madmax

Given the the fact that Australia is the worlds largest island continent , and that as a nation we are obsessed with cars, it is little wonder that the traditional Road Movie has become such a fixture of our film industry. Mad Max is arguably the greatest Australian Road Movie ever. It is set a few years from now, in a bleak future where roving gangs terrorise small communities, and the road toll is astronomical. The only thing stopping the gangs from taking control of the roads are the M.F.P. ( Main Force Police). They are basically like

the highway patrol, except that they aren't afraid to risk civilian casualties, or to use deadly force to get their man. The opening scenes show the M.F.P. chasing an insane cop killer, who is fleeing down the freeway in a stolen Interceptor ( this is what the police cars are referred to as in this movie). He calls himself the Nightrider ( he's played by Vince Gil, who was in Bodymelt), and screams insane ramblings, and lines from the AC/DC songs Rocker, and Livewire into the police-band C.B. A couple of Interceptors commence the pursuit, in an incredibly electrifying, adrenalin charged chase sequence. They fail miserably, leaving a trail of carnage. It's all up to Max Rockatansky, a cool, calm , and collected cop. He plays a deadly game of chicken that ends with the Nightriders fiery death.

Meanwhile, a local motorcycle gang who were freinds of the Nightriders swear revenge. They end up killing Max's best freind, fellow cop Jim Goose. Max considers quitting the force, but his superiors give him a few weeks leave to make his decision. He takes his wife Jessie, and his son Sproggo on holidays. The holiday soon turns into a nightmare however, when the gang, led by the very dirty looking Toe-Cutter finds them.

This is a very stylish, original movie. It was filmed throughout rural Victoria, and the very Australian locations are breathtaking. George Miller was a very innovative director when he made this, and Dean Semlers incredible cinematography doesn't miss a beat. I usually find car chase scenes in movies to be the most tedious sequences imaginable, but the car chase scenes in this are genuinly exciting,especially when Max hits the nitro on his Ford XB Falcon interceptor It is a very eclectic film, which never dwells on too much of the same sort of thing , so as a result, it's a very tight, cohesive cult film. Miller certainly made every cent of this films budget of $400 000 count. Mad Max also had a great influence on many of todays directors. Robert Rodriguez ( El Mariachi, From Dusk Till Dawn) has obviously borrowed a great deal in terms of technique from Miller's film . This movie hasn't really dated much. Luckily Miller didn't use any cheap looking cars like Toyota Corollas, or Chrysler Sigmas from the period, instead opting for Fords and Holdens. This really gives the movie a classic, timeless look.