The long-anticipated sequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, may have received some initial bad reviews when it comes to its production quality. This comes from the fact that, at times, the film’s visual effects (VFX) look like they came straight out of a 2006 action game. In any other film, this would have been passed off as yet another budget constraint; however, for a Mad Max film, this becomes a rather large blunder since audiences expect that its sequel would live up to the original film’s devout allegiance to realistic, practical effects.
Despite this, just three weeks after its release at the end of May, the film had grossed USD 145 million worldwide, becoming an instant commercial success. This can be largely explained by the film’s exceptional delivery of the titular character, Furiosa’s story. Her story is of a young girl who had to survive and grow up in the hyper-patriarchal post-apocalyptic world that is the Wastelands.
The film follows Furiosa’s resilience, as she escapes the clutches of a warlord, pretends to be a man in order to work in their society, before finally finding her place as their imperator, the person given the perilous task of driving gas to and from their capital, The Citadel. Here, the film becomes a celebration of women's empowerment, especially the empowerment of the girl child. This depiction on film creates hope for a more equitable future generation, which is why Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality.
In the beginning, young Furiosa (played by Alyla Browne) who lived in an odd place of abundance, was forcefully taken from her mothers by a biker gang led by Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). When one of her mothers (Charlee Fraser) came after her, she was captured and tortured to death. All the while, Dr. Dementus made sure that Furiosa would witness every detail. This moment cemented just how brutal violence against women is in the Wastelands. It also helped create Furiosa’s goal to enact her revenge on Dr. Dementus.
After a series of rather strange turns of events, Dr. Dementus began to see Furiosa as his own daughter. Still, after he had managed to storm the Citadel and demand compensation from the Citadel’s leader, Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), he was quick to disown Furiosa when Immortan Joe asked for her hand as a child-bride in exchange for Dr. Dementus’ rule over Gastown, where the Citadel’s gas is mined and processed.
With her ingenuity, Furiosa managed to escape the claws of Immortan Joe and disguised herself as a man. She then roamed the Citadel and found a job as a gatekeeper. A position she continued to excel in. This is a direct reflection of how, today, women are still undermined and underpaid in the workforce, when compared to their male colleagues. An article on Forbes Advisor found that, on average, women still earn 16 percent less than men. A study done by the PWC also found that only 39 percent of women felt like their superiors listened to them, a reality which significantly deprives women of professional opportunities for simply being women.
In the film, Furiosa found her footing when she met her mentor and lover, Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke). He drove gas from Gastown to the Citadel for a living, a position of high esteem in the Wastelands. Recognizing Furiosa’s skills and expertise, he took her under his wing. When Jack was later captured and executed by Dr. Dementus, Furiosa rose from the ashes as an Imperator, becoming Jack’s successor and gaining the respect and support of those in the Citadel. She would eventually get her revenge on Dr. Dementus, effectively making the film a celebration of empowered women and girls, who can work hard and be recognized for it.
Find out more about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, other Mad Max films and initiatives by checking their Instagram on @madmaxsaga.