Location
![Picture](/uploads/5/3/9/5/53955359/mad-max-fury-road.jpg?438)
The opening scene starts in Africa, in the sandy desert scattered with piles of rocks. There is an old, rusty car, covered in dirt and dust, decorated with splatters of paint. Its almost broken down and makes a loud, roaring and threatening noise. There is a lot of smoke and the sky is the colour of rust, a dirty orange; the air is very polluted suggesting all of the quad bikes, motorbikes and cars are giving off oil and fumes; unhealthy. He calls the world he lives in a wasteland, nothing is left, its abandoned, suggesting civilisation is over. They live in a closed, tomb-like cave, symbolising it's a deathly place. Theres a lot of fire, showing danger and risks. There are a lot of cliffs and tunnels, showing its hard to exit and they are trapped, away from the outside world. There are a lot of old fashioned weapons and machines like spears, cranes and pulleys, it almost looks tribal. All of the old pipes look rusty and connect around the whole tomb, implying theres some kind of system.
Costume/Hair/Make-Up
His long hair and beard show he does not care about his appearance and what he looks like and indicates that the world he lives in is not modern; looks do not matter. He's wearing old, dusty leathers which suggests he is dirty and has not changed in a while, it almost looks like it's protecting him from the dangerous environment he lives in. The tattoo looks like he's being branded, it's animalistic and almost like he has a barcode. This objectives the personality of Mad Max. The war boys all look the same, they are bald headed, alien looking, almost naked , they are covered in white make up and have black eyes. They don't look healthy, as they resemble death. Imortum Joe has long, white hair, indicating he is old. His body is covered in scars and he looks inhuman. He has a deep, robotic voice and is the leader of Citadale. He's also wearing a mask, has difficulty breathing in the polluted environment, might also mean he's old. Furiosa has a shaved head too, and similar make up to the war boys but she's not as pale as them, she has colour in her skin suggesting she's more human than them. This indicates she's not quite like them.
Props
The first prop that is shown in the film is a car. It introduces the themes of adventure, adrenaline and speed. The hot iron they are using to torture and stamp future warboys represents danger within their cult. There are a lot of chains, weird tanks and pulleys, quite medieval/caveman equipment. There are skulls scattered everywhere, reminders of death throughout the cave they live in. The waterfall is also used as one of Imortum Joe's objects, it is a prop that he controls. This shows they have adjusted nature. The War rig controlled by Furiosa shows she is in charge of military actions. Imortum Joe is farming women for their milk, a kind of patriarchy showing in the world they live in. They're one of his many objects that he can control. All of the warboys and important 'generals' to Imortum Joe have steering wheels, which shows importance. As the film goes on, it turns into an opportunity to leave and escape Valhalla. Mad Max is being farmed for his blood, which is similar to how Imortum Joe is using the women for their milk.
Furiosa
Actions: She steals something from Imortum Joe- his pride breeders. It shows he betrays him and she rebelled against him by taking whats in his possession. We all see that Furiosa has a status; when the warboys talk to her, she can ignore them and she shows a certain inner strength. She's in charge of the war rig and has her own customised steering wheel which shows her power and importance. She uses a gun and is very skilled with weapons. She's protecting someone which is very stereotypical for a strong woman who doesn't show fear or emotions of her own; just her maternal side and strength. When they go through the desert, there is a lot of dirt and dust; when they stop, she cleans her war rig. This contrasts to the other girls, who were cleaning themselves. Another thing that shows she's different from Joe's Wives, is she fights Mad Max. This shows they are equal, she does not submit to him, she's not scared and fights 'like a man'. She almost rugby tackles him and shows no mercy, she's ruthless and savage. She has a fixed and intimidating stare and has a lot of power. This shown when the Wives ask her for permission to give Mad Max water or not; she is in control and remains in control throughout the film. However, she does show she can negotiate and she's willing to trust Mad Max for greater good and to protect the Wives.
Costume, Hair and Make up: She has short, cropped hair, she resembles the war boys and it represents her masculinity. She also has black paint and grease/oil around her eyes and on her forehead which is similar to the war boys. This shows that the fact she is a female doesn't mean she has to be portrayed as feminine. She has a mask and goggles, which shows she's prepared and willing to take risks.
Props: Her steering wheel represents power and status and shows she is in charge because she doesn't have to fight for it like the warboys do. The majority of her props are weapons which shows she knows how to fight and is brave and ruthless.
Performance: Charlize Theron puts on a controlled performance and shows Furiosa's inner strength and emotions in a skilled and consistent way even under pressure. She is also good at conveying pure rage and she's extemely convincing. She doesn't show weakness or vulnerability.
Costume, Hair and Make up: She has short, cropped hair, she resembles the war boys and it represents her masculinity. She also has black paint and grease/oil around her eyes and on her forehead which is similar to the war boys. This shows that the fact she is a female doesn't mean she has to be portrayed as feminine. She has a mask and goggles, which shows she's prepared and willing to take risks.
Props: Her steering wheel represents power and status and shows she is in charge because she doesn't have to fight for it like the warboys do. The majority of her props are weapons which shows she knows how to fight and is brave and ruthless.
Performance: Charlize Theron puts on a controlled performance and shows Furiosa's inner strength and emotions in a skilled and consistent way even under pressure. She is also good at conveying pure rage and she's extemely convincing. She doesn't show weakness or vulnerability.
To what extent does 'Mad Max:Fury Road' pass the Bechdel test and does the film represent women positively?
Mad Max: Fury Road passes the Bechdel test because there are more than two women in the film; Furiosa, the Dark Angels and the Many Mothers. They talk to each other during the film, an example of this is when the keeper of the seeds talks to Dag and she tells her about the seeds and plants for the future and what the greenlands were like. This is what all of the women in the film represent- a brighter and greener future amongst the desert and it is their goal. This topic does not relate to men at all.
Mad Max:Fury Road and the Real World
There are elements of this movie that relate to some of the issues around the world today. There is an importance in the next life as demonstrated by the war boys in the extreme form of ideology they have that they serve their emperor and go to Vallhalla. This is almost like ISIS in the fact that they have an extreme set of beliefs to serve a higher power and go into the after life. It also relates to international politics in the fact that most worldwide leaders are male, and a recent change in this has been Theresa May's rise to power as the Britsh Prime Minister. This relates back to the idea of developing a mariarchy in MMFR. However, world leaders such as Donald Trump represent the patriarchal and right-wing/Fascist antagonists that are present in both films, and pose a question of how this will affect society.