Mad Max [R]

Since the apocalypse, Australia has become a desolate, disintegrating, and dangerous place where marauding gangs of bikers rule the highways raping and pillaging wherever they see fit. Max Rockatansky is a highway cop trying to retain order in this post apocalyptic society. After seeing his fellow police officers and citizens raped and murdered brutally, he decides to retire from the force to spend time with his wife and son. But this dream is short lived when a particularly vicious gang of bikers murder his family in retaliation for the death of a fellow gang member. Now outside the law but on the good side, Max dons his uniform again and is back on the highways, waging a one-man revenge-fuelled war against the Toecutter and his gang. 

As far as Aussie cult movies go, Mad Max is top dog. The first in George Miller’s epic post apocalyptic trilogy (the second one, The Road Warrior receives more acclaim), this is an hour and a half of kick-arse cars, chases, violence, leather, and explosions. It’s pretty fucking sick (in both meanings of the word). 

Since the apocalypse, Australia has become a desolate, disintegrating, and dangerous place where marauding gangs of bikers rule the highways raping and pillaging wherever they see fit. Max Rockatansky is a highway cop trying to retain order in this post apocalyptic society. After seeing his fellow police officers and citizens raped and murdered brutally, he decides to retire from the force to spend time with his wife and son. But this dream is short lived when a particularly vicious gang of bikers murder his family in retaliation for the death of a fellow gang member. Now outside the law but on the good side, Max dons his uniform again and is back on the highways, waging a one-man revenge-fuelled war against the Toecutter and his gang. 

This, right here was the fruit of Australia’s cinematic heyday! Mad Max was made on a budget of $400,000 and grossed over $100 million at the box office. Legend has it that the budget was so tight that Miller actually crashed his own car in one of the scenes. But the budget didn’t matter, the story and the distinct disregard for regulation highway action genre structure is what sets Mad Max apart and I think this movie really stands the test of time. Miller’s unflinching gall in depicting this hellish, brutal, highway-ruled Australia has tremendous shock value similar to Ted Kotcheff’s Wake In Fright (another giant in Australian cinema). 

Although Mel Gibson, who became an instant blockbuster celebrity overnight with this movie, delivers a fine performance, the real star of the show is the team who put together the car chases and explosions. This is one of the rare films where the action really does take centre stage and academy award-worthy performances are neither desired nor required. I have to say at this point though that Hugh Keays-Byrne who plays the Toecutter was brilliant: ruthless, sadistically charming, and altogether mad as hell. I really loved him. I’d like to also at this point (just for a gloating brush-with-fame moment) say that I’ve had the pleasure of hiring movies to a particular star in this film and having a few long conversations with him. To be fair though, I never really knew he was in this until one of my co-workers told me, but anyway… brush with fame! 

Starring Joanne Samuel, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Lisa Aldenhoven, Roger Ward, David Cameron, Reg Evans, Sheila Florance, Vincent Gil, Jonathan Hardy, and Geoff Parry, Mad Max is a real classic in Australia’s cinematic repertoire filled with action, romance, explosions, car chases, violence, revenge, and… action. It’s pretty fucking awesome and a classic example of Aussie resourcefulness and ingenuity. George Miller should be worshipped.