Guest writer Sebastian Evans-Cuervo
Fast paced, action packed, and thrilling, Mad Max: Fury Road, beautifully directed by George Miller, is definitely a must see film. From the exhilarating camera angles, to real live stunts, this high octane movie literally has you on the edge of your seat, couch, futon or whatever you may be sitting on. This is one of those films that I, as well as other avid movie lovers, believe have raised the bar not only for cinematography but for female representation, in particular Charlize Theron’s character: Imperator Furiosa. The film is based in a post-apocalyptic world bearing only miles of sand, rocks, and dirt. Inhabited by bandits, pirates, and elitists who ruthlessly rule over their subjects, one must be more cunning and savage than the enemy if they wish to survive. Furiosa is strong, driven and quick-witted making her the perfect person to destroy the main antagonist, Immortan Joe’s (Hugh Keays-Byrne) legacy by transporting his prized breeders to safer lands, otherwise known as the Green place. This does not go as planned seeing that the Green place has become arid and desolate since Furiosa’s capture. With the help of Max, Furiosa heads back towards Immortan Joe’s land where there are resources necessary to live and eventually ends up killing the ruler along the way.
Characters like Furiosa are exactly what is missing from mainstream media in our world today. There needs to be more strong-willed and driven female characters that women of all ages can identify with in movies, t.v. shows and other types of media. There are many female representations out there that undermine women and their abilities. Furiosa is a character that says “bullocks to what you want me to do! I’m going to do what I want to do!” She drives towards her goals and doesn’t let disappointment create a permanent barrier. Furiosa is definitely a character that should encompass the essence of female representation. Not only is she a character that most females would gladly identify with because of her character traits, but can also be identified with because of her imperfections. Furiosa has a robotic arm! (Which is pretty awesome by the way) It shows that you don’t have to be perfect in order to be successful (or be a badass for that matter). I certainly hope that more strong female characters get put into media circulation so that young women can identify with wholesome and empowering characters that inspire us to achieve and think for ourselves rather than ones that care what people and society think.
PHOENIXROSE 