As Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga begins, you expect to be welcomed by an arid desert land—perhaps with a manic army man or two—in pursuit of some helpless victim of chaos. Instead, George Miller welcomes us with a lush green landscape. Or, as it is said in the film, ‘abundance’.
It’s the first sign of a film that’s self-aware and understands not only its own strengths and objectives but also our expectations of it. Perhaps this is why Furiosa never really tries to surpass Mad Max: Fury Road, of which it is both a prequel and spinoff.
This film has unforgettable action, yes, but it’s also looking inward in a way that Fury Road didn’t and couldn’t do—and if you’re like me, there’s a lot of joy in that.
Director: George Miller
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, and Alilah Brown
This time, the focus isn’t so much on the chaos of the wasteland as it is on its consequences—specifically, one Miss Furiosa. Anya Taylor-Joy speaks little, but why bother with dialogue when her eyes speak volumes, even as she observes, processes, concludes, and plots? In fact, after a long period of silence (Dementus, in another moment of self-awareness, calls Furiosa’s pained silence ‘poignant’), when she speaks for the first time, it signals the first seeds of new trust.
Come with me, she says—because, from the beginning, it’s clear what her destination is. The ‘how’ has been his impossible challenge. If this is all starting to sound a bit philosophical, even metaphorical, I don’t think that’s at all accidental.
Because when the action is masterfully controlled, it always leads to an almost meditative understanding of life, just like how martial arts have always fostered philosophy. Since Furiosa, who separated from her clan as a child, is forced to become an adult in a quest to survive, it was hard for me not to see this as a metaphor for coming of age and maturity.
Isn’t every person, once out of the circle of predictable familial security, forced to adjust to the adult challenges presented by the unpredictable chaos of the world? Doesn’t every adult, at some level, regret losing parts of themselves while exploring life? Doesn’t every adult, at times, view innocence as something to be cherished, not as something lost? In Furiosa’s case, she loses her family and childhood. And for him, as for Dementus, all that is left to live for is the vague hope of a ‘better future’.
The film surprisingly covers such dark themes, and that’s why I thought it was touching, as Dementus would say, that George Miller tackles an extreme performance not with weapons but with words.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga faces the incredible burden of living up to the expectations set by one of the all-time great genre films in Fury Road, and those looking for similar pleasures here will have plenty of reason to celebrate. Will be. As you would expect, it also has great visual aesthetics. The orange vastness of the empty desert stretches out. Dust from bike tires is flying on the sand dunes.
There is a splash of color when bombs explode in the sky to convey messages. And, oh, how about lovely changes? A breathtaking red sky leads to another scene. Furiosa’s hair is seen fluttering on a branch in a time-lapse video of a plant growing around her. What about all the impressive world-building? Even more so than on Fury Road, there is a concerted effort being made to expand the world here. All this helps keep away any potential monotony. After all, this film is about a quiet Furiosa coming of age through horror.
Unlike many films, the chapter format in films that focus on a specific character can sometimes seem disjointed, but George Miller ensures that the film is energetic and shuffles between locations, with Furiosa, throughout the film, constantly moving forward and dealing with new, increasingly difficult obstacles.
I found this film and its deliberate choice of literary terminology extremely amusing. When Dementus was shocked to learn that he was being tracked, he quipped, “Someone capable and extremely angry.” Immortan Joe’s heirs have been dubbed “genetic absurdities.” When a character compliments Furiosa on her courage, he says that she displays “purposeful barbarity.” Such imaginative dialogues have their own entertainment. Even when someone curses in frustration, the dialogue says, “That…piece of anal pus!”
Almost any film would be able to stand up to the action of Fury Road, but many of this film’s set pieces are not without merit. I enjoyed the inventiveness of having Furiosa fight under a rig for almost the entire sequence (and found the bassy, percussive score a fantastic accompaniment). Or how about that impossible rescue mission that Furiosa did in Gastown? The ‘Bommyknocker’ moment. A person who uses a decoy to fire a missile from an aerial rig.
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There’s actually a lot to like about the action. But this is largely a more personal film, and so the action is often aimed at character development. That’s why, while it’s exciting to witness Furiosa and Praetorian Jack team up and cause havoc, it all becomes more meaningful when Dementus looks back at the conclusion of the episode, almost with jealousy and desire, at what the two of them accomplished as a team. Work completed. That’s why, whereas the original picture had a character screaming,
“What a day, what a lovely day!” today, we have exhausted folks groaning, “It’s been a hard day.”
The action is fantastic, if not quite ‘epic’ (as described at the end of the film), but the emotion is stronger this time. Even the violent Dementus was able to pique my interest with short indications about his past and psychological makeup.
Everything fits together perfectly to explain why George Miller indulges our bloodlust for action while also channeling his inner “History Man” and making a succinct message about how conflict is inevitable. As long as civilization lives, the Mad Max flicks will remain relevant and therapeutic. And I wish to witness them all.
F&Q
1. Furiosa Rating
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (4 / 5)
2. Cast of Furiosa a Mad Max Saga
Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, and Alilah Brown