Savanah Tiffany's Reviews > Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road

"The backstory of the movie is something that campaigns usually struggle to make sound interesting and exciting and dramatic, but in the case of Fury Road, you didn't have to stretch very far." - Awards columnist Scott Feinberg

**Content**
Feinberg isn't wrong - the history of this movie, from conception to release, is absolutely batshit insane. When you see quotes from cast and crew going, 'I'm shocked no one died,' they're NOT being dramatic.

So no, you don't have to stretch very far in any direction to find a wild anecdote. But you have to give Buchanan credit for the way he strings together an absolutely masterful narrative.

TO BE CLEAR: I love Fury Road, but I wouldn't consider myself a huge fanatic. It's been a while since my last re-watch! That being said... this book got me excited about the story again. It made me want to go watch the movie with my friends so I could be that annoying person that pauses every ten seconds to point out all the little facts I learned. It's not just the big near-death stunts or character decisions that Buchanan gets you with either - reading about the War Boys' cult-like induction workshops was just as interesting as reading about the camera crew's battle against weather and strange camera angles.

**Format**
After reading the first few pages I thought, "Damn, I want to watch a documentary about this movie." A couple pages later I realized, "Hang on, that's pretty much what Buchanan has done here." You can literally see the interviews playing out.

This book captures one of the best aspects of oral history (imo): the diversity of lived experience and memory. He doesn't shy away from tackling controversies or clashes between the crew, but while the narrative stays objective and offers multiple points of view, I also feel like it doesn't let anyone off the hook for bad behavior (Chapter 24, for example, addresses the tensions between the film's leads, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.)

This book is a testament to Buchanan's skill as an interviewer/storyteller.

**Accessibility**
Finally, with non-fiction books, I like to comment on accessibility: is this a book anyone could pick up, or would it be more enjoyable for someone with someone with a certain level of interest/understanding in the topic. I can confidently say that you don't need to have seen all the Mad Max movies or have a deep interest in filmmaking for this book to draw you in. It touches on every aspect of production, explaining trade politics, stakes, and background where necessary. Honestly, I think it's possible that people who haven't even seen the movie could enjoy this book (though I do recommend watching the movie. Seriously, go watch it now).

**Rating**
Usually I reserve my five-star reviews for books that absolutely shake my world and change my life. I wouldn't necessarily say that was Blood, Sweat & Chrome. But I've gotta say: When I was reading this book, I couldn't put it down, and when I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about reading it. Do yourself a favor and give it some attention. 5/5

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.