Mad Max: Fury Road
Overview
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller, the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise. The film is set in a wasteland where water and gasoline are scarce, and society has collapsed into a brutal, tribal system of survival. The film stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, a haunted loner who is captured by a warlord named Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Immortan Joe controls the Citadel, a fortress with a water supply that he hoards, keeping his subjects desperate and dependent. The film also stars Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, one of Immortan Joe's lieutenants, a woman who has secretly been working to free Joe's five "wives" — young women he keeps as breeders. Furiosa drives a massive War Rig, a tanker truck, on a mission to the "Green Place," a fertile land she remembers from her childhood. She is betrayed, and Immortan Joe sends his entire war party after her. Max, who has been captured and used as a blood bag, escapes and joins Furiosa. The film is essentially one long, extended car chase, from the Citadel to the canyon, across the salt flats, and back again. The action sequences are breathtaking, all performed with practical stunts and minimal CGI. The film is famous for its use of "polecats" — warriors who swing on long poles between vehicles — and its flame-throwing guitar player, who rides on a truck covered in speakers. The film is also a feminist action movie, with Furiosa as the true protagonist and the wives as active participants in their own rescue. The film ends with Furiosa and the wives killing Immortan Joe and taking control of the Citadel, while Max fades into the background, a wanderer once again. Mad Max: Fury Road was a critical and commercial success, earning over $380 million worldwide. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning six, including Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing. It is widely considered one of the greatest action films ever made.
