Screenwriting Lessons from George Miller and “Mad Max: Fury Road”

If you haven’t seen Mad Max: Fury Road, you absolutely must. Even if you’re not that big of an action movie fan, this is one of those rare cinematic events — and it is that — where everything works. Most importantly for me, the spectacle is grounded in character, so the amazing, breathless action on screen actually means something. Speaking for myself, there are moments in the movie, the quieter ones between some key characters, where I felt more emotion than in some dramas I’ve seen recently.

Here are some excerpts from a feature Anne Thompson did based on her interview with the movie’s co-writer / director George Miller. I believe these are spoiler safe, nothing more than what you may have seen in the movie’s trailer. See if you can identify the thread that weaves through them:

“Things develop organically,” Miller said. “You create the architecture for the story once. The characters almost guide you one way or the other.”

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“Max starts off with a purpose: how to become free?” said Miller. “He’s a caged animal, and bit by bit he finds some freedom. He’s always manacled to problems: “get that thing off his face!” When he finally does, once again he’s manacled to some sense of honor or obligation, and maybe a little flicker of humanity that draws him in. Again that came out of where the character was. There was a guy who’s really damaged, literally a caged animal.”

The central images of the movie’s extended chase came to Miller on a long flight to Australia. “I never intended to make another ‘Mad Max’ movie,” he said. He saw five wives fleeing a warlord.

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Thus these survivors, poisoned by radiation and riddled with tumors, struggle in a hostile environment short on resources like clean blood, fresh water and gasoline. So they come up with a religion to explain things and motivate them.

Character, character, character. The movie itself was inspired by a vision of characters — “five wives fleeing a warlord.” Miller knew specifically what Max’s psychological journey was about: Freedom versus obligation and honor. He even knew that the teeming masses of scabrous survivors had developed a religion which provided answers to existential questions and inspiration to believe in The Powers That Be.

Miller and fellow screenwriters Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris did not stop there, but worked with every primary and even secondary characters their due. The Nemesis Immortan Joe has a clear world view and an understandable goal, albeit wrongheaded. Every action Imperator Furiosa takes is grounded in where she is at that moment in her own psychological journey. Indeed one of the most fascinating metamorphoses occurs with Nux, who at first seems like a bit player, but plays a key supporting role in the narrative.

This is spectacle grounded in character… which is the best kind of spectacle because the events that transpired on screen carry emotional meaning.

“You create the architecture for the story once. The characters guide you one way or the other.”

This is just like one of my mantras: Begin with character. End with character. Discover the story in between.

This is a great screenwriting lesson. And there’s this.

We are in an era in which Hollywood is obsessed with spectacle movies. They are not going away. When you choose how to spend your consumer dollars, why not support movies like Mad Max: Fury Road which offers the best of both worlds: Action. Character.

For the rest of Thompson’s excellent feature on George Miller, go here.