The storm itself seems like an act of God a terrifying gust of sand, thunder, and lightning. The way that the cars ascend in the air is like a visual representation of the promise of Joe’s belief system - die in war and you’ll be carried to a warrior’s heaven. Looking ahead, Nux sees his fellow pursuit vehicles crash and burn, then lift up in the winds of the storm before being torn apart in a fiery explosion. The first appearance of Nux’s leitmotif occurs during the song “Storm is Coming” at 2:42, first heard in the film when Nux pursues the rogue tanker through a dust storm. But as Nux grows and matures throughout the story, we’ll see that the phrase is recontextualized by his failure to live up to toxic societal standards, eventually resulting in his rejection of the warrior code. Each time Nux sees his opportunity to die for the cause, this melody plays right before he acts on his desire - the music swelling as if to convey Nux’s elation at his chance to go down in history as one of the greatest soldiers of his time. In this case, one accompanies Nux’s intention to martyr himself.

What elevates Nux’s arc is how the music reinforces his emotional state through the use of leitmotif. Nux’s arc, his choice between death and dishonor, is reflected in the tension of the score. Nux has staked his worth in the eyes of his peers on his inevitable martyrdom in the chase his options are to go out in a blaze of glory and earn the praise of his society or spend his last moments in disgrace. The only way that Nux is able to convince Slit to stand down and thus re-earn his respect is by announcing his intention to “die historic on the fury road”.

Nux protests, but Slit counters that “if you can’t stand up you can’t do war”. When it’s time to pursue Furiosa, Nux’s lancer Slit ignores his questions and takes Nux’s steering wheel, intending on usurping his position. From the moment we’re introduced to Nux, he’s in a precarious situation. They’re only truly appreciated in death, and considered worthless if they’re not able to fight. War Boys live short “half-lives”, and are considered disposable heroes. Nux is devalued under this system due to his declining health. But the increasing chaos builds anxiety - as Nux probes the passing War Boys for the battle plan, we sense he feels left out, hooked up to his blood bag while the others prepare to ride. The drums are exciting, and we can tell he’s eager to contribute. While topping off on some “donated” blood, he hears the pounding drums of the Doof Wagon, signaling that a convoy is heading out into the wastes for a sortie. When we first meet Nux, he’s a War Boy fully indoctrinated into Immortan Joe’s belief system, hoping to achieve glory through war. The power of musical storytelling in Mad Max: Fury Road as a vehicle for empathy is most evident during Nux’s arc. He elaborates that the goal was “ to make sure that the drive, the aggression, but also the humanity was coming through in the score.” And he’s certainly succeeded, as the soundtrack of Fury Road informs the audience what the characters are feeling without the use of a voiceover or explicit dialogue. Tom Holkenborg describes the soundscape for the film as “over the top” “rock opera,” but he nonetheless takes pains to ensure that the score humanizes the action on screen. But while the imagery in Fury Road does a ton to convey a story without words, it is Tom Holkenborg’s soundtrack which gives that story its emotion. Director George Miller uses every tool in his arsenal to bring the post-apocalyptic world to life with as little exposition as possible. While a lot of praise has rightly been given to its stunning visuals and action choreography, the real strength of this modern classic is in its economical storytelling. And it’s one of the few movies that never fails to make me cry from the sheer beauty of it all. As this decade ends, there’s perhaps no greater storytelling achievement in the action genre than Mad Max: Fury Road.

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