What a Lovely Day

[jackwabbit]

Now let's talk about Furiosa. I save her for last because you can already find so much about her online, but I would be remiss if I didn't talk about her, as more than just her relationship to other characters.


Because:

A-Furiosa is missing a good bit of her left arm. And no one cares. Did you read that? No. One. Cares. Not only is this not an issue in the film, it's never even addressed. We don't know why it's missing, and it's as immaterial to us as it is to everyone else in the film. A disability being treated like it's no big deal? Awesome.

B-We don't get a big backstory on Furiosa. Granted, a lot of this is because there's simply no room for it in the film with everything else that is going on, but also, frankly, we don't need one. It, like the lack of a left hand, just doesn't matter. The movie doesn't get bogged down telling us how Furiosa is doing what she's doing because of childhood trauma or whatever, because all that matters is that she's doing it. We are shown, not told, who Furiosa is. Her actions speak more loudly about her character than any flashback or voiceover ever could.

C-There is no romantic angle for Furiosa. No ship. Not one. Greatness.

D-Along the same lines as romance, no sex, either. Furiosa does not have to seduce anyone to accomplish her goals. What? Crazy! Crazy awesome.

E-Her tears when she is wounded are amazing. She looks to Max, not for salvation, but in despair, as she fears failure. Also, it hurts! She isn't some sort of robot super-woman. She's real, and it's brilliant.

I could say a lot more (shot off the shoulder, anyone?), but that just about sums it up. Only a few words, but they are huge. To quote a blog I read earlier that put it just right: "A disabled woman just saved the day, y’all, and she didn’t even have to flash her boobs or pretend to be a weak-willed ninny to accomplish her goals. That’s huge."

Yup.


Add five wives as not just fodder and a handful of older women as actual characters, too, and this movie is a win all around. To borrow words from Nux, what a lovely day!