In the 1970s, Australian filmmaker George Miller created a wasteland like no other in “Mad Max”—a world filled with sand, nothingness, and makeshift fast cars. The smell of asphalt, gasoline, and burning tires covered the atmosphere in an orange hue to which angst, fury, and longing fueled it. It is one of the most thrilling action franchises of all time. Miller’s muscular direction helps each action set-piece have that adrenaline rush vigor, and the visionary lens paves for a grander scope, whether in a chase sequence or people fighting with DIY weaponry. In 2015, he outdid himself and created what many people deem as one of the best action films ever with “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
A Different Kind of Gnarly Adventure by George Miller
While I don’t accompany others with that statement, the film is indeed one potent popcorn flick like no other. It is fire and brimstone in a cinematic format. We all thought he wouldn’t return to the franchise after the demanding picture he directed. But George Miller said that wouldn’t be the case. He wants to tell us the backstory about Charlize Theron’s character from that movie, Furiosa—how did she end up in the wasteland, what separated her from the “green place,” and other interesting questions people had while watching “Fury Road.” Titled after its main character, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the role now being helmed by Anya Taylor-Joy, Miller concocts an action flick that uses the mold of revenge thrillers to chronicle the life of a woman full of angst, waiting for her time to strike, even if it takes plenty of years.
Don’t go into the film expecting to see what Miller did before. Your venture into this world is now more narrative-driven than action-focused, although some grand set pieces stimulate the senses. The story begins (and later ends) with the fruit of fertility. A peach hangs from a tree in a world that has lost all of its life. As we learned in “Fury Road,” in the other corner of the Wastelands, there used to be “the green place.” This was a location with trees, fresh water, and an endless supply of food for its inhabitants. The ravaging outsiders know it as “the place of abundance,” a legend foretold and impossible to reach. In that sacred area, we meet Furiosa (played by Alyla Browne when young and Anya Taylor-Joy when older).
Furiosa’s Revenge Grand Tour
The young Furiosa is picking peaches when she hears the sound of some malevolent raiders, stealing horse and pig meat for their crew. She cuts some of their bikes’ gas lines to sabotage their trip back. But, rather quickly, they catch her and kidnap Furiosa. We then proceed to the first chase sequence of the film. Furiosa’s mother, Mary Jo Bassa (Charlee Fraser, who is excellent and fierce in her limited screen time), is now hunting down these bikers who ran away with her daughter. Through sniper shots and knife fights, she packs a punch, making the enemy make desperate quick decisions. The film starts hot off the rails with the first hints at the revenge thriller scope.
This narrative is straightforward, but Miller fills it with flair and flash. The blood pumps as the engines keep going. And somehow, you also sense how Miller channels some Terry Gilliam-esque elements to portray the antagonists. Of course, they are shown as violent maniacs who will do anything at their disposal for resources and power. But they are also given these comedic lines—heightened by the exaggerated delivery by the actors—that feel similar to films like “Time Bandits” or “Brazil.” You might think this doesn’t fit within the confines of the revenge thriller canvas. Yet, thanks to Miller’s direction and world-building, it is all welcomed. Bassa couldn’t catch up to the bikers, and they sent the poor Furiosa to their mad leader, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth at his very best in a long while).
Dementus longs for riches, in the same vein that he still suffers from the death of these two boys, to which he carries a teddy bear around his waist as a remembrance token. He is conflicted by this destructive world. Violence is seen as something normal. Each drop of blood spilled is like another grain of sand. As a means to show his true evil behavior and set an example, Dementus kills Furiosa’s mother after she kills several of his men in a grueling battle for her daughter. She is hanged and burned to death, seen all through the literal eyes of Furiosa. This is a kill that takes inspiration from plenty of exploitation films. But Miller doesn’t want to indulge in that realm completely. He gives us the insinuation of the cruel violence that occurred during that scene instead of going for total gore.
Ozploitation Films References and Inspirations
The “Mad Max” universe is based and rooted in Ozploitation films like “The Cars that Ate Paris,” “Fair Game,” “Wake Up in Fright,” and “Roadgames.” So, seeing George Miller take inspiration from these films that helped him pave the way for his mad creations years later is fascinating. You see it in the imagery and the dialogue. He hints at the isolation and lingering sadness amidst malevolence contained in these exploitation cinema pictures’ crux. After the death of her mother, Furiosa heads down a path where she has to destroy her image to create a new one to take matters into her own hands later.
This is her revenge grand tour, where blood covers the never-ending sands of this mad-cap post-apocalyptic world. Ten years have passed. Furiosa is now working up the ranks so she can get what she wants: the suffering of the man who killed her mother. She teams up with an unlikely ally in Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), who wants out of this dangerous mess. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is meant to provide a backstory to the titular character we met in 2015. We see what made her that way: silent, resilient, determined, and internally damaged. This is more focused on narrative and character building rather than sheer spectacle through and through.
You get into their psyche, breaking down the reasoning for their actions. Furiosa grows from absorbing the pain of others and violence amok. Meanwhile, Dementus gets weaker by having more power—slowly turning into a living corpse going wild for his greed. There’s an intriguing play between them throughout “Furiosa” that grows into something very rich in texture, one reflecting on the trauma both have gone through their hands and others. This all culminates in a powerful, sharply executed last scene. It contains an ominous and haunting feeling instead of relying on the classic hero’s journey finale. Some elements within that process get lost amid the vast dystopia.
George Miller At His Most Muscular in the World of ‘Mad Max’
“Furiosa” is divided into sections that each define the titular character’s psychological progression yet in a fractured manner that doesn’t cut through emotionally as they could have. Miller provides the breathing space that was lacking in “Fury Road.” However, it adds more baggage than it needs in the film’s middle section. This is why some might feel that part of “Furiosa” is a drag. I didn’t find it that way because it works in contrast to the revenge thriller canvas. Yet those expecting a more action-driven narrative will feel the difference in tonal distance. George Miller occasionally churns out a couple of misfires from time to time. But when he delves into the “Mad Max” world, he is at his best.
He seems more inspired, almost reinvigorated, and motivated to develop different set pieces and techniques to play around with. Whether it is a rain of bullets or raiders in parachutes, Miller puts them on the canvas with significant muscular heft. You might not get the once-in-a-lifetime gnarliness of its predecessor, which many were anticipating. But there are still tons of scenes with excellent popcorn entertainment. It is hard to reach that level again or even surpass it. However, it is action-filmmaking at its best. It has a story full of angst that makes the viewer feel the heat from the desert plains.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” hit theaters worldwide. theaters on May 24th, 2024.
