Narrative Analysis of Mad Max: Fury Road

The narrative of a movie is its general plot and how that is structured. Todorov's theory states that most plots follow the same structure and path including the following:

1. The story begins with an equilibrium where any future potential opposing characters/groups are balanced and not in opposition yet.

2. Next is disruption, where the balance established by the equilibrium is disrupted by an event or a character that sets the story in motion. The conflict builds up from here.

3. This leads to recognition or realisation where the characters acknowledge the disruption of events.

4. This makes the characters set out to resolve the conflict/disruption and restore order, known as restoration.

5. After the characters set out to resolve the problem, the plot ends with a resolution where equilibrium is restored again but with some obvious changes.

Mad Max: Fury Road

The scene begins with a shot of the main character narrating about an event; this provides the back-story to the introduction. 

However, no explicit mentions have been made about who the opposition forces are, therefore this represents the equilibrium stage of Todorov's narrative structure theory. Only one character is introduced at this point therefore everything is balanced and conflict has yet to develop.

Disruption, the next stage, is clearly revealed in the next scene where the formerly introduced character is involved brief car chase with newly-established opposition. 

The character ends up getting caught as the voice-over informs the audience of this setting's conditions ("a man reduced to a single instinct: survival") obviously establishing the survivalist theme, further supported by the visual representation of this desert region. 

These events disrupt the initial balance/equilibrium that was set at the beginning of Mad Max: Fury Road's film opening because the prominently conflicting nature of the car chase intervenes with the previous neutral state.

This shot depicts the main character falling down which further signifies the danger and conflict of the disruption stage, which leads to the next stage known as realisation or recognition where the protagonist realises and acknowledges the disruption of events.

This then transitions to the fourth stage called restoration where after the character recognises the ongoing chaos and sets out to restore order, seen in the protagonist's attempts to survive the car chase or escape the cave he is captured in altogether. This reaction clearly illustrates the character's awareness of the disruption, linking back to the third stage. 

Oftentimes the stages are not fixed but rather blend into each other especially if the narrative is non-linear; reactions and viewpoints of a variety of characters are explored. 

For example, one character may have realised a disruption of balance and consequently sets out to resolve this, while another character has not yet recognised the nature of the situation i.e. for this second character the story's development pace is entirely different to the aforementioned character for they are experiencing different stages.

*Within the first five minutes, various characters are introduced on two opposite distinctly defined sides: Mad Max's side and the bandits' side.

After the disruption(s) is/are acknowledged and acted on, this usually leads to the final stage referred to as "equilibrium again" often at the very end of the plot where any disputes are resolved thus restoring the equilibrium, albeit with noticeable differences. However, since my task is to create and analyse film openings, this stage cannot be addressed in context of the film's intro.

*Imperiator Furiosa kills Immortan Joe 

In terms of the entire story, on the other hand, a resolution is reached when Imperator Furiosa kills Immortan Joe, the main villain who the bandits shown above work for. 

Several characters are shown rejoicing, suggesting that the disruption of events' cause was common for everyone. The cheering implies that equilibrium has been achieved similarly to the balanced nature of the beginning of the story, although there are some distinguishable changes. The death of the primary antagonist is an example of one of those changes, signifying hope for the characters.

 *Characters' reaction to the freedom from Immortan Joe's dictatorship.

The video of the characters' reactions to his death are embedded below.