Disclaimer: While I tried to apply to be an extra on Furiosa too late, this will not prejudice the spoiler-free review you are about to read.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) are one film — argue with the Citadel wall. Walk with me to the gates of Valhalla as I tell you why George Miller’s latest entry into the Wasteland is something to behold…having seen it twice.
Co-written with Nick Lathouris, George Miller’s Furiosa is a prequel but the film supersedes this label as it does not just contain ‘what happened before’ Fury Road in the Mad Max timeline. I would go as far to argue that they are one film because they depict one story — Furiosa’s story. Miller wrote Furiosa to help inform the performances and understanding of the characters, worldbuilding, weapons, vehicles, and setting in Fury Road. Miller also had considered shooting Furiosa before Fury Road but decided not to during pre-production. Because of this reversed order of production and release, the audience is afforded the power of hindsight and can appreciate the events of Fury Road even more.
Furiosa begins with a young(er) protagonist, played by Alyla Browne, who is snatched by biker gang leader Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) from the Green Place of Many Mothers. Set 45 years after society’s descent into the Wasteland, we witness Furiosa’s mother, Mary Jabassa (Charlee Fraser) in a riveting chase sequence attempting to retrieve her daughter. Ultimately, Furiosa witnesses her mother’s murder and is taken into Dementus’s horde, before being handed over to another warlord, Immortan Joe, as part of an exchange for the strategically important Gastown. Anya Taylor Joy’s Furiosa then begins her journey to return home; she buries her grief within, preparing for the day when she can get her revenge on the man who upended her life.
Upon hearing that Taylor-Joy would take the helm from Charlize Theron, I was immediately invested in seeing a new iteration of Furiosa. However, seeing Taylor-Joy as Furiosa: it was put simply, a powerhouse performance that cannot be replicated. She captured both the burden and ferocity in her physicality and suppressed emotions, especially as her character speaks very little. Her hair is also effectively used as a mechanism to communicate the passage of time until we see her appearance gradually emulate Theron’s baldness, and even, her voice.
From the beginning, Furiosa is feisty and determined to watch the violence unfolding so she can remember. Even when Dementus tells her to look away, she remains fixated, to learn and adapt to her new surroundings. She also puts the History Man’s advice (George Shevtsov) into practice and makes herself invaluable so that these warlords respect her and she can stay safe.
While I think that the term ‘female/feminine rage’ in film is thrown about very liberally, this is female (and therefore, human) rage at its most encompassing and justified. Miller is deliberate in guiding Taylor-Joy’s acting to be solely communicated in her eyes, and when she does scream, it is cathartic for her and us, the audience. I found myself exhausted on behalf of Furiosa who has disciplined herself and spent years in silence. It is only until Fury Road that the weariness weighing down on her rises to the surface, flawlessly captured byTheron’s performance. Alyla Browne, who plays a young(er) Furiosa, is the star of the film for at least the first forty minutes and proved that she could have led a solo Furiosa film all by herself if need be.
As for Chris Hemsworth, it can be said with confidence that he has officially swapped the velvet cape for a bloody one, no doubt dismantling audience preconceptions of him as a pigeonholed actor in one genre. Hemsworth took on the insanity, humour, and awfulness of Dementus, so much so that when there was the time jump, I genuinely wondered about how long his absence would go on for. Since Dementus is a frequent talker, boisterous, and commanding attention, he stands out against Furiosa’s impenetrable exterior. Even Hemsworth’s delivery of lines revealed in the trailer like “Where are you going, so full of hope? There is no hope!” and “Will you have it in you to make it epic?” retain the same impact within the film itself.
Yes, it would have been interesting to delve deeper into his past — we hear some detail in the third act — but we don’t need to know everything that makes him tick. Instead, its clear Dementus understands that to rule, he must usurp the political hierarchy of the Wasteland and its three fortresses, the Citadel, Gastown, and Bullet Farm. Seeing him fight for that is all we need.
As a fan of The Musketeers (2014-16), casting Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack, another good-willed but somewhat jaded character, had infinitely more resonance. I wish he was utilised more, such as an extended interaction with Immortan Joe where we see why Jack is so admired by the War Boys. His chemistry with Taylor-Joy, largely present in their partnership in the “road war”, in my opinion can be interpreted romantically or platonically, as the storytelling leaves it open enough for the audience to define their bond. This is a wise storytelling choice as it prevents this relationship from becoming the generic, and underdeveloped romance B-plot common within action films.
As Hugh Keays-Byrne passed away in 2020, Immortan Joe is played by Lachy Hulme. While this casting is complementary to the look and demeanour of Keays-Byrne, Immortan Joe does not appear as menacing as Fury Road. The warlord is not on Furiosa’s agenda (yet), and Dementus is positioned as the central villain because she is preoccupied with exacting revenge on him. Interestingly, we are implicitly made to root for the Citadel crew because that is who Furiosa has aligned herself with, and for the time being, we overlook the fact that Immmortan Joe is and always was a tyrant.
A casting consideration that must be commented on is that Miller cast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander actors in supporting roles. This is a bare minimum, but also a great step as Australia should not and cannot be depicted without its Indigenous people being visible amongst the population, even in a dystopian version.
Furiosa’s odyssey plays out like a Greek tragedy where she moves up the ranks to become Praetorian, and eventually Imperator. Upon second watch, the biblical imagery and parallels appear more obvious: the Green Place is Edenic paradise lost, and throughout, there is an importance placed on the bearing of fruit and trees. We also hear “eyes for eyes, teeth for teeth”, in a modification of the original phrase into plural form, and it is also difficult not to think of Immortan Joe’s sons Rictus Erectus and Scabrous Scrotus as versions of Cain and Abel. I also interpreted the first section of the film where Furiosa’s mother chases after a kidnapped Furiosa as similar to the stations of the cross, happening in various stages. It also culminates in a crucifixion, with Furiosa’s mother entrusting the Green Place to Furiosa. It also presents a small hint to the film’s ending where there is no literal resurrection. Without spoilers, it is a genius move by the screenwriters to wrap up Furiosa’s quest for vengeance against Dementus, which has been building up since she was kidnapped and had her childhood stolen.
Since Fury Road was viewed via a feminist lens, it is necessary to note that the world of Furiosa is underpinned by patriarchy and paternalism. For example, Dementus speaks about Furiosa in terms of ownership but he’s convinced that it is for her good. He says that a child Furiosa is “untouched by man or disease”, tell his men“don’t let any of the brutes near her” and to Immortan Joe, she is “not for sale, she’s mine”. Under the leadership of Immortan Joe, women have to give up their body to be a wife. In Furiosa’s exceptional case, she is able to situate herself in the military hierarchy and earns the privilege of both Immortan Joe and Dementus’ respect. Based on what is depicted on-screen, she has largely avoided other forms of violence that occur beyond the battlefield. Because conceiving children for Immortan Joe is a duty to ensure his dynasty continues, we realise that he does not have female children. This begs the question, what happens to the babies who are born female? We are not explicitly given all the answers about the way this society functions, but Miller trusts his audiences to figure out the sordid reality, which has become the norm for inhabitants of the Wasteland.
Additionally, Miller is known for writing his last two Mad Max stories like a graphic novel, with limited dialogue. Captured by cinematographer Simon Duggan, the visual emphasis is well-placed on the beautiful dunes across Australia’s landscape. Action set pieces are crafted around the terrain, rather than just being used to enhance the desert aesthetic. Tom Holkenberg, also known as Junkie XL, produces an immersive and looming score that accompanies the picturesque shots, and makes scenes with seemingly lower stakes soar.
Margaret Sixel, who won the 2016 Academy Award for Best Editing for Fury Road, worked with Eliot Knapman on editing, and it’s immediately clear that the kinetic energy of Fury Road is amiss. However, this works in favour of the story which is by nature, operatic and sprawling. Some non-action scenes could have been longer to allow for more heightened exchanges via dialogue, but I think that’s just me wanting to situate myself in this world for as long as possible.
Big praise must go towards the stunt team, known for being one of the toughest film crews out there. Furiosa is an action-heavy film, so much of the plot and character development transpires through the action. However, none of it is superfluous as each set piece serves a purpose. Who doesn’t want to see a chariot motorcycle, enemy gangs on parachutes shooting down War Boys, a monster truck, or a car that is able to functions on three wheels?
Miller has always known how to keep his audience enraptured by directing all the action to the centre of the frame, and Furiosa is no exception. Any scene involving the War Rig was exhilarating down to the final second. In particular, the standout sqeuence was the ‘Stowaway to Nowhere’ which was shot over 78 days. The violence is not gratuitous but it is uncompromising: you feel the necessity of each choice and it rarely looks artificial unless you are on the constant lookout for a green screen or computer-generated imagery (CGI). In other words, just sit back and enjoy the movie!
Miller and audiences have long speculated whether Furiosa would rule the Citadel after the events of Fury Road with justice or if she would descend into a tyrant. But this film makes it clear that Furiosa’s fatal flaw is that she always goes back to save others, even if it means putting her freedom into question, making that plotline unlikely.
Once you watch Furiosa, your viewing experience of Fury Road is forever changed. Fury Road is an immediate masterpiece, you can feel it in your bones. However, Furiosa is a film that you have to let simmer and return to again because the tiniest of doubts (shame!) will be quashed on a second watch. You also will not be able to view one film without the other, rendering any comparisons null and void.
Furiosa did have it in her to make it epic. Now, it is up to the audience to remember her. Run, don’t walk to your nearest cinema.
PS: Stay for the credits.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) is in Australian cinemas from May 23.
