FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA – The Red Right Hand Movie Reviews [Matthew Stogdon]

Starring
Anya Taylor-Joy
Chris Hemsworth
Tom Burke
Lachy Hulme

As the title of this prequel implies, the story is set before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road and follows a young Furiosa [Taylor-Joy] as she is kidnapped from her haven of abundance, held captive and then traded from one warlord to another. As she grows older she adapts to survive, driven by the thought of exacting revenge and returning home – a motivation which continues long into Fury Road itself.

Unlike a lot of prequels, this narrative wasn’t an afterthought; Miller had always planned to shoot this story back-to-back but that became hugely impractical and unlikely. As such, there’s a sense of earned legitimacy to this story. What’s more, it feels like a film free of studio interference or contribution – a purely trusted vision of insanity, earned from the accolades and wealth accrued by Fury Road. And yet Furiosa is quite substantially different from not only Fury Road, but the original Mad Max trilogy as well. Aesthetically, all of the brutally rich production design, inventive hair, make-up and costuming, as well as the otherworldly cinematography make a return, but structurally it feels separate. Meaning, for those who felt Fury Road was a chaotic there-and-back-again tale, Furiosa may be a welcome break – acting as one of the most assembled stories in this post apocalyptic setting. Not only because it spans more time than any previous instalment, but also due to its departure from Max Rockatansky as a silent witness to the wasteland, who is reluctantly drawn into events that do not concern him. Furiosa, on the other hand, is very much an active and willing participant with a specific goal.

Which brings us to the optical illusion at the heart of this movie. Fury Road immediately established itself as an extremely up close, adrenaline fuelled, thrill ride. A snapshot of chaos and horror. Furiosa, by contrast, is more a poetic, Nordic saga of expansive, vignetted world building, yet (despite being bigger in scope and scale) sometimes feels more stripped back. As such, this film may initially throw some people off. It is unquestionably replete with action set-pieces, visual flair and unyielding spectacle. But, in truth, the central motivating force is one of slow, contemplative plotting. A coiled spring of duplicitousness and opportunity. There is no point where Furiosa is not looking to escape back to her home, without leading the worst the world has to offer to that paradise. Whereas, to date, we’re used to Max in the lead, railing against the world and seeking the open road at any cost. Without that, we’re anchored to people and places in a novel and somewhat unfamiliar way over the course of 15 years. And, subsequently, we see how life in the desert evolves and shifts.

I will admit, it’s a shame to lose Charlize Theron in a role that she so magnificently embodied. But Anya Taylor-Joy more than steps up to the plate to fill some genuinely intimidating shoes. Her performance is one of deeply contained rage and constant calculation behind the eyes. Moreover, her story of vengeance is fascinatingly complex. Not only covering the hollow futility of revenge, but illustrating how it consumes its victim until they’re little more than an unrecognisable wraith. The only glimpse of hope – a word which is parroted throughout the movie – is in the form of charming and very capable driver, Praetorian Jack [Burke]. Jack is the sort of heroic figure we have come to expect from this sort of story. A lone, stoic, male figure (who physically resembles Max) who is willing to not only help but throw it all in for love. But he’s not the lead, he’s a footnote in a much bigger story. Making his presence an engrossing puzzle – almost to highlight how the conventional warrior archetype can be a support strut in a more compelling story.

But to discuss all this revenge, retribution and retaliation without delving into the focus of this ire, would be pretty pointless. Enter Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth, clearly having an exceptional amount of fun. On the surface, Dementus is a typically two dimensional villain. A beefy bad guy who wrongs our heroine and deserves to die. But he has his own equally interesting arc. A cautionary tale of confident, bombastic leadership that heads a nomadic group seeking the opportunity to take and capture whatever they can. Dementus is very much a leader of circumstance, rather than someone who has earned their spot. Almost as a parallel for chaotic CEOs running a company into the ground thanks to poor decision making and overconfidence. Every success comes with a caveat, every speech sounds grand but it becomes more clear that he is willing to sell anyone out at a moment’s notice. In fact, whenever Dementus starts to succeed, it’s clear he cannot maintain order or keep control over the people or assets under his command. Which brings us back to that Nordic prose comparison. Furiosa, despite being set in the future, is rife with medieval logic. From siege warfare, truce through marriage, hostages of court, bandits attacking convoys, plague and death at every turn, as well as semi-mute heroes ripping off their own arms to ride back to camp – it all feels steeped in mythology and elevated deeds.

Furiosa is unsurprisingly captivating from start to end – making it very hard to fault because it’s so unique and abides by its own rules and structure. That said, there is really only one downfall: the score. Tom Holkenborg’s themes and leitmotifs from Fury Road were truly standout. Powerful, intense, and often surprisingly soulful. While the general feeling of the soundscape returns, it doesn’t hit us with anything close to the same level of immediate impact and lasting resonance. Which is made more notable whenever a previous familiar flourish works its way in and you’re set alight in your seat. Only for that to be snuffed out just as quickly.

Over the coming years, there will be plenty of discussion over whether this movie does enough to separate itself from Mad Max: Fury Road. There will be cries that it’s a lesser creation, while others will hold it up as a more complete, superior story. Regardless, it’s a testament to the creative team both in front of and behind the camera – who have somehow captured the insane magic of Fury Road again, almost a decade later. An act which, most would assume, was not possible. And yet, here it stands, bold, brazen and beautiful.

Release Date:
24 May 2024

The Scene To Look Out For:
**Spoilers within**
Despite the myriad choices of stunning scenes throughout this film, I’d like to draw attention to a triptych of separate moments, all of which involve trees. The first is young Furiosa’s picking of fruit in the woodland – an incredibly blunt analogy for the garden of Eden and the expulsion that follows. The second is when Furiosa escapes imprisonment from Immortan Joe’s harem. Rather than simply cutting away with a defined quantity of years stamped on an inter-title card, instead we see the wig she uses to escape caught on a branch. And through a timelapse, it falls apart as the branch grows and extends out from the side of the cliff edge – which is a wonderfully organic way of illustrating the passage of time in a world where calendars mean very little. Finally, we have the movie’s close. Narrated by the History Man [George Shevtsov], we get an almost unreliable narrator continuation of the Mad Max tradition of oral history and legends. There is no definitive conclusion to how Dementus is dispatched, but the most poetic and grotesque is centred on a tree that bears the same fruit seen at the start of the film. Giving the whole saga a circular nature.

Notable Characters:
With the death of Hugh Keays-Byrne a few years ago, it was obvious he would need to be replaced. And while Lachy Hulme does a great job of essentially being a stand-in, it’s interesting how he is utilised in dual format. Not only as Immortan Joe, but also as one of Dementus’ generals, the cycloptic Rizzdale Pell. And this duality is not only restricted to Hulme. Josh Helman makes a return, not as Split from Fury Road but a new, previously unseen member of the Immortan’s family tree: Scrotus. This recycling of actors in different roles subtly enhances the feeling of a very limited gene pool operating in what remains of humanity.

Highlighted Quote:
“Big shots rule, only because you choose to follow.”

In A Few Words:
“Unlike many prequels, this feature enhances and elevates the events of Fury Road while standing on its own two feet.”

Total Score: 4/5

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