Movie Review: Mad Max Fury Road (2015)
The apocalyptic literature always focuses on the poisoning of the earth from the institutional levels, and the greed that leads to the depletion of natural resources then comes to the ending that followed by a new beginning within a cleaner and perfect universe. When, therefore, Mad max starts with the sound of women lamenting on the house poisonous and sour the earth has become, it feels like it fits right into the literature. It, however, is not the case. Mad Max Fury Road presents an altered yet daring conception on the end time, it shows the absence of hope, lack or housecleaning plot twist and therefore people have to accept the broken situation they have created out of the earth and work on improving it rather than base all ideas on foundationless fantasies.
The best win in all the eco-catastrophe films is the soothing effect that plots present; the plot eventually tidies up the situation and gives us hope for the future. The reassurance here being that the world’s ending was to begin a initialize a fresh start, which is rare for everyone. It is a form of housekeeping that works on sweeping out the toxic people ending with a promise of purity. Mad max provides no such plot of reassurances, the world after the end is neither pure nor whole, but it is a non-ending battle to survive. The characters navigate risks of being so opened to one another as they exchange pleasures and fluid extracted from their body as water sources. It further features a whole population that is wholly polluted with only a few sources of clean regenerative water. It, therefore, does not depict the norm in apocalyptic literature expected I all the series.
Apocalyptic literature also experiences a form of the plot turn where a certain housekeeping plot turn comes to the rescue of the world towards its cleaner self, often in the form of a newborn or a specific character. Mad max fury provides a basis for the same story, but the housekeeping plot does not happen. Angharad and her unborn child are part of the clean bloodline who is at first presented as the vessels of the rehabilitated world. The expectations here are that at the film ends; they would be the ones to save the world. However, they both die as their escaping party passes Vuvalini’s Green place. The film thus beast presents a plot that does not treat down the cliché path of all films.
The film also presented an alternative idea on the meaning of hope, as presented in most of the other apocalyptic films. Most of the films present the idea that as greed and turmoil affect the earth, people live in the hope of getting saved with the rising of a new world. Mad Max Fury Road does not present any hope. In the final plot twist of the story also reveals that the inspiration of Furiosa and Vuvalini to travel miles across the desert is misplaced because there is no new green place or any bright future awaiting them. Max also warns Furiosa that “hope is a mistake; if you can’t fix what’s broken, you’ll go insane.” Their land was already a wasteland, and even with clean water, there was no assurance of Edenic future, and they had to accept what they had. The idea is potent; it is better to deal with the broken things that you have at hand than always laid around with hope for something better, which is not assured.
The world has been all about imagining the apocalypse and its aftermath, and Mad Max Fury Road provides its side of the story showing what is going on behind everyday reality and fantasy we create as stories. While it is true that the earth is poised within the environment, ourselves, and in the way of life, it is better to deal with the reality of the situation rather than create fantasies of a hope that will save the earth.
Reference
Mitchell D., Miller G., Voeten P. (Producers), Miller, G. (Director). (2015). Mad Max Fury Road. Warner Bros Pictures, Australia.
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