Mad Max: Fury Road

Graham Craycraft

From the trailers Mad Max appears to be another weak and random action movie that will reach all low expectations that viewers have going in. But upon deeper review the audience will find one of the most enjoyable and beautiful movies ever made. The vast landscape and grandiose shots held over the quick movements of the vehicle scenes say in more words than can actually describe them. I feel that no words could or can describe the various scenes that ensue this entire movie. George Miller’s continuation with Mad Max was a risky endeavor that possibly could have only been pulled off by himself. I fear that if directors such as Michael Bay had gotten their hands on this idea it would have turned into just another bad movie although with the same amount of explosions. George Miller’s genius was not to tone down the action or even the bizzarity, but give warrant to both of these extremes with impeccable acting and a memorable story.

From Immortan Joe and his sons to Furiosa and Max the varying levels of care the audience shares with the characters is only one side of viewing this movie. Perhaps the most delightful aspect of Fury Road is how the audience can choose to watch this movie. Going in you have a few options for what you want to get out of it. You could experience something great and look into every minute detail which would lead you to pour over the movie for hours leading into days. Or you could go in and take the movie at face value and still experience an outstanding experience. The visuals alone will be enough to leave you speechless, but after embracing the oddity of the film instead of trying to fight it the characters as well as the sound mixing and editing will leave you in disbelief. The entirety of the film of course would be nothing without all parts that make up the sum. The War Boys are a prime example, and my favorite of what the movie has to offer.

Witness me! The chant and hallowed belief of the brothers of the V8 is prevalent throughout and the scenes that follow this death chant are the best in the movie. When the War Boy, Nux, sprays his mouth after dousing his vehicle in guzzoline the audience is put to the edge of their seats in anxiety to see what awaits Max. The chrome paint unites the War Boys to their vehicles and fallen brethren. The editing brilliance comes in every time the War Boys spray the chrome; the mixing speeds up slightly and thus replicates the feeling of religious connection and the physical high they get from the aerosol. There is only one instance a War Boy is sprayed that the mixing does not speed up and that is when Immortan Joe sprays Nux and tells him that Valhalla awaits. Nux’s shock is forced to the forefront and the audience has no other option than to feel as honored and privileged to be graced with the personal paint from the leader of the V8.

But undoubtedly the most beautiful scene comes in the middle of the sand storm. As Nux makes his way to the War Rig and to his glorious impending doom there is a coalition of crashes, fire, and kicked up landscape. Bodies and vehicles launch through the air and explode like terrifying fireworks against the filled emptiness of the desert storm. The mix between the blown sand, the flaming explosions, and the strewn bodies brings a twinkle to Nux as he exclaims how beautiful a day it is. And the audience can say nothing against it as this scene is the epitome of beauty in destruction that makes Mad Max such a massive success.


To see the scene check out this link https://youtu.be/Bxhj3Rs6_hs