Summary
Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagaexplored the backstory of Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) and some of the most important people in her life, among them Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), and they stood out for wearing black grease on their foreheads. In 2015, thirty years after the release ofMad Max Beyond Thunderdome, George Miller broughttheMad Maxfranchiseback to life withMad Max: Fury Road. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where petrol and water are scarce,Mad Max: Fury Roadintroduced viewers to another version of Max Rockatansky, played by Tom Hardy.
Max was captured by warlord and cult leader Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and taken to his fortress, the Citadel. To escape, Max joined forces with Imperator Furiosa (Charlie Theron), Joe’s top lieutenant who rebelled against him and escaped with his wives to free them and return to her homeland. Furiosa’s popularity with the audience led to the prequelFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, which answered some of the biggest questions about her past and how she became Imperator. A key character in her story was Praetorian Jack, who stood out for the black grease he wore on his forehead.
Furiosa: Praetorian Jack & Mad Max Parallels Explained
Praetorian Jack is one of the best new characters in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, but he draws some heavy inspirations from Max Rockatansky himself.
The Black Grease Sets Them Apart
Jack recognized Furiosa’s talent and offered to train her, becoming his second-in-command.
Furiosa went through a lot after the raiders kidnapped her and took her to their leader, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). As part of a deal with Immortan Joe, Dementus gave him his physician and Furiosa, who was supposed to become one of Joe’s wives when she grew up. After escaping an attempted sexual assault from Joe’s son, Rictus, Furiosa disguised herself as a mute teenage boy and worked as a mechanic, making her way up the ranks of Joe’s men. Furiosa helped build the War Rig, and planned to escape by hiding on the rig when Joe sent his top driver, Praetorian Jack, on a supply run.
Jack used to wear black grease on his forehead, which Furiosa started doing too when she became Praetorian, and this was a symbol of authority among Joe’s crew.
Furiosa’s plan didn’t work out as one of Joe’s men rebelled against them and attacked the Rig, and so she teamed up with Jack to defeat him and his crew. Jack recognized Furiosa’s talent and offered to train her, becoming his second-in-command.With time, Furiosa was promoted to Praetorian, and she and Jack bonded. Jack used to wear black grease on his forehead, which Furiosa started doing too when she became Praetorian, and this was a symbol of authority among Joe’s crew.
In the world ofFury Road, face paint is pretty important and carries a lot of meaning. Immortan Joe’s War Boys paint themselves white as they are considered “half-lives” due to their illness, but some of them can be seen wearing black grease on their foreheads, implying some of them have reached higher ranks.The black grease is also like war paint, as they truly never know if a simple supply run will turn into a battle against other groups.
Why Furiosa Shaves Her Head
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga explores the origin story of Mad Max: Fury Road’s Furiosa, and explains the reasons why she chose to shave her head.
Furiosa & Praetorian Jack’s Black Grease Also Has A Practical Use
The Black Grease Is Very Helpful
The black grease on their foreheads would have helped Furiosa, Jack, and any other character in their rank to keep the light from reflecting into their eyes.
The black grease Furiosa and Jack wore in the movie is not just about showing their authority rank, but it also has a practical use. As mentioned above, Furiosa is set in a desert wasteland, sothe characters face very specific and extreme environments. Furiosa and Jack (and every other character in the world ofFury Road, really) had to drive through the desert, under the intense sunlight and with lots of sand around them.
The black grease on their foreheads would have helped Furiosa, Jack, and any other character in their rank to keep the light from reflecting into their eyes.This would have allowed them to drive a lot better through the desertand be aware of any potential dangers on the road. The black grease, then, has a triple use in the world ofFury Road: it shows their rank among Joe’s crew, it serves as war paint, and it helps them with the sunlight while driving.
Black Grease Takes A Different Meaning In Fury Road
Furiosa wore the black grease on her forehead during her time as Praetorian in her prequel movie, but she continued to wear it inMad Max: Fury Road. Atthe end ofFuriosa, she was promoted to Imperator and given command of a new War Rig, and the movie connected to the beginning ofFury Road.It’s unclear what an Imperator would wear to show their authorityin the same way Praetorians wore the black grease, but Furiosa continued to wear it inFury Road.
Furiosa’s Imperator Title & Meaning Explained
Furiosa was known as an Imperator in Mad Max: Fury Road, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has a hidden detail that could reveal how she earned the title.
It’s possible that Furiosa continued to wear the black grease on her forehead to mark herself as a “full-life” among the War Boys, orit was a way to honor Praetorian Jack and her time as Praetorian. It could also be that the black grease is so useful while driving (for the reasons explained above) thatFuriosasimply continued wearing it throughoutMad Max: Fury Road.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
