Furiosa: What Character Design Tells You

[@zygmuntledzion2545]

Surprisingly insightful analysis - I was shocked to see this video doesn’t have hundreds of thousands views. Can’t wait to see your future works and thoughts.

[@FashionableCrow]

Thank you. It was fun making this one. I’m glad to hear you liked it 😁

[@jaynedavis3388]

When I see shaved heads I think of a cancer charity event we have in Australia every year. As a teenager, my hair was down to my butt crack & I shaved it all off. Furiosa has not given up hope. If she had, she could have ended her life or just thrown the seed into the desert. Planting the seed was a compromise between that faithful little girl & the woman she knows she has to become.

[@AnMuiren]

From the very first Mad Max film, I have waited for somebody to explain what logical chain of events that would make possible an apocalyptic Australia devoid of its indigenous peoples.

[@FashionableCrow]

They’re hanging out, completely chill, miles away from all that car worship nonsense

[@angellover02171]

The indigenous people took one look at the white going wild and just said nope.

[@thornappletea]

I just assumed they all buggered off to live normal lives away from all the psychotic vehicle cults 😂

[@mnk9073]

Clearly they just moved to New Zealand where, much like the rest of the world, everything is normal.

[@LeticiaAGentil]

I always wondered about it, too! It is so nonsensical

[@Asidchild]

As someone who spends hours in the character creation screen, I appreciate your analysis. Thanks for giving me new reasons to love these movies

[@robloggia]

By no means am I suggesting that deep analysis of this kind isn't worthwhile in Mad Max movies. However, it is important to keep in mind that George Miller is a mad man, and that prolonged examination of his work will only result in your own madness.

[@jordang7479]

My own little headcanon is that Furiosa: a mad max saga is more of a story told about her in the wasteland rather than exactly what really happened. Partly because I don't want to give up my original back story for her😅 Partly because it was in chapters, and partly because I don't think a human could survive having a tree grow in them.

[@FashionableCrow]

I like that a lot for this movie. The nod to it being a fable and the tree being a fantastical resolution def makes it feel like it’s a folk story the history man is telling you

[@rzuue]

A prequel I really liked was the one for the Hunger Games about the young president snow. It doesn’t try to fill things that were left unexplained in the original trilogy, or only very little, rather it’s telling a story with a very different theme at its core. It doesn’t tell us the details of the war or the first hunger games or ends with Snow becoming president, no. It explores how Snow assumed his opinion about people and how a death tournament turned into a flamboyant spectacle for the capitol without showing a hard switch but a glimpse of them starting to change. I‘d say that ballad of songbirds and snakes had its own theme to explore was what essentially helped it in being a good prequel. It made it a story worth telling. Solo didn’t have a theme at all in comparison. They just built some rather uninteresting stuff around his greatest achievement. But we didn’t need any of that, neither to understand the character nor to explore a part of the world nor to explore any theme. It wasn’t a story worth telling.

[@SpoiledSundew]

While I liked movies and wanted to understand them prior to Fury Road, Fury Road was the movie that lead to me wanting to dive deeper into how movies communicated with their audiences and remains one of my favorite movies of all time. I also expressed concern over a prequel for similar reasons to you since so many prequels spend so much time validating and solidifying broad fan theories or answering the worst questions. But I ended up loving Furiosa so much. And this video is easily among my favorite discussions of it I've seen. I especially was taken aback by your analysis of the tree planting because it felt off to me when I saw it. There was a moment of "hell yeah, he deserves it" but I felt a faint sadness that that was the fate of the tree. You finally put it into words the feeling I felt, and really solidified for me how Furiosa became a fallen hero who has a second chance to help others find their redemption. I'm going to go feel things now.

[@FashionableCrow]

I loved reading this. Thank you. I just wanted to add that George Miller has such a beautiful thought process into his POV of the characters in that variety interview btw that I think you might appreciate if you have the time to check it out.

[@shsgsy]

The hair may just remind her also of her home so thats another reason to keep it despite impracticality

[@natasharedmane]

Excellent video as usual. I couldn't help but keep thinking of Bisan cutting her hair because the artificially apocalyptic conditions she's going through and the painful parallels that can be made.

[@nasecoo]

A Mad Max video, and you say you discuss Arcane too? This is all tailored for me

[@wren1024]

Not where I thought this was going, but I loved it

[@diatolkien9304]

Really appreciate your analysis, I won't lie I really hated the long hair originaly, but you changed my perspective completely

[@FashionableCrow]

@@diatolkien9304 TY. I’m probably drinking my own brand of copeium but I like to think about it like this

[@leti_ci_a]

I liked the movie and was excited when she cut her hair for the first time. Seeing her hair super long again BROKE me. I still think, in her child mind, she would associate long hair with bad things, not with rebellion. That being said this video is amazing, great analysis!

[@FashionableCrow]

@@leti_ci_a that’s a really great, horrifically sad angle to see it as well. Aghhhh 🫠

[@Janehaver]

Oh you have such unique viewpoints, i love the things that hook you in movies! Instant subscribe 🎉

[@FashionableCrow]

@@Janehaver well, thanks. More to come, probs, if you ever have a piece of media in mind, the community page is open to requests 😁

[@Janehaver]

@FashionableCrow I shall do that!

[@cornflakes-does-stuff]

This analysis really made me appreciate Furiosa more, although I'm still more fond of the implied version of Furiosa's backstory in Fury road, and you made me realize why I felt that making Dementus Furiosa's "nemesis" sort of felt a bit...uhh unsatisfiyng or so speak and lessened the impact of her rebelling against Immortan Joe in the "sequel". But the way I like to look at franchises where I feel the next installment doesn't really align with the previous in continuity or just with the backstory I made up from the implied stuff is to consider them like a slightly different universe for each installment, and with every previous Mad Max movie before Furiosa actually doing this it's not hard for me to go "well, this is /a/ version of Furiosa's backstory and not the end all be all of what her story could be" , even sort of supported by the history man telling the story, a bit more like a legend and not strickly factual, at least this is how I like to see it ^^"

[@FashionableCrow]

@@cornflakes-does-stuff I was having this talk with a friend where we both really like how Mad Max kind of lends itself to limber storytelling as a franchise because there’s a kind of fairy tale/oral tradition feel to the installments. All that to say, I’m fond of looking at it that’s was a well

[@LeticiaAGentil]

I really like furiosa! For me, it is the best movie of the franchise. The most important sequence for me is the one in which furiosa's mother tries to save her. THAT mother is the mother I want to be to my 2 children (7yo and 4yo). She is an unstoppable force, the true representation of strength and stoicism. She is so prepared and ready to fight every terrible aspect of life she faces silently. Is there a more amazing mother in movies?! Rosemary? Who wanted and loves her baby, even knowing he was demonic? Ripley, when she adopts the girl in aliens and uses the exoskeleton to save her later? Sarah Connor for terminator 2? Mothers are underestimated and underrepresented in movies... maybe because we are always tired, always sleeping less than we should, always busy... or overwhelmed.

[@kolonarulez5222]

Why do people say the sequel was unnecessary? I was so happy to see both Gas Town and the Bullet Farm and they included the game exclusive son Scrotus. Not to mention The Bommyknocker! Frankly I'll be sad if there isn't more.

[@ramflight]

Because it was boring and overly explained things about Furiosa's backstory that were masterfully hinted at in Fury Road. Like this video mentioned in the beginning with Han Solo - we did not need to know why he's Han Solo. Same thing.

[@jinchoung]

i had a similar thought about the first wonder woman. she is from a classical, tribal civilization with a first brush with the european culture of WW1. WHHHHYYYYYYYY IS SHE SO MADE UP?!?!? this is not to say that they can't get her into a makeup chair and do some work... but it's possible for women to have an "invisible" makeup look that still enhances. THIS IS NOT WHAT GAL GADOT LOOKED LIKE! in the "no man's land" slomo sequence, she looks like a COVER MODEL! she's made mabeline perfect. it makes sense for BLACK WIDOW to look like that. she's a modern woman living in an affluent western world. she is thoroughly of our time and culture. wonder woman in that first movie sooooo would not be. and it's not like she was pulled into action from a cocktail party. so where the hell did she get all dolled up?!?!?

[@novanleon]

Your video helped me put into words why I've always disliked prequels. The first reason is that there's no progress made in the story. There's no forward momentum. There's no destination new or unexpected. You already know the ending so the mystery and tension are constrained from the start. The second reason is that it feels lazy. Instead of treading new ground, the author is just filling in details about established characters and settings that already have a predefined template to follow with predetermined parameters that must be followed leading to a predetermined destination. The third reason is that there's a disenchantment that happens when meaningful ambiguity and a sense of mystery are replaced by a dry recounting of information, as if reading from an encyclopedia. By their very nature, prequels divulge information, answering questions that didn't need to be answered in the first place. When this happens, we go from actively engaging in the storytelling process to merely being a consumer of information, like a student studying for an exam.

[@caseco4979]

My only gripes with furiosa had to do with the pacing and/or editing, seemed a bit jerky compared to fury road which was just a perfect ride the whole way through. Hard to top fury road as its one of the best movies ever made imo. I went in with no expectations and left feeling happy that i had just gotten to see even more of millers post apocalypse setting and characters. Hope to see more of it and of you soon! Easy sub 🤘

[@FashionableCrow]

@@caseco4979 I’m with you where I also prefer Fury Road, partly because I think it’s def a smoother experience. And my take away from Furiosa was about that feeling as well.

[@gozer87]

Like how the military shaves the heads of male recruits.

[@FashionableCrow]

Very much so. Another great detail

[@Withgreatpowercomesnofuture]

Supposedly there's two more movies on the way so maybe they'll change her story up as time goes on to be honest I'm not sure how I feel about that

[@FashionableCrow]

I like the idea of a different place with different characters. Like max driving to a new town? Maybe?

[@Dycehart]

Treat Mad Max stories like Robin Hood or a fairytale. They don't need to have consistent details between stories because that's not the point.

[@FashionableCrow]

@@Dycehart def at heart, I agree with this, especially with the storytelling framework being so overt

[@ashleykover1339]

Your analysis is thorough and well-researched and I couldn't agree more! I am such a big fan of this franchise for all how subtle the worldbuilding is. Every choice has context, even if it's not made clear by the text of the film, and the characters are so complex.

[@FashionableCrow]

@@ashleykover1339 I would highly recommend George Miller’s Variety vid for more on his ideas when shaping the sets and the world if you haven’t already seen it. I found it after writing all of this and felt so rewarded to hear him say what I’d theorized

[@mrpuddingpop1]

Far and a way became the most compelling and complex character in a series named after a dramatically tragic character. I didn’t think I was going to like furiosa as much but I saw it so many times in theaters and at home. Just a great companion piece to fury road that gives you perspective that doesn’t alter the basic principles of fury road but does breathe even more life when you see people like the People-eater and the Bullet farmer chasing them down, there really is no fear of insurrection after the 40 day war. That’s why it’s so unexpected for them to drive straight back through them. So much richness. Everyone who didn’t see it in theaters poke yourself in the eye.

[@ptonpc]

For me it felt like it should have been the story of someone else in the world. Not Furiosa. We know all we need to know to make her a compelling character. The prequel felt more like fan fiction.

[@oberstul1941]

Good video. I also appreciated the cosplay, btw. Cheers!

[@FashionableCrow]

@@oberstul1941 gotta make the most of my googles 😂

[@CH-fp6gj]

Excellent and heart felt analysis. George Miller and Mad Max film team are one of a kind. I hope we are blessed to see Max return in “The Wasteland”

[@goldengoblin8147]

Hell yeah

[@FashionableCrow]

@@goldengoblin8147 🥳🏎️

[@chemccord]

Mention of Plague of Gripes!

[@FashionableCrow]

@@chemccord swampfather of furries, praise be

[@JosefinaQB]

damn the ending of the prequel felt much cooler and inspiring than this very sad but very true analysis holy fuck like i was shouting fuck yeah when she was getting her revenge on chris hemsworth and when she planted the tree in him but holy fwick i didnt think it was her giving up like- ragefull grief fueled revenge for the love she found was greater than the childhood memory of familia love - till another source of familia love convinced her otherwise but, it was too late, and the green place was gone like- and then they defeated joe and claimed the citadel for better like like and then and then and then ahhhhh im just gonna watch the movies in chronological order to really embrace the full character arc of furiosa cuz omfg glorious cinema need an analysis video on her complete arc too like omg i love her

[@rkoff5744]

Its still the smart video. Thank you! I'm gonna cut my hair! 😆🖖👏

[@EugenePoole94]

I found the "treenis" at the climax to be a bit on the nose

[@KM-rl4gm]

Thank you for this analysis! I loved Furiosa and it saddens me that this movie was overlooked. It's perfect for me, the story is something really unique and it hits close to home. There's a lot of depth to her character it made me fall in love with Furiosa.

[@jfrancis6191]

The film would be more visually striking if her hair were red or blonde. As it stands everything is just so brown.

[@JosefinaQB]

or even if it was a just more striking raven black instead of a brown based black

[@kerrychristensen7204]

❤

[@ЛилияРенова-ф2б]

Great video❤

[@AmericaZass]

I like this point a lot but think recasting the character helped some small part of my brain gloss over it when I first watched the movie. Like some part of me must think “oh well furiosa has to grow into looking like Charlize Theron, so there’s enough time to fit my original imaginings into“ Also comparing immortans sons to backup dancers is great and true of all movie henchman in a way, thank you for that

[@dietwald]

When you're a big name yt film critic I'll be able to point to my comment here and say I thought you were great before it was cool :) Do more film criticism.

[@joshuataylor7443]

9:58Pretty on the nose, i am not a fan of interested things because you can think of anything that sounds interesting to you

[@JosefinaQB]

the whole time ur like "i don like prequels" im literally on the opposite side of the spectruim but THIS movie is an example of why i love prequels- when theyre executed, not even well, but correctly. and when its all preplanned like it was full on world building then a prequel is an opportunity for more complete worldbuilding- what you were saying about implications and the audiences imagination i understand but as a huge world building fan and someone who needs to be in control by knowing things- i cant handle these windows for interpretation, i will forever descend into the mystery of wtf is actually the truth- and so then if someone has a whole world living in their head and theyre only showing us the lives of a couple characters im gonna fucking beg for more of their world and especially if they only show us a fraction of the lives of those characters like even arcane? silco and vander? i NEED a prequel about their lives and what went down with them but we do not need that we know everything we need to know. a prequel would be an insane unneccesary cashgrab- but i know that all of these things are built out to a degree and its like i wanna see it all ME YAPPING AGAIN ANYWAY THATS WHY I LOVE PREQUELS AND YOU SHOULD TOO AHHHHH

[@hannabelphaege3774]

It's sad to say but Furiosa feels disposable. I wouldn't have asked for a history of the Citadel and it's territory but I wasn't disappointed

[@FashionableCrow]

Though I really enjoyed Furiosa and the change in context it gave me, I’ve found myself going to Fury or Furiosa separately when I’m in the mood for a different kind of story vs a linked one, if that makes sense

[@ramflight]

Furiosa was the first movie I ever walked out off due to disappointment and.. well, boredom. I really don't see what everyone sees in this movie and feels like I'm the only one at this point. All the gaps Fury Road left on purpose in Furiosa's backstory made for a great opportunity to come up with so many possibilities. But oh no, let's overly explain every thing we enjoyed imagining in Fury Road. Remember the impactful scene where Furiosa looks off into the distance and answers simply 'Redemption' when asked what she's looking for? Anything you can imagine she may have done to harbor such regret and emotion is infinitely better than what we got. It did not help that Chris Hemsworth was a pain to sit through, he's neither scary, nor morbidly funny, he's just a buffoon; and the action was a pale, pale shadow of what we got in Fury Road. I really don't see what people see in this blandness. In the words of a better villain, it was 'mediocre'

[@bennypika3575]

yes that hair during that scene in thumbnail is so stupid, I could feel the vibes of some expired men weren't having it and bribed them to included that man into for romantic scene. The kind of people that get lonely and pay editor/director to dopamine training girls to go for them that's gross, they need to stop self-inviting themselves and their culture into it as "good guys". Yes we know you want to be the "good guy", we're just not impressed

[@HdogGaming5]

Furiosa was easily the worst part of Furiosa. Not only did I already not like her casting, but I don't think she changed her expression once the entire movie. It's not the only flaw in the movie, which I still really liked, but it is by far the main flaw in my opinion, Anya Taylor Joy is terrible in this.

[@bassooninaround7822]

Love the video, the vibe, the analysis. Subscribe people!!!! (Personally I love the mad max world, my head canon is complicated: I personally like to imagine these films as a version of traditional mythological story telling, where themes and archetypes and messages get passed along, but each time we visit the road, the details are different)