Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that takes a part of you with it when it's over. I left the theater with my head buzzing and my body slightly weakened, like I just finished an intense two-hour workout. I couldn't think straight for a few hours after watching it for the first time; it's a miracle that I was able to drive home safely. It left me breathless and exhausted, yet I still wanted more. I knew the minute I walked out of that theater that I was going to see it again.
From a technical standpoint, Fury Road is an astonishing achievement. It does so many things so well; it's a masterclass in editing, cinematography, directing, production design, world building, sound editing, acting, and practical effects work, and should be studied in film school for years to come. It should also be said that it's a minor miracle that a film so packed with wall-to-wall action can be so comprehensible. There wasn't a single point where I was confused as to where people were, what they were doing, and how they got there. This is a film that starts at full speed and only gets faster, but you never get lost in its frenetic, breakneck action.
Like the last two films in the franchise, Max plays more of a supporting role here, stumbling into the story by accident. It's Imperator Furiosa, played so brilliantly by Charlize Theron, who takes center stage, and it's her story of redemption that is the heart and soul of the film. Furiosa, along with the five women she has tasked herself in saving from a lifetime of sexual slavery, are all very capable, believable individuals. Not once are those women objectified or used as some sort of "accessory"; each has a unique mindset and set of abilities that are utilized throughout the film. They are more than just a plot device; they are real, believable people who play a key role in their own survival.
Fury Road never falls victim to the many tropes that plague many Hollywood action movies, especially ones that feature female characters. Our heroes are able to reach a reasonably happy end not because Max comes along and saves the day, but because everyone plays a vital role and works together. No one person is more important than another. Furiosa and Max are evenly matched, and they both realize that the only way they are ever going to survive is if they work together. They quickly get a feel for each other's strengths and utilize them whenever needed. Over the course of the film they get to know each other just enough to build a solid partnership; there are no forced implications of any sort of relationship building between the two; they're just two people working together out of necessity (and chance) to survive.
One of the most refreshing things about Fury Road is that it doesn't preach to its audience. The world and the characters that inhabit it are explained through subtle yet revealing visual clues. You get a clear understanding of who these characters are and what makes them tick by just watching them. You understand the trials and tribulations that they experienced without ever having the film delve into some long-winded backstory. It trusts the audience to unravel its mysteries without having to be constantly shown the solution. Not once does it take the people watching it for granted. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to watch a movie that let me discover its world on my own.
It's been said before, but it bears repeating: Fury Road is unrelenting. There are a few breaks now and then that allow the characters and the audience breathe a little, but its foot never fully comes off the accelerator. Everything is always moving forward, never wasting a single frame. The action is brilliantly choreographed and shot, and is constantly one-upping itself. After watching the sandstorm sequence, I was certain that there was no way anything that the film could throw at me from that point on could top it. I was (happily) proven wrong again and again, constantly having to pick up my jaw off of the floor. The way this film builds is a lot like climbing Mount Everest, only when you reach the summit you just keep going up, blasting through the atmosphere and into deep space.
Mad Max: Fury Road a film that reminded me just how powerful, inspiring, entertaining, and beautiful cinema can (and should) be. It is a modern action masterpiece that has set the bar for all films to come. It is almost mind-boggling that a film that spent so long in development could not just turn out as great as it did, but to become a benchmark for all modern filmmaking. It's a film that makes me want to go out and create something. It's as inspiring as it is breathtaking.
Much like he did with The Road Warrior in 1981, George Miller has rewritten the book on action cinema. From now on, I will judge every film in one, simple way: "Is it as good as Fury Road?".
Sadly, I think that answer will always be "no".
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