David Berreby Ritual And Tradition Analysis

It’s hard for me to imagine that when David Berreby wrote “Rituals and Tradition; It takes a Tribe” in 2004, that he believed in eleven years he would see the key concept his of piece play out on the big screen in a full throttle action film about the oil wars of a post-apocalyptic world. The key concept of Berreby’s piece is a relationship that he calls, the “us vs. them” relationship. Berreby’s article details the commonality of college students constructing this relationship to justify their superiority over competing “tribes” they believe to be inferior, even if there is no factual basis for the judgment (2, 4). Though a post apocalyptic warzone differs from the modern American university, viewers see a similar “us vs. them” relationship
Immortan Joe’s control of resources leads to his status as a god, and makes worshiping him the only way to ascend to Valhalla. The War Boys know to worship him and to be classified as part of the “us” in eternity is to fight whomever he deems the opposition. The “us vs. them” relationship we see in Mad Max: Fury Road is fueled by the religious beliefs of the War Boys who accept Immortan Joe’s construction of himself as God. Once personally acknowledged by Immortan Joe, Nux feels as if he’s a larger part of the “us” then ever before. The camera angles used to capture the dialogue between the two depict how Immortan Joe uses his control over the afterlife to emotionally manipulate Nux. The camera angle used allows us to view both of the men speaking to one another. One is not looking down on the other; they’re being offered up as equals. We view them as two men who can unite to fulfill each other’s wishes. The camera focuses, as Immortan Joe looks Nux in the eyes and promises him something only a god could offer, a trip to eternity in Valhalla. Immortan Joe knows this acknowledgement will help motivate Nux, more than ever, to do Joe’s dirty work for him. Nux, like others Berreby discusses, is ready to kill those who oppose his god and is prepared to die for his religion (Berreby 2). The bond between the two men ends quickly and we see what happens when a loyal follower can no longer contribute to a superior