Mad Max and Feminist Cinema
Mad Max and Feminist Cinema
NUS
EN2207
Essay Prospectus and Annotated Bibliography
Sasitharan Gaiatri
A0185045E
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Essay Prospectus
In this essay I argue that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (Mad Max) is a film worthy of the
title “feminist masterpiece” (Mad Max: Fury Road… a Feminist Masterpiece?!) and is an important
Before I argue for this perspective, I will first define feminist cinema, explaining what it constitutes.
For the purpose of this essay, feminist cinema shall refer to cinematic works that contain feminist
elements - including the portrayal of feminist characters - that stand for social, political, economic
gender equality and sexual autonomy for women. Hence, I shall be setting up three important
criteria for judging a whether a film is feminist: the film must deny the male gaze and restore the
female spectator, it should contain realistic depictions of women and it must “give space to things
which were…almost never shown” onscreen regarding the female experience (Bergstrom).
Mad Max successfully fulfils the three aforementioned criteria and is a cinematic work containing
feminist elements. Its feminist elements are evident in the characterisation and portrayal of
Imperator Furiosa, the storyline of the Five Wives and the duty of the Vulvani to ensure the survival
of nature and the human race. Women are ascribed the responsibility of tearing down the
oppressive, patriarchal regime of Immortan Joe subsequently freeing men and women alike. In the
film, there is also the denial of the male gaze via the depiction of female characters - namely
Imperator Furiosa and the Five Wives - and the choice of framing in camera angles as well as realist
depictions evident in the women in captivity in Immortan Joe’s Citadel (the older women kept for
lactation and looking after the younger ones as well as the younger ones kept for reproduction).
Furthermore, attention is given to the restoration of nature as an active subject in the women’s
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search for freedom and women are depicted in a manner previously unseen in the genre of action
The central plot of the film is a feminist revolt led by the only female Imperator, Furiosa, and its
titular character is almost relegated a backseat in the action of the film (Smith). Besides this,
Miller’s choice of casting for Furiosa, his purposeful use of camera technique and framing as well
as the mise-en-scene in the film all work towards creating an intrinsically feminist narrative. Thus,
the plot and writing of the film coupled with its production and development process were essential
in ensuring it challenged the typical patriarchal structures present in the Hollywood action flick,
world. Miller uses all aspects of film-making, from conception, to the process of production to the
final presentation of the visual spectacle to further his message a feminist director.
Currently, discourse surrounding Mad Max regarding its status as a feminist film is extremely
divisive. Despite the involvement of Eve Ensler, a reputable feminist theorist, in the production of
the film as well as the subversion of typically misogynistic techniques in filmmaking, some
theorists and film critics firmly believe that the complete absence of women in the writing and
direction of the movie negates its ability to be a feminist film (Dockterman) (King). Furthermore,
the choice of casting and cinematic depiction of the Five Wives in the film is often used as a key
example of objectification, serving to reinforce not challenge the patriarchal ideals of the field
(Bampatzimopoulos).
However, others do agree that the defiance of the male gaze, the characterisation and portrayal of
Imperator Furiosa, the representation of women in the genre of action film as well as the
ecofeminist reading of nature and the state of the earth in the film indisputably deem it an important
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feminist film. Ensler herself has praised Miller for “looking to create empowered women, not
victims, sidekicks or damsels in distress” and has expressed admiration that he believed it
importance for her to give the actresses a “perspective on violence against women around the world,
particularly in war zones” in order to realistically portray the Five Wives (Dockterman).
This essay contributes to existing conversations by presenting an argument on multiple reasons why
Mad Max is a feminist film. Rather than focusing on only one aspect of feminist cinema, I argue
that the film fulfils multiple criteria and ultimately furthers the feminist agenda in its portrayal of
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Annotated Bibliography
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Palgrave,
Laura Mulvey coined the term ‘male gaze’ in reference to the depiction of women from a
heterosexual perspective, representing them as mere sexual objects. Her exploration of the depiction
of the female form in cinema forms the foundation of feminist film criticism and is especially
relevant in an analysis of Mad Max: Fury Road which denies the male gaze and instead restores the
2. “Recasting nature as feminist space in Mad Max: Fury Road”, Michelle Yates
Yates, Michelle. “Re-Casting Nature as Feminist Spacce in Mad Max: Fury Road.” Science Fiction
Film and Television, vol. 10, no. 3, Autummn 2017, pp. 353–70.
Michelle Yates analyses Mad Max: Fury Road from the lens of an ecofeminist, exploring how
women and nature are treated by patriarchal, masculine society (Miles). She views the film as a
rejection of the patriarchal Edenic recovery narrative and instead sees nature as a “space of feminist
possibility”, marking it as a “place of freedom from patriarchy” (Yates). Therefore, her essay is
crucial in understanding how the interconnection between nature and feminism play a role in the
film.
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3. “Female Action Hero vs Male Dominance: The Female Representation in Mad Max: Fury
Representation in Mad Max: Fury Road.” Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi
Bampatzimopoulos examines the representation of the female action hero - Imperator Furiosa - in
Mad Max, determining if her portrayal eludes the male gaze and challenges patriarchal structures
typically found in the genre of action films. He focuses on the character of Furiosa and analyses
how the writing of her character and her visual depiction result in the presentation of a complex
4. FILM CRITICISM AND FEMINISM: An Interview with Molly Haskell, Gary Crowdus, et al.
Crowdus, Gary, et al. “FILM CRITICISM AND FEMINISM: An Interview with Molly Haskell.”
This interview with American film critic and feminist Molly Haskell delves into the intertwining
worlds of feminism and film theory. It discusses the purposes of the two fields separately and how
criticism works with feminism to study the evolution of images of women onscreen as well as their
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5. Vagina Monologues Writer Eve Ensler: How Mad Max: Fury Road Became a ‘Feminist Action
Dockterman, Eliana. “Vagina Monologues Writer Eve Ensler: How Mad Max: Fury Road Became a
ensler-feminist/.
This interview with playwright and feminist Eve Ensler provides insight into George Miller’s
creative process when writing, directing and producing Mad Max. Ensler explains her role in
filming as well as how she imparted her own knowledge of violence against women to the actresses
in the film to create a more realistic depiction of their backstories and characters onscreen.
6. ‘Hope Is a Mistake, If You Cant’t Fix What’s Broken You Go Insane’: A Reading of Gender,
Du Plooy, Belinda. “‘Hope Is a Mistake, If You Cant’t Fix What’s Broken You Go Insane’: A
Reading of Gender, (S)heroism and Redemption in Mad Max: Fury Road.” Journal of Gender
Belinda Du Plooy’s article purports that Mad Max: Fury Road presents a new perspective about the
portrayal of women in the Mad Max franchise. She instead argues that the main characters of Max
and Furiosa are “traumatised mirror images or alter egos of one another” representing a more equal
and balanced view of gender in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world where men and women have to
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7. Storytelling in the 21st Century: Fading Out on the Male Gaze, Rachel Parker
Parker, Rachel. “Storytelling in the 21st Century: Fading Out on the Male Gaze.” Medium, 11 Mar.
2017, https://medium.com/@raitchparker/storytelling-in-the-21st-century-fading-out-on-the-male-
gaze-13b05b840b78.
Rachel Parker’s article explains the male gaze, providing examples of its depiction in cinema from
the late 20th to the early 21st Century. While she eventually concludes that the end of the male gaze
is yet to be seen, Mad Max is an important film that defies it, depicting a woman as the heroes
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References
Bergstrom, Janet. “Keeping a Distance: Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman | Sight & Sound.”
British Film Institute, 15 Oct. 2015, https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/
features/keeping-distance-chantal-akerman-s-jeanne-dielman.
Crowdus, Gary, et al. “FILM CRITICISM AND FEMINISM: An Interview with Molly Haskell.”
Cinéaste, vol. 11, no. 3, 1981, pp. 2–11. JSTOR.
Dockterman, Eliana. “Vagina Monologues Writer Eve Ensler: How Mad Max: Fury Road Became a
‘Feminist Action Film.’” Time, 5 July 2015, https://time.com/3850323/mad-max-fury-road-eve-
ensler-feminist/.
Du Plooy, Belinda. “‘Hope Is a Mistake, If You Cant’t Fix What’s Broken You Go Insane’: A
Reading of Gender, (S)heroism and Redemption in Mad Max: Fury Road.” Journal of Gender
Studies, vol. 28, no. 4, July 2018, pp. 414–34.
King, Tracy. No, Mad Max: Fury Road Is Not a Feminist Masterpiece (but That’s OK).
NewStatesmanAmerica, 20 May 2015, https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2015/05/no-mad-
max-fury-road-not-feminist-masterpiece-s-ok.
“Mad Max: Fury Road… a Feminist Masterpiece?!” Critical Approahces to Literature, 11 June
2016, https://ctlsites.uga.edu/engl3820w-fall2016/mad-max-fury-road-a-feminist-masterpiece/.
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” Visual and Other Pleasures, Palgrave,
1989, pp. 14–26.
Parker, Rachel. “Storytelling in the 21st Century: Fading Out on the Male Gaze.” Medium, 11 Mar.
2017, https://medium.com/@raitchparker/storytelling-in-the-21st-century-fading-out-on-the-male-
gaze-13b05b840b78.
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Smith, Kyle. “Why ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Is the Feminist Picture of the Year.” New York Post, 14
Mar. 2015, https://nypost.com/2015/05/14/why-mad-max-fury-road-is-the-feminist-picture-of-the-
year/.
Yates, Michelle. “Re-Casting Nature as Feminist Spacce in Mad Max: Fury Road.” Science Fiction
FIlm and Television, vol. 10, no. 3, Autummn 2017, pp. 353–70.
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