 | Genre: Fantasy, Action |
It was lauded as a feminist film for it's female hero and it's save-the-abused-wives plot, and then this celebration was criticised for praising a bare minimum standard for feminism. But, daring to say that women are people and shouldn't be breeding property is just the beginning of it's feminism.
Furiosa is not sexualised. She's played by the very attractive Charlize Theron, but her practical clothing, dirty face and shaved head show that the way she looks just is, she's a hero not eye candy.
Many films use the rule of thirds and focus points of the screen is often on female characters chests and hips, rather than their faces. This was not the case in Fury Road. Not only is Furiosa shown as her own capable character, the vulnerability, femininity and purity of the wives is used as a plot point, not as fan service. When they wash themselves, it's hardly focused on, and their wet bodies are not even in shot for much of the scene.
A last point on Furiosa, it is fantastic to see a disabled character in a main role as a capable action hero, without it being 'inspirational' or even much of a plot point at all. Furiosa's arm and prosthetic are clearly shown but never mentioned, making this a very positive representation. Various articles from amputees and congenital amputees bring to light, and praise the type of visibility this is.
Race has also been brought up, and while all of the main characters are white, this film is not as white washed as many post-apocolyptic tales. One of the wives is visibly mixed race, and while none of the actors playing the Vuvalini tribe are visibly people of colour, the characters are portrayed as people of colour. To say that all the extras are white is to say that white is the default and covered skin is white; extras are either the painted-white war boys or the dirt covered citizens, and various racial features can be seen.
Serious issues aside, I found this film so fun that I now want to watch every other Mad Max film, despite no previous interest in the series. If you missed it in the cinema, make sure you see it as soon as you can. It's worth it.
Furiosa is not sexualised. She's played by the very attractive Charlize Theron, but her practical clothing, dirty face and shaved head show that the way she looks just is, she's a hero not eye candy.
Many films use the rule of thirds and focus points of the screen is often on female characters chests and hips, rather than their faces. This was not the case in Fury Road. Not only is Furiosa shown as her own capable character, the vulnerability, femininity and purity of the wives is used as a plot point, not as fan service. When they wash themselves, it's hardly focused on, and their wet bodies are not even in shot for much of the scene.
A last point on Furiosa, it is fantastic to see a disabled character in a main role as a capable action hero, without it being 'inspirational' or even much of a plot point at all. Furiosa's arm and prosthetic are clearly shown but never mentioned, making this a very positive representation. Various articles from amputees and congenital amputees bring to light, and praise the type of visibility this is.
Race has also been brought up, and while all of the main characters are white, this film is not as white washed as many post-apocolyptic tales. One of the wives is visibly mixed race, and while none of the actors playing the Vuvalini tribe are visibly people of colour, the characters are portrayed as people of colour. To say that all the extras are white is to say that white is the default and covered skin is white; extras are either the painted-white war boys or the dirt covered citizens, and various racial features can be seen.
Serious issues aside, I found this film so fun that I now want to watch every other Mad Max film, despite no previous interest in the series. If you missed it in the cinema, make sure you see it as soon as you can. It's worth it.
