their deepest and darkest shadows.
And at the core of her darkness stands one man, Dementus. Played by Chris Hemsworth, Dementus is the newest scourge of the wastelands and the leader of a motorcycle gang that roams the deserts and takes what it wants. He firmly establishes himself as the “bad guy” by snatching and trading off Furiosa to Immortan in a truly dirty deal – a big mistake on his part, as he will eventually learn.
Hemsworth puts on a good show as the demented and twisted leader, although he possibly hams up a seeming impersonation of Heath Ledger’s Joker a little too often. His vile depravity truly levels the playing field against the War Bosses, Immortan Joe, and his War Boys. In his brash grandiosity, Dementus takes on The Citadel and the band of War Bosses in a foolish attempt to
control the wastes, setting off a war that echoes throughout the barren landscape and culminates in a final, cathartic showdown against Furiosa and leading to his ultimate fate.
Other elements I highly enjoy about the film add new layers of tragedy and deeper plot details that tie into Fury Road.
For example, Furiosa’s War Rig partner, Praetorian Jack, played by Tom Burke, bears an uncanny resemblance to Max Rockatansky, likely adding to the deep emotional connection to Max later in her journey.
We also uncover the nuts and bolts of the Organic Mechanic and History Man, and see the many complexities and nuances that shape Immortan Joe.
The latter’s goals may be benevolent within the context of the film’s world, but his methods are tyrannical and oppressive, making him an antihero boogeyman: He’s a blend of Shakespeare’s Richard III and Melville’s Captain Ahab – the role perfectly suited for the late Hugh Keays-Byrne (in “Fury Road”) who also portrayed Toecutter in the original Mad Max film and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In Furiosa, he is played by Lachy Hulme.
HITS, OVER NITS
So, what points can be made on discussing the negatives of the newest film? Honestly, there aren’t many.
I enjoyed the on-location filming of Fury Road and the seamless blend of visual effects there, whereas Furiosa uses some questionable computer-generated composites for some of the more fantastical landscapes and StageCraft-style scenes similar to “The Mandalorian.”
Some of the practical effects that were enhanced in post-production are slightly immersion-breaking but mostly only noticeable in the beginning acts of the film. As the action picks up and
the film progresses those visual cues became far less noticeable and for me, the suspension of disbelief is never really broken again.
The soundtrack, again composed by series stalwart JunkieX (aka Tom Holkenborg), stays true to the intense soundtrack of the preceding film but ultimately doesn’t hit quite as hard or as memorably.
Such are the very minor gripes in an experience that is otherwise near-perfect. This fifth installment of a 45-year-old saga completely blew me away. I would gladly recommend it to any fan of action cinema and the series itself. It’s currently riding strong on IMDB with a 7.9 out of 10, and on Rotten Tomatoes is sitting mighty tall at a 90% favorable rating from both critics and audiences. I am thoroughly pleased.
Here’s hoping that George Miller, now 79 years old, has another Mad Max saga entry up his sleeve for us. I am grateful that a visionary like him has remained passionate and true to his creation, after all these years. And if we never get another Mad Max film, we can happily say the series never went out with less than a nuclear explosion of a bang.
Hey I’m Tony! I am originally from Long Beach California, and have been an Oregon resident since 2003. I am a photographer with 15 years of experience and am excited to work with The Advocate News team to further my own journalism experience and contribute meaningful stories and photography to the community.
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