How to: break my heart. A tutorial by Mad Max: Fury Road
Let’s talk about this scene a little, because I noticed a particular detail in my last viewing that’s had me buzzing and buzzing crying a lot.
Let’s start with the obvious: the whole film Nux has wanted to establish his life has some meaning by dying “historic on the Fury Road.” Of course, all his previous efforts were attempts to continue things the way they were–in Immortal Joe’s terms. Thus, those deaths would not have really been historic. They would have been forgotten, just another blip in the status quo. In crashing the rig and allowing the wives to return to the Citadel, Nux does in fact fulfill his wish to die historic–without his actions, the wives likely would not have been able to return to the city and enact the changes they inevitably do. His death matters in a way none of the other deaths in the film do–it matters to changing the future, and thus becomes an important part of the future Citadel’s history.
Nux only knows how to do that in his own terms, though–the terms of the War Boys. Thus, his death only gains significance if it is witnessed. For Nux, the action itself is not as important as it being seen and acknowledged. This makes a lot of sense in terms of Immortal Joe’s world and its patriarchal structure. Individuals are not important, actions don’t matter unless they are showy and seen–all life boils down not to meaningful actions but to showing off.
But here’s why this film is a feminist masterpiece, and why this scene in particular cements that: Capable’s reaction.
Capable does witness him. She locks eyes and acknowledges the significance of his action, of his inevitable death. But she doesn’t respond like one of the War Boys–when the War Boys die asking to be witnessed, the others respond yelling “Witnessed!” This answer does say, “I have seen your action, it matters,” but hollered with usual the War Boy bravado, it also acts as an attempt for the witnessing War Boys to build up their own importance by making themselves part of the action.
Capable does not yell “Witnessed.” She responds with a gesture–holding her hand out and pulling it toward her heart. This is the Vuvalini’s gesture of mourning–a beautiful gesture that essentially mimics pulling the lost soul into one’s own heart. Capable has only just learned this gesture, but she seems to innately understand its significance. Thus, while she witnesses Nux’s death, she refuses to “witness” him in the sense of the War Boys and instead mourns him in the manner of the Vuvalini. Nux likely sees this–the editing implies he doesn’t turn the rig until after he’s seen the gesture. Thus, he knows he is witnessed, but more importantly, he knows that he will be mourned and remembered. With that knowledge, he finally has the strength and the worthy reason to sacrifice his life for a cause that matters.
This moment is also the moment Immortal Joe’s power is officially broken. Yes, Joe is dead, but Rictus and a whole gang of War Boys and their ilk are photon their wheels, ready to re-establish the status quo. In many ways it is a transfer of power–the last call to witness leads to the first time the Wives truly embrace the culture and ideology of the Vuvalini as their guiding principle. Joe’s power is broken not so much by the explosion–though that is certainly the blunt force that finishes the deal. Joe’s power is broken by self sacrifice–a self-sacrifice born not of bravado or the hope of becoming a legend, but one born of community, of love, of hope. Capable’s response guarantees that Nux’s sacrifice will be honored and remembered, but in a new way in their new world.
Because I was thinking about the handgun that Furiosa and Max wrestled over, and about the hilarious caption vorobey008 put on that photoset, I noticed something I hadn’t before, though it’s probably obvious to everyone else.
There’s been a lot of (very cool) talk already about how Furiosa full-on tried to kill Max during the fight (first with the sawed-off shotgun, then with the handgun):
But when Max gained the upper hand he made a point of not killing Furiosa, instead firing those three shots into the sand next to her head:
And yeah, that was a luxury Max had in that situation, as a person with significant physical advantages (not to end the fight at the first opportunity by killing his opponent, the way Furiosa tried to). But also, it was a fight, and they were experiencing a certain amount of anger and aggression, and Max was pissed, because that gun going off next to his head hurt. So he didn’t just end the fight by pressing the gun against the back of Furiosa’s head, as he could have. Instead he dished out some tit-for-tat playground retaliation, firing the gun next to her ear the same way she’d done to him, and adding two more shots for good measure.
Which makes me think that later, when Furiosa tells Max, “don’t breathe”:
…there may have been a certain amount of retributive balancing going on. Because Furiosa is no stranger to testosterone-fueled one-upmanship.
It doesn’t undercut all the cool analysis people have already done of these scenes. But it does bring home to me how similar the two characters are.
Also, I think Max was lucky Big Boy was out of ammo. Because Furiosa still owed him one.
OMG OMG OMG THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I HAD IMAGINED.
*HYPERVENTILATING*
thankyouthankyouthankyou! iamsooomovedthankyou!!
That is possibly my favourite war rig scene from the whole movie. It just looks so badass, the music is awesome and then comes that shot of the re-opening air intakes and it’s just perfect.
I gasp each time the air intakes open after the dust….then it’s like OKAY, IT IS ON *out comes the weaponry*
I left this one out of the set, but here it is if you want it:
War boys and movie stunt people have a lot in common. Each strives to achieve a kind of immortality through witnessed acts of performative physical prowess, carried out at high personal risk in service of the group goal. I don’t think the stunt team had to dig very deep to find their motivation on this movie.
dad max: fury mom (road trip au) – ‘i will turn this war rig around i swear to god’
You know what tho I have to talk about this because I’d mentioned this in a text post but it’s so much more obvious in a gif how this is the first time that Furiosa and Max is grouped together instead of Furiosa and the Wives. There was that first moment of recognition when they looked at each other during the Buzzard fight, then that first moments of respect during the chain fight and the kill switches and her getting on the Rig.
But look at that second gif where they’re both yelling at the ‘kids in the back’, I’m fairly sure that this is their first two-shot opposite the wives struggling against Nux. And their complete and coordinated exasperation at the situation and understanding.
Drift compatible af.
First two-shot! I love it when you point things like this out. The non-looped line of Max yelling, “Get off him!” reinforces your concept of the corner they are turning here as well.
(I assume they did not loop Max’s line as a decision to keep the focus on the thematically important dialog of Nux & the wives, rather than cloud the intent of the scene by also making this moment about Max being derailed from any increased level of threat by the chaos. His expression tells that story juuust fine – no line of dialog was needed. Once again, very nice job letting the visuals tell one aspect of the story, and the audio tell the other.)
Can we also talk, briefly, about what Charlize Theron is doing with her right hand in the bottom gif?
The designers for Furiosa’s prosthetic arm said that the character had things like motors from model airplanes and some basic pneumatic systems and dials and switches in her prosthetic arm so the character could dial up the power on that arm when she needed it.
Pretty sure in that last gif the actor is playing the character dialing the power back down after having grabbed Nux. And I think that’s rad as hell.
Oh wow, I think you’re right. Never noticed that before.
Toast’s faaace! I figure Toast knows what a truly scary guy with a gun looks like…and just isn’t impressed by a merely terrified guy with a gun. Her whole attitude during this scene is, ‘You are seriously complicating our get-away dude, do not fuck this up.’
It’s not that there’s no CGI in this movie – it’s just that he did it back-to-front.
Just as he stood all story telling and character tropes on their heads, George Miller inverted conventional wisdom on practical vs. CGI. Dangerous, explody, actors-flying-through-the-air, fire, apocalypticonvoy racing at 60kph across the landscape, dirt and fighting – all real. Skyscapes, rock walled canyons and starry nights – all CGI/enhanced.
Explode things individually with extreme safety, composite them together in post, set against background of cgi enhanced landscape. Color time for surreality, rotoscope for emotional devastation, bake at 350 for approximately 15 years – done!
…is doubly perfect, in that 1) all the significant creative choices in the film come off as internally consistent and intentional, and 2) former-ER-physician Miller has said more than once how proud he is that despite a months-long shoot with big stunts nearly every day there were no serious injuries or broken bones on-set.
This is pretty much every frame of Cheedo and the Dag interacting by the war rig during that scene when they do (or don’t) kiss. I’m not taking a position on that. I cropped in tight on them and lightened it some to try to make the details more visible.
For context, these shots are intercut with shots of Max, who has taken a bunch of stuff from the rig and is about to go back to deal with the approaching Peacemaker. You can hear machine-gun fire in the distance. Max turns to have the conversation with Furiosa about taking the rig another half a click down the track, and answers her question about what to do if he’s not back by the time the engines have cooled with, “Well, you keep moving.” The fourth gif above (middle row, right side) is right before he says that.
I don’t think it’s ever really hit me until I saw this that Capable is truly at her lowest point before she finds Nux, she’s so exhausted here, grieving for her lost sister/leader/best friend, the person who woke her up and inspired her and helped her survive that horrible life…and as Angharad’s second-in-command she has to be thinking about whether she can step up and keep them all together – Furiosa who shoots first and doesn’t ask questions at all, Toast who’s just so fucking angry she might spontaneously combust, Cheedo’s falling apart and the Dag is just away with the fairies –
– and she’s so done in that last gif, like maybe for the first time Capable thinks she might be incapable…
…and that’s when she turns round, sees the War Boy who was trying to take them back whining about how he failed and instead of helping him bash his own brains out she decides to be nice to him.
“You’re an old man’s battle fodder, killing everyone and everything!”
Funny how fast he goes from ‘THIS IS THE TRUTH’ to ‘…wait, it’s not my fault, what are you saying?’. I don’t think he’s ever heard anyone argue against the Immortan before.
Which means no one does? O_O
I love the wives for not only being independent enough in their thought to build a philosophy that fights against what they’re being told about the order of the world, but mostly for wanting to teach that same saving philosophy to anyone else who’s trapped. It’s not just an escape, it’s a revolt in the full meaning of the word.
No, no, but look. The War Pups are clearly accustomed to being picked up. You don’t just hold your arms out like that all casually unless you KNOW you’re going to get picked up. They’re USED to it by now, used to just holding out their arms and being held by the nearest War Boy.
So clearly the War Boys are capable of the kind of gentleness and emotional warmth that makes them totally cool with picking up small children, and these War Pups are raised with some semblance of emotional tenderness, and then Joe just FUCKS IT ALL UP WITH HIS BRAINWASHING (sobs)
1. Did Cheedo not only not try to help Furiosa (who was saving their asses!) but actually tried to hold back the Dag from helping? :(
2. Knowing that he’s going to be her pet puppy by the end of that day, it’s kinda adorable that Capable couldn’t manage to get the magazine (commonly but incorrectly called a clip) out of Nux’s hand.
It’s cool being able to study it like this. So yeah, Cheedo is definitely holding the Dag back in the first two gifs, which explains neither of them being present in the scrum (though the Dag does arrive to try to pull Max off Furiosa via the chain in the fifth gif). If you watch the whole fight you can see Cheedo grabbing onto the Dag just prior to this, when the initial struggle over the handgun was happening. That’s after the Dag, who previously helped out by tossing the boltcutters to Furiosa, had drifted back toward her (Cheedo’s) location.
The fight has 15 distinct elements:
Max
Furiosa
Nux
the 5 wives
the sawed-off shotgun
the chain
the door
the boltcutters
the water hose and nozzle
the handgun
the magazine
It’s like an engine, with all those parts interacting violently and chaotically, but all working to propel the scene toward its conclusion. And despite the chaos it all reads comprehensibly.
what terrible soul gif’d this! …and could they please go gif the moment on the lift when Max is watching the whole scene, and then flicks his eyes to look at Furiosa? It’s this beautiful blend of Max’s inner quiet, so elusive for him the whole movie, and a touch of pride in Furiosa. A tiny piece of closure. (and a perfect edit, to boot – just a few frames)
