Heavily drawn from his observations of the 1973 oil crisis' effects on Australian motorists and the 1975's film, 'A Boy with his Dog', director George Miller & with first-time screenwriter James McCausland created, one of Australia's most known film, Mad Max. The first of many films in the series, the movie tells the story of a dystopian future, where the scarcity of oil has begun to cause the collapse of civilization. Law and Order is barely holding on within the towns, while, the highways are controlled by the outlaw gangs. Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is a Main Force Patrol cop, held in high regard by his boss and peers, but when a crazy motorcycle gang leaded by the wildman, Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) began to terrorize his quiet rural town and his family. Max Rockatansky must takes new steps into the madness of the world, to become something more dangerous than the average police-man. Can Max find inner peace within him, or will the madness of the world, take hold on him? Watch the movie to find out! Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, for a film made with practically no money and released in 1979, the film was surprisingly a very successful movie, not only in Australia and around the world. Despite the popular belief, the film wasn't a hit in the United States, until later. When it first came out, it was given limited release and all the characters' voices had been dubbed with American accents because distributors thought the audience wouldn't understand what they were saying. It wasn't until 1981's, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (originally released as Mad Max 2, retitled The Road Warrior in America), that America became more in love with the original film. Made with "guerrilla-style filmmaking", the film is famous for its wide-shot of the open road and its violent car crashes. Being call porn for people that love fast cars and action. The movie is very well-shot. While, the onslaught of then-intense action, is a bit dated, anticlimax and tamer, compare to today's movies. I have to say, the car stunt work that this movie had to do, is some of the best, at the time. It's something worth celebrating about. After all, this is the movie that put the Australian film industry back in the map. The hero, Mad Max is actually a good and kind soul with a loving family that he goes home to at the end of a long day of high-speed chases and shootouts. I know, that people might not like Mel Gibson, anymore due to his recent, personality problems, but back then, Mel Gibson can do no wrong. He plays Mad Max, very well. I also have to give some credit to his buddy, Steve Bisley as Max's patrol partner, Jim Goose. He was very charming in most of his scenes. However, the rest of the supporting cast wasn't that good. Mostly, coming from the villains. If anything, can be said, about the film's performance wise, is how chopping and nonsensical, some of the dialogue, James McCausland is feeding them. For the most part, I really didn't understood, much of what Toecutter or Johnny the Boy (Tim Burns) was trying to say. I know, it's supposed to represented, how crazy, they had become, but gees, at least, make them, somewhat realistic. I really don't understand, why, any of Toecutter's followers, even bother, following him, if he's that nuts. The beach scene between Toecutter and Johnny the Boy is a great example of this. Another problem in the film is how uneven, it is. I really didn't like, how Max's wife, Jessie (Joanne Samuels) has an altercation with the bike gang, with the very real threat of violence, gang rape, and child abduction, yet they still went on vacation, as if, nothing happen. Who oddly, brushed things like that in seconds!? It doesn't make sense. Another is when Goose's bike is sabotage, but Goose isn't hurt. He doesn't think, once, that maybe somebody is trying to kill him! Come on! The movie really waste time on this. Due to that, a lot of the scenes feel more like filler, than suspenseful. Another problem, people have, against the film is how depressing, the movie is. Despite some good time sequences that have interesting music like 'She's on a Licorice Road' by Robina Chaffey & Creenagh St. Clair, most of the movie presents a more or less hopeless vision of the future. The musical score for Mad Max composed and conducted by Australian composer Brian May shows this. Seeing characters getting raped, burned alive, and run over, isn't what most people wanted to see, for the hero's "reward" for trying to be with his family. The movie ends so bitter. Overall: Mad Max is a groundbreaking low-budget exploitation film that had some significant impact on modern popular culture, inspiring many sequels and knock-offs, but today it's perhaps, best known for the historically than it's aesthetically. Certain sequences still dazzle, and Miller's close-to-the-street cinematography still captures the thrill of speed in highly effective way, but the film series doesn't really establish its post-apocalyptic themes that well, yet. At least, not until Road Warrior. It's weird to see the beach landscape, all 'normal' lush greens and blues, instead of a washed out sepia tone. When's the last time you've seen a post-apocalyptic film like that. Still, I do recommended seeing this film. Just make sure to find the original Australian version without the English dubbing, for the best watch. Any fan of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road will still enjoy this piece. So check it out!
Review of Mad Max
