14 DAY TRIAL // “Feminism” is the new F-word. Toss it around in conversation, and regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman, chances are there will be at least one person to give you the side-eye. Saying someone’s a feminist or admitting you’re one is the equivalent of singling someone out as a pariah.
It’s just such an uncool thing to be, a feminist.
When George Miller’s “Mad Max” reboot, “Mad Max: Fury Road,” first got tagged as a feminist movie, days before it opened in theaters on May 15, “male activists” lost their cool and took to forums to ask for a boycott of such a film.
In their mind, “Mad Max” could never be a feminist movie, because Mad Max is all man. And a man as manly as him could never stand for a feminist gal to stand by his side, as his equal, as if these 2 were mutually exclusive.
First things first: I believe whoever thinks feminism is a bad thing has exactly zero understanding of what the word even means, either because they don’t want to do their research or because of years of associating it with the idea that feminism is about bringing men down or making them less of everything that they are.
Feminism is about equality, in all aspects of life. We live in a world in which both men and women can co-exist as equals, so there’s no need for either sex to bring the other down.
And yes, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is a feminist movie - and an awesome action one as well. Here are the reasons you should not listen to the male activists urging you not to see it.
Accurate portrayal of female characters: realism
Asked about whether “Fury Road” had a “feminist agenda,” Charlize Theron, who plays Imperator Furiosa, said this:
“I think George didn’t have a feminist agenda up his sleeve, and I think that’s what makes the story even more powerful, especially how the women are represented in it. It’s just very truthful, and I really applaud him for that. […] George has this innate understanding that women are just as complex and interesting as men, and he was really interested in discovering all of that. I think through just his need and want for the truth he actually made an incredible feminist movie.”
The world of “Fury Road” is a post-apocalyptic one, where fuel (“guzzoline”), water and good human breeding stock are the most treasured commodities. Mother’s Milk is the most nourishing food available, and as such, it’s not accessible to anyone but it’s traded for fuel and bullets.
Women who can produce healthy babies are so rare and valuable that a tyrant like Immortan Joe would cross the desert and launch a war to get those stolen from him back. He will spare no car, no man / soldier, and no amount of guzzoline to get his 5 Wives back, 2 of whom are with child.
Nothing is more important in the “Fury Road” universe than a pregnant woman, as the viewer understands the very moment a bullet scrapes the leg of The Splendid Angharad, drawing blood. Such an injury, as minor as it might appear, is punished by death.
This female-centricity isn’t meant to praise women’s specialness by reminding viewers that they can carry babies and thus are “better” than men because they can create life.
“George has this innate understanding that women are just as complex and interesting as men”
In a world as the one brought to life on the big screen in “Fury Road,” it makes complete sense: this is a dying, violent, toxic world where the future doesn’t exist and life is measured in days. Days of survival. A baby represents a guarantee that the future will exist, so whoever carries one must be protected. Feminism in “Mad Max” is not a gimmick, but the result of excellent storytelling.
As for Furiosa and how she’s the real lead in the film and not Max, and how Miller butched her up to be his equal, think of it this way: if this world can create such insane War Boys, such a godlike figure like Immortan Joe and all those fierce warriors, does it not make sense to create badass non-child-bearing women like Furiosa?
In this world, a woman’s survival is dependent on 2 things only: carry healthy babies or be able to do war. Furiosa can’t or won’t do the former, so there is just one other option for her, and she becomes this strong, fearless and very calculated road warrior.
Stunts like you haven’t seen in years
Assuming you don’t want to hear another word about the feminism of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” here’s another good reason you should still check it out in theaters: unlike many of today’s action flicks, this one is packed with real, non-CGI stunts that are as impressive as they’re elaborated.
Most of what you see on the big screen, with some exceptions, really did take place in real life, on the set in the Namibian desert where Miller and the cast spent over half a year shooting and planning every scene down to the smallest detail. The production was lengthy and very difficult for a variety of reasons, but the result is an insane ballet of violence, of the kind you’re not likely to see again soon.
“Fury Road,” like I said in the full review as well, is a gorgeous and highly original approach to the action genre. It’s also the boldest and most visually stunning release of recent years.
A reboot that is mindful of the originals and welcoming to newbies
This brings us to reason 3: “Fury Road” is like a breath of fresh air in the action movie genre, right now oversaturated by reboots, remakes and lazy originals.
The very idea of making a reboot is welcomed today with a frown and the thought “Yup, here goes another classic ruined by Hollywood’s laziness,” and in most cases, both are justified. Filmmakers and movie studios simply can’t be bothered to give it their best, especially when they know they can count on the established fanbase of an older franchise.
“Fury Road” isn’t like that: it doesn’t cut corners with the story or the action, or the way both are delivered to the big screen. Then again, this is a film that was over 10 years in the making, so maybe that’s why it stands out.
The other reason is that it’s everything a solid reboot should be, paying attention to the originals in the most respectful manner but at the same time creating a film that stands on its own for newbies.
As a “Mad Max” fan, I couldn’t repress a grin and a giggle when I saw and heard the music box playing, or saw the composition / shooting style of some scenes. As a fan, I enjoyed every Easter Egg Miller was so careful to drop here and there, from the sound of the roaring engine to the return of Toecutter actor Hugh Keays-Byrne.
With all this, “Fury Road” isn’t a copy of any of the 3 films in the iconic franchise, being able to stand on its own for those who have no idea, say, of who Mel Gibson or Miller are. It’s a perfectly well-rounded and beautifully executed piece of modern filmmaking.
As such, at the very least, it deserves a chance. Let us not ruin the moviegoing experience by throwing the feminist word around like it’s something bad: “Mad Max” is a feminist movie - and one of the few in Hollywood today - but that is not all that recommends it.