George Miller’s Wasteland has been fertile ground for some of the most breathtaking action sequences since 1979, whenMad Maxfirst raced onto screens. Decades later, Miller gave us the most jaw-dropping one yet inFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Furiosais a prequel toMad Max: Fury Road, following a young Furiosa through the Wasteland, portrayed byAlyla Browneas a child, andAnya Taylor-Joyas an adult. WhileFury Roadwas essentially one extended chase sequence from end to end,Furiosatakes a much more systematic approach.The film builds out the lore, giving us a richer look at Miller’s world than ever– and one that makesFury Roadeven better to revisit – while telling anOdyssey-esque epic of Furiosa coming to be a legend of the Wasteland.
AlthoughFuriosatakes its time between action scenes, the movie delivers everything you want, and more, in a spectacular, 15-minute sequence that occurs during the third chapter.This chase sequence, which was dubbed the “Stowaway to Nowhere,” is a death-defying barrage of guns, cars, and explosions. It’s pure euphoria for action junkies, and the most exciting, beautifully crafted sequence in the film. This film delivers on every front, but this chase will have you questioning if action has ever been captured on camera as spectacularly as inFuriosa.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
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How the “Stowaway to Nowhere” Sequence Fits in the Story of ‘Furiosa’
Furiosa’s third chapter, “The Stowaway” is where this massive set-piece is placed within the story. It is the first time we are seeing Taylor-Joy step into the role. The first two chapters are devoted to young Furiosa’s abduction by Dementus, played in a gleefully energized performance byChris Hemsworth, and her being traded off to Immortan Joe, where they plan for her to become one of his wives. Furiosa escapes this fate by disguising herself and slipping into a role where she works to maintain the War Rig.
Now an adult, after stowing away on the War Rig, it comes under attack by the Octoboss (Goran D. Kleut), one of Dementus' former allies who has since gone rogue with his motorcycle gang.The Octoboss is one of the most visually compelling characters to come out of Miller’sMad Maxuniverse, with a fan-powered motorcycle, a large, alien-like balloon that trails in the sky, and a horned, black helmet. His crew attacks the Rig, and Furiosa comes out from underneath to fight them off.
Anya-Taylor Joy Makes It Epic During the War-Rig Chase
What Miller understands about constructing a good action sequence goes deeper than the spectacle.Furiosaoffers plenty of spectacle (more on that later), butwhat this massive chase set-piece does extraordinarily well is that it develops Furiosa in real time, and establishes an important character dynamic.
Miller described the chase as “a crash course in being a warrior,” inan interview with the Toronto Sun. What that communicates about the “Stowaway to Nowhere” sequence is that we do not get Furiosa, the character we know and love, without this chase.Charlize Theron, with Miller’s guidance, delivered a spectacular performance of a now iconic character. Taylor-Joy had the challenge of living up to Theron’s performance, and this sequence sees her clearing that bar.Taylor-Joy makes Furiosa her own, and although she is not as experienced as inFury Road, Furiosa still exudes confidence and complete badassery for every minute of this chase. This attack on the War Rig is what makes clear how resourceful and resilient Furiosa can be.
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Furiosa also begins her brief partnership with Praetorian Jack, played byTomBurke, during this sequence. Jack mans the Rig while the chase goes down. He and Furiosa bond silently through their skills as combatants, mechanics, and strategists on the road. They quickly understand one another, and respect each other’s abilities as they work together to survive the onslaught, and their relationship develops into a much stronger one after the chase. This dynamic sees Furiosa grow as a person, and better understand what she is fighting for. Jack is one of the few people in the Wasteland who seems to understand her, andtheir relationship feels prescient of the bond between Furiosa and MaxinFury Road, making Max and Furiosa’s journey even more compelling in retrospect.
All of this is done with little dialogue. They learn to understand each other through the fight, and that is what makes the Stowaway to Nowhere sequence more than just mindless action. The attack on the War Rig is the test that Furiosa passes to prove her worth in the Wasteland, and itsets her up to be the mythic herothat eventually goes on to overtake the Citadel.Furiosais not packed wall-to-wall with action sequences in the same way thatFury Roadwas, but this one extended sequence delivers all the thrills while also adding to the characters. What makes the film so successful as a prequel, and companion piece, toFury Roadis that the emphasis on building out Furiosa’s world doesn’t feel like a thoughtless exercise in fan service, but rather a rich exploration of a character that makesFury Roada better, more satisfying movie.
How Did George Miller Pull Off ‘Furiosa’s Jaw-Dropping Action?
WhileFuriosasees the high-octane thrills taking more of a backseat to the rich world-building and epic narrative structure, the action still hits like no other during those few spectacular moments.The new element that soars above the rest of theMad Maxstunt work and action sequences is aerial combat.Furiosadelivers a jaw-dropping moment when the Octoboss’s riders deploy parachutes and begin wind-sailing behind the war rig. You’ll feel like you’re floating right along with them, as attacks come from above, underneath, behind, and in front throughout one of the most visionary sequences of action filmmaking ever put on the screen.Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdomeplays around high-flying combat with the bungee jumping action, andFury Roadputs the War Boys on giant, swinging stilts, butFuriosabringing flying vehicles into the fold takes this chase to the next level.
As withFury Road, which infamously felt likea total mess in productionwhen the actors did not have the context to understand Miller’s vision, the conception of these action sequences is hard to get across in writing. Burke,speaking with The Ringerabout this sequence, recalled that the action broke open with a single, cryptic line: “The Mortifiers become the Mortiflyers.” Visualizing this for the screen was a difficult process.
Miller began with meticulous storyboarding, following a process he used forFury Road. Since these films, especially during action sequences, are not very dialogue-heavy, it is easier to convey what the actors and stunt performers will be tasked with doing in the form of a drawing or 3D model, instead of written in a screenplay. Taylor-Joy,speaking with Collider, recalled feeling lost amid all the chaos of filming this sequence, saying, “We shot that for 78 days, and so day 35 you’re like, ‘Where am I?'”The experience was extra difficult for her, as she spent a lot of the shoot tied under the rig, or hanging off the sides.
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Bringing this massive sequence to life required around 200 stunt performers,according to Miller’s production partner, Doug Mitchell. These performers included drivers, acrobats, parkour artists, and demolition experts who had to bring their talents together for the explosive, high-flying action. While some elements were added in post-production, much of the action was captured on camera.
Inan interview with Men’s Health, Miller and the film’s stunt coordinatorsTimWongandGuyNorrisexplained that the parachute deploying was the most difficult part of the Stowaway sequence. A single shot tracks one of the Octoboss’s riders as he jumps off the back of a motorcycle, begins skiing behind the bike in the sand, and then deploys a parachute and flies into the air, where he begins throwing bombs at the Rig below. Wirework was used to bring the actor into the air, and the parachutes were added in post-production. This goes to show how CGI is better used as an embellishing tool, and that the more you capture in-camera, the better it is going to look.This is a cheer-worthy, mind-blowing moment that is made even better by the amount of work put in.
Furiosadelivers one of the most visually stunning, “how did they do that?” action sequencesin years, and proves again, asFury Roaddid, that Miller knows spectacle better than just about anybody in the industry. After decades of stories in the Wasteland, Miller still managed to deliver something we’ve never seen before withFuriosa.The Stowaway to Nowhere sequence is a marvelous convergence of stunt work, visual effects, rich characterization, and directorial flair that proves Miller can defy both physics and death in pursuit of a cinematic Valhalla.
Furiosa:A Mad Max Sagais now playing in theaters in the U.S.
