Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Shiny, Chrome and Magnificent

Every generation has a landmark action movie, a film that elevates the genre and sets the bar for what will come after. In 1999, The Matrix created a standard for the genre with its innovative and stylized action sequences, with many action that followed attempting to recapture the magic the Wachowskis brought to the table. In 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller’s fourth entry in the “Mad Max” franchise, arrived almost 30 years after the franchise’s previous entry, Beyond Thunderdome, with a new Max Rockatansky in Tom Hardy, taking over from Mel Gibson. The film was received with unanimous praise across the board, with Miller’s direction and the action sequences being commended and resetting the scales in terms of what action movies were capable of. The film was also successful in introducing new characters for fans, particularly Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who for many, was the standout.

With a movie like Fury Road as a legacy point, expectations couldn’t be higher for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the first film in the franchise to pivot entirely from Max and instead focus on the origin story of Furiosa and how she made it high up the ranks at the citadel under Immortan Joe, leading into the events of the next film. Against all odds, however, Miller matches those expectations with a surprisingly profound story about the Imperator, while also making something dramatically different from Fury Road. Whereas that was a relentless action movie consisting of a two-hour nonstop chase scene across the Wasteland, Furiosa is a more measured film in its pacing and storytelling, reserving its action for later in the film. The result is a film that ranks as another masterclass from Miller, and one of the best films of the year.

A large chunk of the film is spent with even younger Furiosa first (Alyla Browne), after being taken from the Green Place and from the Many Mothers. She is then brought before Dementus (Hemsworth), a sadistic, over-the-top madman who will go to any extreme to bring together more followers from the Wasteland. Miller spends a lot of time with Furiosa as she just observed the events taking place, often in complete silence. Browne is incredible in the role, conveying every emotion bubbling up within Furiosa to perfection, even when next to actors of greater stature. As Dementus, Hemsworth gives what may be the best performance of his career, playing–as the name suggests–a demented man who is power hungry beyond reason. While having played a villain role before as Billy Lee in Bad Times at the El Royale, his turn as Dementus is a major departure for him career-wise, showcasing a side of the actor that audiences are unfamiliar with. It isn’t until much later in the film that a time jump brings the more adult Furiosa (Taylor-Joy) into the picture.

Taylor-Joy had massive shoes to fill here, adapting not just a beloved character but also portraying her after an already incredible performance from Theron. Unfazed, she delivers an outstanding performance in her own right, tying into Theron’s seamlessly. The visceral nature of the character, as well as her tragedy and want to go home and find her family, is powerfully captured, and adds layers to some of her smaller moments in Fury Road that were merely hints before. She proves formidable in the action sequences as well, particularly a standout sequence on the War Rig that is worth the price of an IMAX ticket alone. Similar to Browne, she has very minimal dialogue for the majority of her screen time, with her first line coming almost 20 minutes after she first appears, conveying a ridiculous amount of emotion through just her stare. Meanwhile, throughout these moments of silence, music helps overlay her feelings, and credit is to be given there to another exceptional score from Tom Holkenborg, returning to score once again after his thunderous work in Fury Road.

Miller as a director remains a master of the craft. 45 years since he began the franchise with the first film, with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, it seems like he hasn’t lost a step. The action is immaculate throughout. While there is a little more use of digital photography this time around, as compared to the mostly practical nature of Fury Road, it never feels out of place, and the visual effects are indeed dazzling. The film is directed magnificently, paired with a tight script that may be the most dense of the franchise so far, while also exploring how much the violence takes its toll on the characters. In the last few Mad Max entries, the killing and destruction becomes second nature to Max. Nothing much fazed him anymore, particularly in Fury Road. However, with Furiosa, there is a noticeable effect on the psyche of this young girl more often than not, making her discussions on redemption in the next film resonate even more. As she meets Dementus, Immortan Joe, and his sons Scrotus and Rictus, the bosses of Gastown and Bullet Farm, and does everything in her power to survive, audiences see her slowly losing that humanity as the days go by, while retaining just enough of it to know the cruelty of it all. It’s a tightrope both Miller and Taylor-Joy walk just right.

It is very clear from these five films that despite all that the characters have seen, Miller is only still scratching the surface when it comes to the Wasteland and what it has to offer. Indeed, there are many stories that can be told in the franchise and many characters can still go on further adventures, but with Fury Road and now Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Miller has perfected the formula of the series, providing crowd-pleasing entertainment and action while also giving audiences a reason to care for the characters. Both films complement each other very well, and enhance the story in fascinating ways.

In the end, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga succeeds on every front that it has to. It will ride eternal, shiny and chrome.

still courtesy of Warner Bros.

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Shaurya Chawla