is the prequel to 2015’s , and contains a gender fluid plot-line that isn’t a radical departure from the franchise’s unexpectedly queer (if problematic) traditions. (Warning: Spoilers for follow) 2015’s followed as the angry wasteland inhabitant as he teamed up with Imperator Furiosa to defeat Immortan Joe, and free his wives from captivity. is set many years earlier and features star in the lead role.
But while the franchise is full of hyper-masculine warlords, and bombs, cars and explosions, the latest offering leans into the films’ less-than-straight history with a gender-fluid plot and queer allegory. Before the Australian character was played by Hardy, Mel Gibson starred in three films, from 1979 to 1985. Even a cursory glance at the first two films, 1979’s and 1981’s , reveals that the story has never been entirely straight – although its view on homosexuals isn’t favourable.
In the original film, Max goes up against Lord Toecutter and his flamboyant gang, all of whom are (pretty obviously) meant to be seen as gay and sexually deviant, representing the downfall of Australian society. Toecutter himself refers to a younger male crew member’s “sweet, sweet mouth” and places the barrel of his gun in the latter’s gob. There’s also a scene in which the gang .
The bad guy in is The Humungus, who looks much like a post-apocalyptic go-go boy, inspired by the queer made popular in the late 50s – if not gayer. Who knew they had Veet in the apocalypse?.
