ATS1305 Film Studies: Mad Max Fury Road Film Review and Analysis

This paper provides a comprehensive film review of George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road," analyzing its structure, style, and narrative techniques within the context of a formal analysis. The review explores the film's post-apocalyptic setting, the scarcity of resources, and the dystopian atmosphere. It delves into the film's thematic elements, including the use of science fiction tropes, the portrayal of the hero Max, and the introduction of the heroine Furiosa. The analysis highlights the unique costumes, the concept of female resilience, and the feminist stances within the narrative. The review also examines the film's challenges to gender stereotypes and its deviation from patriarchal viewpoints. Overall, the paper critically evaluates the film's representation of gender and its innovative approach to post-apocalyptic cinema.

Running head: FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
Name of the student
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Author Note

1FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
The respective paper is a film review of the movie “Mad Max: The Fury” in which the
paper has introspected, analyzed and critically evaluated the respective movie. In the
respective analysis, the structure, style, film narrative, and how the formal elements are
clearly stated in the respective film is presented, analyzed and critically acclaimed. The
assignment will highly focus on the characteristic features and the central theme of the
science fiction and thriller film called Mad Max: Fury Road. The respective paper is hereby
presented in an essay format.
The film Mad Max: Fury Road is a post apocalyptic science- fiction thriller movie
that got released in the year 2015 that was co-written, produced and directed by George
Miller. The film is set in the near future where no cities and civilizations are left on the earth.
The post apocalyptic theme of the movie creates a special edge in the movie and keeps the
audience of the movie engaged till the end. The theme of apocalypse is utilized by many
science fiction authors to provide a highly fictitious image about the future of the earth that
provides a deep inquisitiveness in the mind of the audience or readers so that they are glued
to the literature. The time where the movie has been set is the time of scarcity, which means
scarcity of water and other necessities. Water that is available, which is also known as Aqua
Cola, has been severely rationed and other resources such as gasoline are hoarded and tussled
over like the scraps of food. The atmosphere in the movie is highly trecherous and it gives a
sense of dystopia in the mind of the audience, making the movie plots and the background
more horrific (Newyorker.com.2015). However, it has to be noted that the movie background
is the landmark. The milennials of today’s generation are fond of science fiction movies and
have a keen interest in subjects like dystopia, utopia and apocalypse. On the other hand,
apocalypse movies are also symbolic in today’s world. As the world is witnessing nuclear
war, biological warfare and huge climatic change, apocalypse is always speculated and
prophecied by many scientists and environmentalists. Max, who is the survivor has been

2FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
captured to take to the Citadel of the tyrannical ruler for servitude. The Immortan Joe, who is
a typical apocalyptical villain archetype is shown as a monsterous figure who has been
terrorising the state/ country/ civilization which has undergone a massive destruction and
damage. Max, the survivor and the only hero in the film is shown to be in a state of despair
when the villain Immortan Joe tries to physically assault and harm him when he tries to
escape. The fans of the hero who played the character of Max has been kept into delusion and
disillusionment until the new co hero or the heroine enters into the scene, who is none other
than Furiosa saves him from the impending danger he was about to confront while Max says
“Hope is a mistake” (Du Plooy 2019). The advent of the heroine in such a heroic manner
shows the uncertainty and unpredictability of the movie. The very sense of unpredictability of
the movie is actually the essence of the movie that keeps the audience glued to their seats and
eyes arrested towards their screen (Boulware 2016).
One of the most interesting part of the movie is that the director has utilized certain
unique costumes of the heroes and the woman heroes that makes the movie more interesting
than any other science fiction movie of that year. The costumes that are worn by the actors
create an aura of fantasy and thrilling element throughout the environment of the movie. The
movie has also shown the concept of female resilience. The Vuvalini, who has been depicted
as a small tribe of the matriarchs, are shown to be mingling with Furiosa, Max, the five wives
who were deemed to bear the children of Joe combines together to fight against the
oppressor. Therefore, somewhere the film narration of Mad Max has feminist stances in
them. The movie is actually the story of bravery of the heroine “Furiosa”. When the villain is
confronted by Max and his acquaintance Furiosa, she happens to see that there is only one
bullet left to kill the monster and terror creator permanently. It is Furiosa who took the
initiative to take up the gun and fire the bullet to Joe by keeping Max’s hand as a cushion
while firing the bullet (Boulware 2016).

3FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
The representation of Gender and gender sensititvity in the storyline of Mad Max:
Fury road with a minimalist narrative that displayed visual spectacular set of pieces position
the movie as a class apart post apocalyptic cinema that has the power to captivate the mind of
all kinds of audience, men, women, old and young. The movie shows rebellion by the so
called “fairer sex” when Joe realized that Furiosa, whom he has kept as his driver and a help
has deviated from the course and joined Max to ultimately “save the world from further
disintegration”. The conventional “damsel in distress” kind of attitude is almost absent in the
female characters of the movie that makes the movie gender non- binary and also gender
neutral to certain cases. The movie does not follow the gender stereotypes and notions which
makes it a progressive movie while compared to the other typical science fiction movies
(Barrett 2017). The actions that are shown in the movie do not focus on the masculine
characters, but also includes and shows the feminine characters who can be as acrobatic and
macho as the men. Mad Max: Fury road challenges the conventions of science fiction action
movies and focuses more on Furiosa (the feminine character) rather than the male character
(Max), deviating from the typical patriarchal viewpoint of science fiction, thriller and fantasy
movies (Yates 2017).
The respective paper concludes to be a film review of the movie “Mad Max: The
Fury” in which the paper has introspected, analyzed and critically evaluated the respective
movie. In the respective analysis, the structure, style, film narrative, and how the formal
elements are clearly stated in the respective film has been presented, analyzed and critically
acclaimed.

4FILM REVIEW: MAD MAX
References:
Barrett, K., 2017. Mad Max: Fury Road-Challenging narrative and gender representation in
the action genre.
Boulware, T., 2016. " Who Killed the World": Building a Feminist Utopia from the Ashes of
Toxic Masculinity in Mad Max: Fury Road. Mise-en-scène| The Journal of Film & Visual
Narration, 1(1).
Du Plooy, B., 2019. ‘Hope is a mistake, if you can’t fix what’s broken you go insane’: a
reading of gender,(s) heroism and redemption in Mad Max: Fury Road. Journal of Gender
Studies, 28(4), pp.414-434.
Newyorker.com.(2015). Available at:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/25/high-gear-current-cinema-anthony-lane
Yates, M., 2017. Re-casting nature as feminist space in Mad Max: Fury Road. Science
Fiction Film & Television, 10(3), pp.353-370.