Rictus Erectus

[Taipan]

I think it would be impossible. To build and maintain this kind of physique he'd have to consume large amounts of lean meat to get the protein in and it doesn't look like there's a chicken farm in the Citadel. Cannibalism would be something he'd have to resort to because the amount of milk he'd have to consume to get all the protein in would most likely ruin his digestive system. The only predisposition for his size at this point is his height but given the lack of resources he should look more like the Gyrocaptain than a bodybuilder.

[Dinki Di]

Not exactly. Rictus being part of the wasteland 'royal family' is one of the very few who can afford to breathe clean air.

Ah ok. Is this mentioned in a making of somewhere or artbooks or something like that? I just wonder how they would clean the air and what exactly the rest of the air is poisoned with (apart from fallout contaminated dust, I guess?)

One thing that kind of confused me about the Citadel and its technology was that everyone was clearly re-purposing old equipment like cars and everyday items to make cages and muzzles and I assume some of the lowering gear was repurposed, but then you've got the waterfall switches and the vault door which looks like much better technology or much better kept technology if they re-purposed it, Rictus' breathing apparatus, and a few other things... which seem at odds with the low-tech all around it.

[Taipan]

It was either mentioned in the blu ray extras or graphic 2015 Sydney meeting with miller, mccarthy and lathouris

[levcore]

One thing that kind of confused me about the Citadel and its technology was that everyone was clearly re-purposing old equipment like cars and everyday items to make cages and muzzles and I assume some of the lowering gear was repurposed, but then you've got the waterfall switches and the vault door which looks like much better technology or much better kept technology if they re-purposed it, Rictus' breathing apparatus, and a few other things... which seem at odds with the low-tech all around it.

My understanding is this, and someone may wish to correct me but this is what I have pieced together/ learned:

The Citadel was a fully functioning water plant/ aquifer long before Immortan Joe and his cronies took hold of it. One of the comic books explicitly shows that he takes it over as part of a campaign. Of course he made his own cosmetic additions such as the V8 skull emblem on the rocks etc but the aquifer part was there long before him, so the pipes, levers etc. would have already been that way before Joe.

It would be interesting to know just what Miller thinks is the actual history of The Citadel before Immortan Joe. It's such a bizarre idea and clearly is nowhere that exists on our earth. It's a fantastic concept and visually makes my head spin. Probably my favourite 'location' in a movie I've ever seen.

You mention the vault door and that does seem weird for something that was presumably some kind of water processing plant or something. Plus there is also Joe's Biodome, is this one of his additions or was it already there?

I really, really wish we'd gotten to see more of the Citadel, especially a closer look at the farming land on the top, it looked so cool. George always gives you just a taste of something though, he never dwells on it, no matter how much more fans would like to see.

[AquaCola]

At the end of the comic we see tons of cranes building up the citadel and George has said there is a buried city and buried supermarket nearby which they looted.

I think it would be impossible. To build and maintain this kind of physique he'd have to consume large amounts of lean meat to get the protein in and it doesn't look like there's a chicken farm in the Citadel. Cannibalism would be something he'd have to resort to because the amount of milk he'd have to consume to get all the protein in would most likely ruin his digestive system. The only predisposition for his size at this point is his height but given the lack of resources he should look more like the Gyrocaptain than a bodybuilder.

I've heard insects are a very good source of protein. The comics, game and scene with Nux would point towards insects being used as a large food source.

[Dinki Di]

I haven't seen any of the comics yet, anyone recommend them?

I suppose since they mention water shortage and water wars to begin with the idea of the plant maybe having security devices already in it like vaults - yeah that makes more sense if water had become precious in the old world. I didn't know the Citadel was previously a dedicated water plant facility. The biodome, is that the thing the wives live in that looks a bit like Thunderdome? I don't remember it well off-hand but it looked more like a construction of that time than the vault door and stuff.

[AquaCola]

I haven't seen any of the comics yet, anyone recommend them?

Yes and no. There are a lot of posts here about them. Its best to make up your own mind on them. I loved certain things and hated others. Worth a read if your itching for more after Fury Road.

I suppose since they mention water shortage and water wars to begin with the idea of the plant maybe having security devices already in it like vaults - yeah that makes more sense if water had become precious in the old world. I didn't know the Citadel was previously a dedicated water plant facility. The biodome, is that the thing the wives live in that looks a bit like Thunderdome? I don't remember it well off-hand but it looked more like a construction of that time than the vault door and stuff.

It looks like a bank door which they could have looted from the buried city below Gastown. In one of the early citadel sketches it had a thunderdome on the ground. I liked that early design a lot because it also had everyone camped in tents like a shanty town around the citadel.

[Dinki Di]

Weird how all those people just seemed to be hanging around like vagrants outside of the citadel. Like the legless guy who just appeared out of a mud molehill at the end. Were they just living in the mud and covering their heads? Tunnels underground? A shanty settlement of some kind would have seemed natural to have built up around the citadel, but I don't know the concept art or the backstory or anything yet and why they didn't go for it. I guess it conveys absolute desperation they have no homes at all, even so some kind of crude built shelters would have sprung up unless IJ prevented them?

[levcore]

That pre production artwork was cool with a shanty type town surrounding the citadel.

However if I recall, the comic books (or some of them) are told from the perspective of history men, many years after the events of the movie and we see that a shanty town has indeed been built all around The Citadel. presumably a result of Furiosa and the wives influence after taking over.

[AquaCola]

I guess it conveys absolute desperation they have no homes at all, even so some kind of crude built shelters would have sprung up unless IJ prevented them?

I think George said the wretched kept everything on their backs, you can see they have make shift tents attached to themselves. A full on shanty town town would have worked much better like in the original artwork.

They would cover themselves in mud to stay warm at night, in the desert in get very cold. Or during the day to keep out of the baking hot sun.