Textual analysis - Mad Max: Fury Road

Genre:

The primary theme of Mad Max: Fury Road is survival, and this is carried on from previous mad max films, and is the main theme of the movie. Max's main goal is to survive in this post-apocalyptic wasteland were everything is trying to kill you, and the main currency is gasoline. This is clearly shown in the first 6 minutes of the movie, were Max is captured by the scavengers and he tries to escape. 

Narrative:

At the start of the scene we are given an explanation of what happened to the world and who Max is. The story is narrated in a non-linear order as some flashback scenes are shown of Max's past. This is shown to give the viewers a quick introduction into the story line.

Location:

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, which shows how there is nothing left but a desert and rusty buildings, giving a dystopian feel to the movie. 

Characters:
In the opening the characters portrayed are Max and the scavengers. Max is portrayed as a lone survivor with a dark past, trying to survive in the wasteland. The scavengers on the other hand are portrayed as imortant Joes army, following his commands. Max itself is seen wearing worn out leather clothes which fit in with the deserted wasteland setting.

Voice over: 
At the very start of the movie, Max introduces himself and explains the world he is living in. He uses a deep and dark voice as well as using a quiet tone which creates a sense of mystery towards the audience.

Pacing:
The very start of the movie has a slow pace, were Max introduces himself and there is a slow pan of him and his car. This slow pace at the start gives mystery and tension to the viewer, as they dont know whats going to happen. However when the chase starts, the pace increases dramatically, creating this rush of adrenaline in the viewer, as the chase breaks out and he tries to escape from the scavengers, giving the viewer a taste of Max's world.

On-screen graphics/captions:

At the start of the movie, there are a few titles which show the name of the production company, as well as some of the main actors. The titles themselves have a post apocalyptic style, were rusty metal and blood is used for the captions, adding to the main feel of the movie.

 










Editing and post production:
In Mad Max fury road, one main special effect that is carried out throughout the movie is the use of more vibrant colors. This takes away the dull look of the desert and adds more color, making it stand out more. For the editing itself it uses lots of fast cuts during the action scenes, this is useful as it captures the fast paced combat and chase in the movie. CGI is also used in the movie, in this case it is used during the flashbacks were people from his past just pop up in front of him, adding to the mystery and his haunting past. CGI is also used to exaggerate the explosions in order to give a bigger impact.

Music/sound effects:
The use of fast paced music during the chase scenes, really aid in the adrenaline factor of these scenes, making them more intense. The sound effects used, for example during the explosions and when the car crashes, there are some sound effects added to add to the impact of the explosion, making it seem bigger than it actually is.

Camerawork:
In the intro there are various pan shots, low angle shots, as well as some match on action. The match on action shots are used when Max gets into his car which gives the scene a really nice flow. For the car chase, the use of low shots really allows the viewer to take in the fury of these cars. Panoramic shots are also used, in this case to give the viewer a better perspective of the wasteland. The camera movement is relatively slow at the start, however in the second chase where Max tries to escape, there is a lot more camera movement, trying to match with the action, as well as close ups which increase the tempo of the scenes.