4 times the gates were open
And by “gates” I mean the cineplex doors and by “open” I mean they accepted my money for the pleasure of watching Mad Max Fury Road again.
- I noticed another scene with a War Boy lifting a War Pup in the background: after Joe realizes Furiosa has “stolen” his wives and the war drums are beating, they start lowering the vehicles from within the Citadel to the ground below. As one vehicle starts being lowered, you can see a War Boy lifting a Pup off the platform and setting him down on the cavern floor.
- Ace. Man, Ace. After Morsov’s historic death and while the other War Boys are still shouting “Witness” in really joyous voices as if the guy dying truly was an awesome thing, Ace makes the V8 salute and bows his head and he sounds solemn when he says “Witness him.” He’s significantly older than the average War Boy, too, which would seem to indicate that he hasn’t been particularly eager to go to Valhalla any time soon. I think it’s a really great touch on the part of the writers and director. They might all have to live in Joe’s world and he might have them believing he’s a god, but they don’t all have to accept his bullshit in their heart of hearts.
- The War Boys’ combat style requires a lot of communication between the lancer and the driver. Nux and Slit seem to work very well together, but it’s hard to tell where they rank among their peers because of how insanely badass ‘normal’ is for War Boys.
- Even seeing it a fourth time, the driving-into-the-sandstorm scene is still fucking epic. I think for any first time viewer seeing Nux cheerfully proclaim it a “lovely day” while watching his brothers-in-arms get swept up into a fiery storm really drives home how brainwashed the War Boys are. To us it looks like they’re dying horribly - hellish is the word that keeps coming to mind - but to Nux they’re heading to Valhalla in an usually spectacular fashion.
- Slit must have heard Max angrily shout “That’s my head” while he was hurling lances mere inches above Max’s head. That explains why he specifically threatened Max with decapitation. I didn’t think he’d heard Max or had been actually paying attention to what the “raging feral” was saying, but clearly he did.
- “…breeding stock, battle fodder. You’re an old man’s battle fodder.” I find it really interesting that the wives view the War Boys as fellow victims of Joe’s. I mean, they are, but it’s incredibly insightful and mature for the wives to realize it. It would have been understandable if they’d hated them as extensions of Joe’s whole vile regime. It’s intellectually and philosophically impressive and it makes me wonder if the wives sat around in the vault having really deep debates about various things.
- The wives recognize the People Eater and the Bullet Farmer and can name the stuff each has in his war party. This would seem to indicate they did not spend their entire time as Joe’s slaves locked up in the vault, that they had the opportunity to meet or at least see Joe’s allies. I can easily imagine Joe having dinner parties or something - he does love spectacles.
- When Toast grabs the rifle to reload it, Angharad looks shocked and Toast gives her a look that seems almost defiant.
- The Imperator who dives in front of Joe to take the bullet for him when Furiosa shoots at Joe (while being shielded by Angharad) is the same Imperator who’d told Rictus to stop using the flamethrower because it endangered the wives.
- I never noticed this before during the previous three times I saw the movie, but there’s a very brief shot of Nux sitting in the lookout cab at the back of the war rig right after Angharad falls and goes under Joe’s car. I can’t wait to get the DVD so I can watch those few seconds again and again. It really was so brief that I didn’t even get the chance to register the expression on Nux’s face.
- After the war rig is out of the mud (thanks to using Nux’s suggestion to use the “tree thing” to pull it out), Nux happily says to Capable, “I never thought I’d get to do something so shine.” He’s probably referring to driving the war rig, however briefly, as per his previous declaration that he wanted to drive the war rig as his reward. It’s still heartrendingly adorable.
- I wonder what Nux is thinking while Max and Furiosa have their conversation about hope and redemption. He was obviously listening closely. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his response when Max, Furiosa, the wives, and the Vuvalini all turn to look at him for his input on the new plan is “Feels like hope.”
- Speaking of the new plan scene, God, I love the way Capable and Nux exchange a look before she dismounts from the bike and offers her input to the others. There’s clearly an “us” - a joint making of decisions that will affect them together.
- I feel so bad for the poor War Boy who has to give the People Eater’s grossly bloated feet a pedicure. I wonder if they drew lots and he lost. It took six of them to lift the bastard up into his vehicle.
- When the polecat grabs Toast out of the war rig and puts her in Joe’s car, Joe keeps a gun pointed at her. He’s no longer deluding himself about his wives being “stolen”.
- There’s a look of disbelief in Nux’s eyes when Cheedo announces that Joe is dead. How does it feel to have your god die, I wonder? Did Nux go to his death thinking he would see Joe in Valhalla? Or did the knowledge that Joe had been killed and was therefore no god destroy his belief in Valhalla? Did he sacrifice himself know that there was nothing else, nothing to look forward to after death?
- I didn’t realize before how entirely the decision to accept Furiosa’s overthrow of Joe was the decision of the War Pups. Yes, the Wretched are shouting, “Bring them up! Bring them up!” but they don’t matter. The milk mothers turn on the water, but the adult men are standing around frozen. It’s the Pups who glare at Corpus as though daring him to voice an objection and the Pups who pull the lever to start the platform rising. Guess it felt like hope to them. :)
