The Cyborg Action Heroine of 'Mad Max'

The character Imperator Furiosa from "Mad Max: Fury Road" wears a prosthetic in place of her left arm. Credit: Warner Bros. Many science fiction films showcase cyborg technologies that give ordinary humans superhuman powers. The film "Mad Max: Fury Road" takes a very different route by featuring a heroine with an artificial left arm and no superhuman powers. That doesn't stop the character named Imperator Furiosa, played by actress Charlize Theron, from proving herself a capable warrior in the post-apocalyptic future. She drives a behemoth "war rig" vehicle. She shoots a variety of long guns and handguns. She wrestles and punches opponents with and without the help of her robot arm. Furiosa has already been hailed as one of the strongest female action heroines to grace the silver screen in years. But "Mad Max: Fury Road" is also drawing praise for how it depicts Furiosa as the wearer of an artificial limb without making a big deal out of her disability. The story of "Mad Max: Fury Road" makes a very conscious choice to not focus on Furiosa's missing left arm or its artificial replacement from either a visual or dialogue standpoint; none of the other characters even remark upon the fact that Furiosa has a prosthetic arm. Laura Vaughn, a woman born without a lower left arm, wrote on her personal tumblr about her appreciation of seeing Furiosa in action. (WARNING: Some spoilers follow.)