Mad Max: Fury Road was the surprise hit of 2015. While many would have expected the movie to be a financial success and a fun summer action movie, the film has gone beyond all expectations and become a contender for the Academy Award for Best Picture. You might think there’s little left for the movie to do to surprise you, but you’d be wrong. George Miller is looking to include an entirely new version of the film on the next DVD release.
George Miller has been talking about how great Fury Road looks in simple black and white ever since the movie was first released in theaters. Originally, the plan was to include the version with all color removed on the first Blu-Ray release of the film. Miller tells the L.A. Times that it wasn’t possible to do that, but that the black and white version is still on its way.
The best version of Road Warrior was what we called a ‘slash dupe,’ a cheap, black-and-white version of the movie for the composer. Something about it seemed more authentic and elemental. So I asked Eric Whipp, the [Fury Road] colorist, ‘Can I see some scenes in black and white with quite a bit of contrast?’ They looked great. So I said to the guys at Warners, ‘Can we put a black-and-white version on the DVD?’ There wasn't enough room. [It'll end up] on another version with commentary and other features.
Most of Fury Road’s color was dominated by "desert orange" and the color of the film really made the wasteland come to life. A black and white version seems counter to all of that, but at the same time, we’d have to say that we’re intrigued by the concept. Originally George Miller had also said that this version of the film would give you the ability to watch it without any sound beyond the music, giving it not simply an "art house" feel, but a silent film version as well. Miller doesn’t elaborate on that version here, but we would guess if that was the plan before it is still a possibility as Miller seems intent on making this happen eventually.
How much does a black and white version of Mad Max: Fury Road interest you? Do you see it as an interesting gimmick to check out once, or could it turn out to be the definitive way to watch the movie for you? It’s only been a few months since the first Blu-Ray release of the film, so it will likely still be awhile before a new version comes along. Maybe if it does well at the Oscars the studio will capitalize on that with a new release.
