Jordyn Kopelson-Blog Post 4

1)    Summary: This scene is called “I am awaited in Valhalla!” Within this scene, Warload Immortan Joe’s clan of “war boys” find out that they are about to fight on the Fury Road, as a result of Furiosa, an honored lieutenant, trying to escape, while bringing along some of his gorgeous slave “wives”, also known as his “breeders”. Furiosa made a pact to help Joe and his boys get an important supply that they need, however she takes this opportunity to escape from Joe’s ruling territory.

2)     

·      Observation 1: Shots and Social Distance: There are various shots used within this scene. The majority of the scene is taken as a long shot, where Joe’s war boys drive their car-like engines through the fury road. However, there are a few close up shots of the war boys as they prepare for battle, along with a close-up shot of Mad Max’s face, which is hanging upside down. Also, at the end of the scene, there is an extreme long shot of the fury road as a whole.

·      Observation 2: Vector: There is a clear line in the form of a chain between Mad Max and one of Joe’s war boys, Nux. This chain connects Mad Max’s blood to Nux’s car, which nourishes him with the blood that he needs in order to survive.

·      Observation 3: Focus: There is a deep focus within this scene, as you can see both the action and the background at the same time.

·      Observation 4: Perspective: In the beginning of the scene there is a frontal view of the warrior boys as they interact with one another, yet once they get on the road there is an oblique view, where you can see what is occurring from a side angle.

·      Observation 5: Color: The beginning of the scene where the warrior boys find out about Furiosa’s act of treason, there is both a bluish/blackish fluorescent-like color with a low saturation, which overall shows intensity and highlights all the weapons and props they use for battle. Then, as the scene shifts to the fury road, there are fires and explosions, which shed colors of yellow, red, and orange, which display an overall high saturation.

·      Observation 6: Dialogue: The overall tone between characters is very rough-like, creepy, and violent. All of the characters within this scene speak with a raspy voice and scream whenever they speak. For example, Nux screams “Immortan, Immortan Joe”, in order to get his attention to show him how powerful and determined he is.   

·      Observation 7: Sound: The sound within this scene includes banging, screaming, loud guitar playing, fire, and roaring engines being ignited.

·      Observation 8: Character: Joe acts as if he is the most powerful man in the world, while his warrior boys, especially Nux, act out and scream in order to be seen by him. In addition, Joe’s warrior boys act in a very intense way, where it seems that their only purpose in life is to fight and be noticed as a “historic” by their master, Joe.

·      Observation 9: Costuming: All of Joe’s warrior boys within this scene look alike, as they wear no shirts, the same dull pants, have imprints, tattoos, a lot of makeup, especially heavy black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, and have shaved bald heads. Also, Immortan Joe has a very scary/creepy look to him, as he wears a facemask, which resembles the “joker”.

·      Observation 10: Camera Work: The overall camera work within this scene is very fast and jerky, as the war boys are constantly moving and hurrying to get out onto the fury road.

3) Implications of costuming (observation 9):

·      Implication 1: The costuming in this scene represents the true uniformity that Immortan Joe forces on his war boys.

·      Implication 2: The war boys wear no shirts or in order to show off their specific imprinting that they have on them.

·      Implication 3: The many tattoos and imprints that the war boys have on them illustrate both the values and beliefs of Immortan Joe’s regime.

·      Implication 4: The pale make-up that is powdered on the war boys faces indicates that these boys are immortal-like, similar to vampires.

·      Implication 5: The heavy dark eyeliner and eye shadow on the war boys faces implies both the darkness and evilness that they bring as a whole.

·      Implication 6: The many scars, especially on the war boys faces represents the bloody battle wounds that the boys get when they fight in war.

·      Implication 7: The war boys shaved heads shows that Immortan Joe still sees them as babies, as babies are born with no hair.

·      Implication 8: The “joker-like” mask that Immortan Joe has implies the creepiness, fear, and intimation that he brings whenever someone is to look him in the eyes.

·      Implication 9: Immortan Joe’s mask also implies that he is too afraid to show his real face because it is not as powerful as the mask is.

·      Implication 10: Immortan Joe’s crazy and lioness hair implies the control that he has, similar to that of a lion.

·      Implication 11: Immortan Joe’s outfit resembles a knight, as it is a metal armor filled with badges and metals, which shows the pride he takes in himself.

4) This film scene is representative of the binary bravery vs. fear, which also connects to the issue of not being able to accept ones true sense of identify.  Essentially, within this scene, Immortan Joe’s war boys act all tough and violent, as they prepare for battle against Furiosa, however it is obvious that deep down they are terrified, especially of Immortan Joe, who they hope will finally notice them. For example, Nux, one of Immortan Joe’s war boys needs Mad Max’s blood with him in order to stay alive, yet despite this, he still decides to drive a car on the fury road and fight in the war, only for the reason of becoming known and or “historic”. The uniformity that all of the war boys have, in terms of appearance, also implies that they are too afraid to be different or stand out within the crowd. Likewise, to the outer appearances of the war boys, Immortan Joe puts on the act that he is the bravest man in the world. He rules over his boys with extreme power, which essentially involves an immense amount of violence. However, like the war boys, although they make themselves seem tough on the outside, deep down both the boys and Immortan Joe are afraid of whom they truly are as an individual, as they no freedom or real future ahead of them. Immortan Joe wears a scary mask to show the bravery he has as a leader, however by doing this, he is also exhibiting an act of fear, in which he is too afraid to reveal his true self to by his boys and the people around him.