Review of Mad Max (1979) by William T — 23 May 2015

George Miller's original Mad Max is the one most grounded in reality throughout the entire series. Before we even meet our hero, the world is completely set up. It's a seemingly normal town, with law abiding citizens, shops and restaurants, a gang of rebellious punks and the cops that take them down. But the seeds of a post apocalyptic life are all there, and the beginnings of the style of this franchise can surely be seen here. The roads may be clear and black topped, but the car chases are still wild. The leather biker suits may be cleaner cut, but the villains wearing them are still deranged.

This Mad Max is much slower paced than the ones to come after, and rightfully so. It builds to let you grow affection for Max and his lifestyle. He is a normal guy, with a wife and a child and a job to do. He is human, and relatable and without a care in the world outside of his work as an officer. He even has a sense of humor. He's the kind of guy that friends would describe as not hurting a fly, and Mel Gibson, in his first major starring role, is completely charismatic as him. As you get to know Max, though, and as the movie goes on, the danger rises from just a pack of small town hoodlums to a serious threat, and you understand the significance of Max's turn to madness. You are completely there with him. This is most character development Max has through all of the franchise, but it follows him through the rest of the entire series.

About midway through, just as you've come to accept the world that's been created, the lighting starts to become more and more abstract and the characters begin to become more and more bizarre. Some moments even make the film seem like a horror movie. And by the movie's end, no character involved is the same, and will never be the same again. This is the great fall of society and the start of what would eventually become pure desert wasteland. Everything that is sacred is taken away. Everything that is perfect is corrupted.

It's interesting to note the originality here. Maybe it's because this is an independent movie not made in Hollywood, but rather as the brain child of a single creator, but Mad Max is not afraid to take a chance and show some truly gruesome moments. It's this extreme that's needed to create the understandable vengeance that Max is thrust into. This all builds up to the climatic car chase that has become an iconic fixture of each Mad Max film.

Mad Max may seem campy in parts, but that lends itself to the inherently audacious approach of Australian filmmaking to begin with. It's really what makes it stand out from other action films of the time, but don't let it fool you. This is still a brass knuckled stunt extravaganza with cars that soar and others that are crumbled to pieces. There is no mistaking why this film has become a cult classic and spawned numerous fans and sequels alike.