Mad Max (1979) American International/Sci-Fi-Action RT: 94 minutes Rated R (language, violence, brief nudity and sex) Director: George Miller Screenplay: James McCausland and George Miller Music: Brian May Cinematography: David Eggby Release date: April 12, 1979 (Australia)/March 21, 1980 (Philadelphia, PA) Cast: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, Roger Ward, Geoff Parry, Brendan Heath, Sheila Florence, Vincent Gil. Box Office: $8.7 million (US)/$100 million (World)
Rating: *** ½
Mad Max is a lean, mean, kick-ass action flick in which a cop in a not-too-distant dystopian future takes revenge against the biker gang that took away everything he cared about. Directed by George Miller, what might have been dismissed as a cheap exploitation flick from Down Under (aka Ozploitation) instead created one of the most iconic action movie figures of the late 20th century.
That, of course, would be Max Rockatansky played by Mel Gibson in one of his first roles. Still unknown to American audiences, Mad Max was his first step on the road to superstardom. Initially released in Australia in ’79, it hit US theaters about a year later in a dubbed version as it was presumed that Americans would have difficulty understanding Australian accents and slang. Mad Max wasn’t a box office success; it played for one-week engagements around the country before disappearing. It got mixed reviews from critics with some praising the well-staged car chases and crashes while others decried the violent and sadistic nature of the film. I think it’s great! It’s especially impressive when you consider that Miller brought it in for about $650,000.
In the future world depicted in Mad Max, society has started to crumble as a result of a major energy crisis. Motorcycle gangs rule the roads, terrorizing people and stealing petrol. The only vestige of law and order in the Outback is the MFP (Main Force Patrol) who tries to uphold what remains of the law. Max is a highly regarded member of the MVP and as the movie opens, he assists his fellow officers including partner Goose (Bisley, Summer City), in capturing a lunatic named Nightrider (Gil). The chase ends with Nightrider dying in a fiery crash. Turns out he’s a member of The Acolytes, a vicious motorcycle gang led by Toecutter (Byrne, The Man from Hong Kong). After a second run-in with the gang, Toecutter and Johnny the Boy (Burns) retaliate by killing Goose in a horrific car crash. That’s when Max decides to quit the force and spend some quiet time vacationing with his wife Jessie (Samuel) and young son. His happiness is short-lived after Toecutter and his guys kill his wife and child. Filled with rage, Max dons his old uniform, gets behind the wheel of a supercharged Black Pursuit vehicle and goes after the gang.
The action scenes in Mad Max are cool! It has plenty of car chases and fiery crashes, all of which are pretty spectacular. It’s obvious that Miller, in his filmmaking debut, knows how to stage effective action scenes. The opening chase is particularly great in how it sets the pace of the movie. It lets you know exactly what you’re in for. It also paints a vivid portrait of a bleak future in which petrol is in short supply and some have already begun to descend into savagery. Even though the MFP station resembles an abandoned building, the cops still try to do their job right down to the police captain (Ward, Escape 2000) reminding his guys about their paperwork. Gibson does a good job as the titular character which brings me to one of the most common misconceptions about the title. In Australia, “mad” means crazy or insane, NOT angry. So while Max may rightfully be pissed off, the title refers more to his mental state as a result of losing his loved ones. Byrne does a great job playing a loathsome villain. Burns resembles Quentin Tarantino. These are some nutty bad guys! It can be argued that Mad Max is an origin film in that it explains how he became the burnt-out shell of a man he is in the sequels. The music by Brian May (NOT the one from Queen) is terrific. It sounds a bit like Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Taxi Driver). The cars are totally bad ass! Miller makes great use of the Melbourne locations. Mad Max is an all-around cool action flick with just the right amount of Ozploitation weirdness.
