Mad Max Feminism

Mad Max attempts to deconstruct gender politics in the stereotypical male genre of action films. Most action films use a hegemonic masculine type as their lead star, while the women plays a subordinate role. This type of relationship “reinforces the stereotype of women as lesser than men” (Whitehead,Talahite & Moodley, 2013,158-159) In the case of Mad Max the protagonist, Furiosa, dismantles patriarchies and is the real hero with Mad Max in the supporting role. Furiosa is presented to us as a powerful, rogue individual, with a whole new archetype than typical female action characters. In other action films, strong female characters serve the function of being attractive to the male character and in turn the male audience. They are also often …show more content…
“ We are not things” is painted across the chamber where the five wives or breeders of Immortal Joe are kept. These fives wives are individuals with their own identities and who made the choice to run. They were not passive characters who needed a man to kick down the door and save them. They themselves played an integral role in their escape for freedom. However, this film presents the idea that only white women are not things, as the cast in almost entirely made up of white characters. Not only are white women not things, but all of humankind are not things. Furthermore, the wives are slender, strikingly beautiful women, who represent the Western standard of beauty. Society needs to move past these socially constructed ideas of beauty as a standard of worth and see all women and people as equal. Women who do not fit conventional standards of beauty are also not belongings. Today’s society promotes the idea of competition between women, in turn removing the possibility of female solidarity and encourages women to be passive (Whitehead,Talahite & Moodley, 2013,156). The five wives and Furiosa present a united front against Immortal Joe and showcases matriarchies strong together. While they have all had their own experiences of what it means to be a women, what they shared in common is the experience of oppression and the desire to not be restricted. This is a reflection of

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