Viewpoint: How "Furiosa" Accurately Depicts the Climate Emergency
George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) and its recent prequel, "Furiosa," provide one interpretation for the complex relationship between ecological devastation and societal decay. The distributor for "Furiosa" also shares a parent company with CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery.
In these films, a post-apocalyptic world is plagued by climate catastrophe and resource scarcity. The aftermath of environmental destruction is inextricably linked to power imbalances and societal hierarchy. These themes highlighted in "Fury Road" and "Furiosa" present a difficult yet necessary challenge - addressing environmental crises demands a complete overhaul of the systems that have contributed to the issues in the first place. Unfortunately, the film industry, including Hollywood, often struggles to imagine or accept this concept.
Set in a dystopian world after an undetermined ecological disaster, "Fury Road" and "Furiosa" feature a tyrannical ruler - Immorten Joe, portrayed by Hugh Keays-Byrne in "Fury Road" and Lachy Hulme in "Furiosa." This despot governs a community that relies on an underground aquifer for water. Women are enslaved as wives, while males become fanatical fighters. Joe exerts control over the population by manipulating natural resources and reproductive rights.
Women in "Fury Road" and "Furiosa" are deprived of freedom and treated as commodities, either enslaved as Joe's wives or locked into machines used to produce milk in "Fury Road." Male children are brainwashed and transformed into fanatical fighters, who believe dying for Joe's cause will guarantee them a place in heaven. Their fight for their master solidifies his power and maintains societal hierarchy.
Joe's rule relies on exploitation and domination of both people and nature. Patriarchy is a system dependent on treating people and the environment as resources to be extracted for his benefit. This mindset is what needs to change for a better world to emerge, not just a more sustainable way of using those resources.
The Green Place, home to Furiosa, depicted in "Fury Road" and "Furiosa," depicts a radically different world compared to the one ruled by Immorten Joe. We see a collaborative society run by women where resources are equally distributed, conserved, and equally available to everyone. There, resources are treated as shared goods rather than another point of competition or control.
The film industry has tackled the issue of climate catastrophe in various ways. However, these films often shy away from acknowledging the root cause - societal power dynamics. For example, "Infinity War" and "Aquaman" assign supervillains, Thanos and Orm, as architects of catastrophic change due to their ambitions to control the earth and its resources. While "Don't Look Up" hints at broader societal issues, it tends toward comedy, limiting the scope of the critique.
It's not until "Furiosa" and "Fury Road" that the connection between environmental degradation and social power is clearly articulated. Unfortunately, even these films arguably fall short in presenting a comprehensive vision of change. While they improve on previous depictions, they still deal with issues of leadership and control, albeit in more complicated ways. The Hollywood optimal hero, despite the circumstances, still upholds certain values and moral standing - a standalone warrior fighting against the odds. However, "Furiosa" makes it clear that to drastically tackle the climate crisis, fundamental changes in power structure and societal values are necessary. These issues are tokenized and explored but not thoroughly addressed.
Many films about climate change focus on the personal struggles of the characters rather than the need for systemic shifts. "A Quiet Place," "Underwater," and "Moonfall" all provide powerful visceral experiences, but they don't address the urgency for societal change. Instead, these films usually focus on individual success in the apocalyptic environment, reinforcing the status quo.
In conclusion, "Furiosa" and "Fury Road" offer an innovative perspective on the relationship between the environment and power dynamics, suggesting that to save the environment, we must also overturn the current power and control systems. This idea is a far cry from the Hollywood norm, which often emphasizes individualistic ideals and moments of heroic triumph. By confronting the need for more radical change in our worldview, "Furiosa" and "Fury Road" serve as an essential foil to the typical environmental disaster movie.
In the story, Dementus is responsible for kidnapping Furiosa as a child and provoking her wrath and the desire for revenge. With Joe and Dementus at odds, Furiosa sides with Joe as his peaceful, stable leadership seems more reliable and predictable compared to the irrational, brutal behavior of Dementus. When deciding between these two rulers, it's better to follow the one who ensures essential resources like water are distributed on time, even if the rest of the world goes through turmoil.
The recent movie illustrates Furiosa's journey, which is filled with distress and anger. Surrounded by never-ending peril, it's hard to envision a better existence. The worst reality might even appear as the only feasible safety. "Fury Road" and "Furiosa" work together as Furiosa battles to discontinue envisioning the Green Place as a nostalgic past and start envisioning ways to transform the present world into a livable and fair one.
Striving for a solution in this scenario is challenging. In the face of unrelenting chaos, believing change can bring about a pleasant reality can be a struggle. Furthermore, those with the means to enact change frequently prefer the current state of affairs. Immorten Joe is content with the world as it exists, despite the climate crisis. "Furiosa" serves as a glimpse into a different route and an acknowledgment of the challenges involved in taking this path.
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In discussing the themes of "Furiosa" and "Furiosa," viewers may have diverse opinions on whether the films effectively portray the complex relationship between environmental crises and societal power structures. Additionally, some people might debate whether the film industry, including Hollywood, is doing enough to challenge the status quo and promote systemic change in response to climate catastrophes.
Source: edition.cnn.com
