Mad Max: Fury Road is a chase film by the most literal of definitions, launching into the action just mere moments after the studio logo screens, and though it may sound exhausting, the film actually manages to maintain an incredible level of energy straight through to the end credits. With three war parties on their tails, what follows is an epic, wild pursuit across the wasteland that’s as dramatic and exhilarating as it is spectacular and beautiful. An escaped prisoner of Joe’s, and in need of an exit strategy himself, Max teams with the women on their journey to a “Promise Land” known as The Green Place. For years, she has served under a monstrous tyrannical cult leader called Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), but when she finds opportunity to escape, she takes it – and brings along with her Joe’s imprisoned prized “breeders” (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Megan Gale, Abbey Lee). But I don’t think it made her tougher.'Īgain, how could it? Still, once Ripley lops off her hair, she doesn't shed another tear.Bringing us back to the death-covered world of the desert, where people bleed for water and gasoline, the new legend takes folk hero Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and this time puts him on a collision course with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a one-armed rebel on the run with an immensely valuable package. We can't be sure why the mercurial Fincher made this call, but if it was to maximize Ripley's ferocity, Weaver seems to think her buzz cut had the opposite effect. 'I think she felt more frail, perhaps because she had no hair,' she said. 'We all sort of looked like these skeletons in a way, and I felt it brought out everyone’s vulnerability. 'The first thing out of his mouth was, 'Shave Ripley's head,' she told reporters at the time. Weaver has said the decision to change Ripley's look was director David Fincher's. Here's where the bald business gets interesting. So, she kills herself to end this alien business for good. Eventually, she discovers she's carrying an alien inside of her.

So she bids her hair and the bugs goodbye. But, as she weeps over the bodies of her fallen comrades, she starts to scratch her scalp.

The doctor suggests a radical cut to prevent an infestation. In the third chapter in the Alien saga, Ripley (Weaver) is the only survivor of a crash landing on a planet inhabited entirely by men - and lice. One of the most badass screen heroines of all time hardly needed a new hairdo to prove her bona fides. But, it’s only after she's picked up the clippers that she decides to not just run away for good, but also to find her husband's murderer and kill him for real.

They both shave their heads and wear the same utilitarian outfit of a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Philippa's suedehead is a major turning point for her character. Sure, committing to blowing up a drug lord is pretty baller. A sympathetic rookie cop (Giovanni Ribisi) falls in love with her and helps her escape. It took the removal of her luscious tresses to be taken seriously.Īfter her husband dies of a drug overdose, Philippa (Blanchett) places a homemade bomb in the home of a known dealer, but unintentionally kills four innocent people. So, she takes matters into her own hands, shaves her head, and demands to be treated like a male Seal. But, when she arrives at training, she realizes she’s being treated differently. Jordan O’Neill (Moore) is going to be the first female Navy Seal. Here's a look at six key examples of this enduring trope. Even though we all know women can be tough and have swagger and a more traditionally feminine haircut.' I think filmmakers use a shaved head to convey a certain level of masculine swagger, too.

In reality, we all know that a ponytail can be just as low-maintenance, but it's also less visually striking. 'She's got bigger problems and interests. 'I think that a shaved head, especially for a woman, is a visual shorthand for the fact that she has no time for (or interest in) superficial grooming,' Friedman told Refinery29. Why, on film, must women lose their hair in order to convince audiences of their fearlessness and strength? Why must women be bald to be tough? Mad Max: Fury Road - starring a head-shaved Charlize Theron - gives us a shining example of exactly what Friedman's talking about. This is certainly true in movies, where time and again, women must remove what is feminine to in order to convey badassery. 'It’s almost scary to realize how deeply many women - especially those who are pushing the boundaries of what’s traditionally been considered feminine - have internalized the message that toughness and feelings don’t go together.' In her recent essay, ' On Being A Badass,' Ann Friedman ruminates over the relationship between femininity and the tough-girl persona.

Mad max fury road cast shaved head