Mad Max: Fury Road's Black & Chrome version presents George Miller's action epic in black and white, which transforms the viewing experience. George Miller was a doctor prior to making Mad Max which inspired his low-budget, post-apocalyptic b-movie and its depiction of violence. The film's unique style and intense car chases made it a worldwide hit, though it was horribly dubbed by American actors for its original U.S. release. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior armed Miller with a bigger budget, resulting in a better and more ambiguous film. It's now considered one of the best action films ever made and would inspire countless post-apocalyptic movies, shows and video games, including the Fallout series.
The series appeared to come to a disappointing end with 1985's Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, which despite featuring solid action was hampered by an ill-fitting PG-13 rating and dull story. George Miller eventually dreamt up a fourth movie but had a hell of a time getting it off the ground. Mad Max: Fury Road almost went before cameras with original lead Mel Gibson in 2003 before being cancelled, and it was stuck in development hell for many years. It finally hit screens in 2015 and proved to be worth the wait and then some. The film's blistering action and instantly iconic characters marked it as an instant classic, and one of the best films of the 2010s.
During promotion for the sequel George Miller was already talking up the Mad Max: Fury Road Black & Chrome version, which was a cut entirely in black and white. Miller had wanted to do this as far back as Mad Max 2 when he saw an early rough cut in black and white and felt it added a primal element to the film. While releasing a different cut wasn't feasible back in the 1980s, Miller finally got his chance with Mad Max: Fury Road, especially when the movie proved to be a solid hit. There was also precedent with The Mist's black & white cut, which was director Frank Darabont's preferred version of his bleak horror tale.
Mad Max: Fury Road Black & Chrome does exactly what its say on the tin, bringing viewers a monochromic new vision of the film's post-apocalyptic landscape. In contrast to the original version's bright, poppy colors that emphasized the bright yellows of the endless desert, Black & Chrome helps bring out the starkness of the landscape. Sequences like the sandstorm or Furiosa's devastated scream are given a new power, while the skeletal warpaint of the War Boys made even more pronounced.
It's strange how draining out the color can transform a movie, but Mad Max: Fury Road Black & White feels like a different film despite featuring exactly the same footage. Other films like Logan and Parasite would release black and white cuts too, which also felt like watching different movies. That said, some fans still prefer the theatrical cut of Max's fourth adventure for its eye-popping color, but thankfully both versions are out there to choose from. George Miller also mentioned wanting to release a dialogue-free, score-only version, but this has yet to appear.