Mad Max: Fury Road

Story Anatomy and Analysis Forms

(captions on photos best viewed on a desktop or tablet)

1. Act Structure Overview

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1.1 Act Structure Details and Captions

Act 1 - Setup

General - The world suffered an apocalypse

Furiosa - Is a captive servant of Immortan Joe

Max - Is a loner stripped to one instinct, to survive, thus running from the living and the dead (his past)

Nux - Half life War Boy serving his master Immortan Joe

Breeders - Captives of Immortan Joe used as his breeders

Act 1 - Inciting Incident

Choice/Action - Ordered by Immortan Joe to attain resources from other towns, Furiosa chooses to change course from Immortan’s Joe’s desired path for her to her own in an attempt to return to the green lands while rescuing Immortan Joe’s breeder’s.

Reaction - Corpus Colossus sees the act of betrayal then signals Immortan Joe. He sends out a convoy to return his “breeders”

Act 1 - Break

Choice/Action - After fighting off the the buzzards, Furiosa still has Immortan Joe and his convoy in pursuit so she chooses to drive into the sand storm in an attempt to escape/lose them.

Reaction - Nux chooses to sacrifice himself, in hope to serve I.J. desire, via exploding his car to impede the war rig, but Max stops him sending them smashing into the war rig disintegrating the car and flying into disarray while the war rig continues on.

Act 2 - Beginning

Now in the world of the unknown, Max and Furiosa are challenged to find their paths of redemption by starting on their road of trials.

Act 2 - Midpoint

Here the character Nux has a reversal from serving the bad to serving the good which ends up helping the team in the end.

Act 2 - All is Lost

Furiosa finds out what she was searching for and basing all her actions around does not exist where she thought it would. Hence, all is lost.

Act 2 - Dark Night of the Soul

After finding out what she was searching for is where she thought it was she emotes…feeling the darkest in her soul…like all hope is lost. Hence Dark Night of the Soul.

Act 2 - Break

Having felt all is lost a new plan had to be made if they wanted to value their freedom over the tyranny of Immortan Joe, and this plan may offer them the redemption they are needing.

Act 3 - Beginning

Having made a plan, they now take action to see what it means. Immortan Joe and the convoy stand in their way.

Act 3 - Crisis A

Choice - Furiosa chooses to kill Immortan Joe

Act - Climax A

Action - Furiosa tears his breathing apparatus off with the spear

Act 3 - Climactic Reaction A

Reaction - The belief of those who thought Immortan Joe was immortal is challenged and seemingly dissolved.

Act 3 - Crisis B

Choice - Nux chooses to sacrifice himself for the good of the tribe

Act 3 - Climax B

Action - Nux flips the War Rig to close off the gate from others passing

Act 3 - Climactic Reaction B

Reaction - Immortan Joe’s convoy smashes into the flipped War Rig preventing them from passing through.

Act 3 - Crisis C

Choice - Max chooses to use his blood to transfuse to Furiosa in hope of saving her life

Act 3 - Climax C

Action - Max gives Furiosa a blood transfusion

Act 3 - Climactic Reaction C

Reaction - Furiosa’s life is saved

Act 3 - Resolution

General - The Citadel rejoices that Immortan Joe is dead and that there is a new heir to the throne of whom is not acting tyrannical.

2. Hero’s Journey Overview

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2.1 Imperator Furiosa’s Hero’s Journey

Ordinary World

Subjugated to Immortan Joe. She carries the desire to escape.

Call to Adventure

Called to bring back guzzoline from gastown.

Refusal of the Call

Refuses Immortan’s Call to Adventure and accepts her own Call to Adventure...to trade fuel with the Rock Riders

Supernatural Aid

First introduction to her aid, Max, whom will help her through the special world. He acts as a mentor figure since this is a world he is used to.

Crossing the First Threshold

About to cross the threshold of the physical level. Already crossed the threshold of the extra personal, personal and inner personal levels.

Belly of the Whale

Furiosa stands up to Max and negotiates on their behalf so that they can continue to run to the Green Place...first step showing the willingness to undergo change.

Road of Trials

Literally and metaphorically she travels down the road of trials. Works with Max against antagonistic forces. i.e.

Nux, Immortan Joe, War Parties,

Rock Riders, One another,

Getting Stuck in the wetlands.

Trial 1

Has to stand up for herself and the wives in order for them to travel with Max.

Trial 2

Confront the Rock Riders while testing one another’s trust.

Trial 3

Fight against Immortan Joe.

Trial 4

Fight against getting stuck and the encroaching gunfire while accepting help from Nux.

Meeting with the Goddess

Meets with the Vulvalini.

Woman as Temptress

She is tempted to stray from her unknown path of redemption by continuing to look for the Green Place.

Atonement with the Father

The atonement happens in Max and then is shared with Furiosa.

Apotheosis

The understanding happens as a group when Max shares his plan.

Ultimate Boon

The coming together of the team to return to the citadel and the result of the citadel becoming defenseless.

Refusal of the Return

Their return is refused by Immortan Joe...the threshold guardians.

The Magic Flight

Furiosa, Max and team head back and need to confront Immortan Joe and the War Parties.

Rescue from Without

On the Extra-personal level it is the Vuvalini and Nux. On the personal level it is Max when he shares his blood with her.

Crossing of the Return Threshold

They pass the physical return of the rock overpass.

Master of the Two Worlds

Furiosa is cheered upon by the Citadel’s people. Having learned what it is to be subjugated and to stand up and overthrow the tyranny, she is now in a better position to lead a society.

Freedom to Live

She lives freely now from external subjugation from Immortan Joe and the Internal feeling of subjugation of her not being able to help the wives to freedom.

2.2 Max Rockatansky’s Hero’s Journey

Ordinary World

Max runs from the living and the dead to survive.

Call to Adventure

Captured by Immortan Joe’s War Boys.

Refusal of the Call

Tries to escape the subjugation of Immortan Joe.

2nd Call to Adventure

Max gets hitched as Nux’s blood bag. This puts Max into a deeper story level.

Supernatural Aid

Being the blood bag pays off in the end when Max willingly becomes the blood bag to Furiosa. The blood line he carries is a supernatural aid. Also Max and Furiosa become one anothers’ mentor.

Crossing of the First Threshold

Unwillingly enters sandstorm by choice of Nux.

Belly of the Whale

Wakes up in the desert cuffed to Nux with Immortan Joe in pursuit and no means of transpo. If he wants to run he has to team up with Furiosa...first step to undergo change. This is the act of being born in a new world.

The Road of Trials

Works with Furiosa against antagonistic forces.

Nux, Immortan Joe, Convoy, Rock Riders, One another, Getting Stuck in the wetlands.

Trial 1

Acceptance to escape together and gain one anothers’ trust.

Trial 2

Confront the Rock Riders while testing one another’s trust.

Trial 3

Fight against Immortan Joe.

Trial 4

Fight against getting stuck and the encroaching gunfire.

Meeting with the Goddess

Meets with the Vuvalini.

Woman as Temptress

This is actually Furiosa offering Max a bike to keep running from his destined path of returning.

Atonement with the Father

Max realizes if you can’t fix what’s broken you’ll go insane, which is what he’s been doing and if he keeps running he will suffer the same or worse.

Apotheosis

The voices in his head speak “you were going to help us Max”. He now understands his path to redemption and the resolution to his insanity is to return to the Citadel and overthrow the current reign of Immortan Joe.

Ultimate Boon

The coming together of the team to return to the Citadel and the result of the Citadel becoming defenseless. They figured out their path to redemption.

Refusal of the Return

Immortan Joe refuses to let them return.

Magic Flight

Max and the team head back and need to confront Immortan Joe and the War Parties.

Rescue from Without

Those that help them return...The Vuvalini, Nux.

Crossing of the Return Threshold

He passes the physical return of the rock overpass.

Master of the Two Worlds

He shares his blood with Furiosa thus saving her life. He mastered surviving on his own and surviving as a team, sacrificing for himself and for others willingly.

Freedom to Live

He lives freely now from external subjugation from Immortan Joe and the Internal subjugation of his past transgressions.

2.3 Nux’s Hero’s Journey

Ordinary World

Born as a half life, Nux needs full life blood to continue living.

Call to Adventure

As Nux is replenishing his blood from Max, he finds out Furiosa took Immortan Joe’s prize breeders and wants them back.

Refusal of the Call

The refusal is coming from an external force as Slit, but Nux denies that. He solves his dilemma by loading up his blood bag, thus bringing Max along.

Supernatural Aid

Nux’s aid is Max. Without Max he would not survive on the adventure.

Crossing of the First Threshold

Gets opportunity from Immortan Joe to return his pregnant wife.

Belly of the Whale

Having failed and been rejected in the eyes of his god (Immortan Joe) Nux is found in the belly of the rear cab of the War Rig questioning his beliefs...first step to undergo change.

Meeting with the Goddess

Capable acts as the goddess, now that Nux is dissolving his old belief system and is willing to change.

Road of Trials

Nux helps the crew through their trials.

Woman as Temptress

Furiosa wanting to keep riding to a green place.

Atonement with the Father

Immortan Joe is killed...now Nux knows Joe isn’t immortal (a savior). Nux is amending his interpretation of the world (worldview) since what he believed isn’t true.

Apotheosis

He tells capable that he will jam the throttle and join them when she’s safely across, but when Rictus intervenes Nux understands in order to finish the quest he must close off the overpass himself, resulting in his willingness to sacrifice himself for the team and this time it is far from mediocre! He will sacrifice himself for the force of good.

Ultimate Boon

He sacrifices himself for the team, never returning to the ordinary world as such.

Refusal of the Return

Nux’s journey stops here in this world.

2.4 Immortan Joe’s Hero’s Journey

Ordinary World

Controls the resources of the Citadel so that he feels like their redeemer.

Call to Adventure

His orders given to Furiosa are refused triggering him to find out why. He finds she took his breeders. This is his call to react.

Refusal of the Call

Immortan Joe does not refuse the call, but instead is refused by Miss Giddy who tries to shoot him.

Supernatural Aid

Immortan Joe’s aid is his war boys, thus calling Nux (willingly) to adventure and then Max (unwillingly) to adventure.

Crossing of the First Threshold

Immortan Joe crosses the First Threshold thinking he knows the limits and rules of this world, but refuses to undergo change.

Journey Ends - Non-Heroically

His Hero’s Journey goes no further as he is unwilling to undergo change. He only contends with obstacles in the same way he always has. This is his pathology resulting in his tyrannical behavior and eventual demise.