Mad Max
STARS : Mel Gibson, Steve Bisley, Hugh Keays-Byrne & Joanne Samuel
Mad Max is notable for so may reasons that it’s hard to describe them all without rambling on for several pages but here’s a few. 1) It’s the film that turned Mel into a bonafide star. 2) It was the first film shot in Australia using an anamorphic widescreen lens. 3) Until 1990 before the Blair Witch Project, Max was in the Guiness Book Of Records for HAVING the best cost to profit return (it was made for $300,000 and made nearly 100,000,000 world wide) and. 4) Spawned a sequel that was arguably better than the original.
It’s been many a year since I last saw this film and I’d forgotten just how crude, disturbing, puzzling and brilliant it is, even some 23 years after it’s original release. Mad Max is set “just a few years from now” in a world ravaged by war and gangs are now patrolling the roads destroying property (and cars), raping and murdering at will.
The cops are fighting an uphill battle but Max Rockatansky (Gibson) is still out there competing against the odds every day trying to allow people to go about their everyday lives. After his partner Jim Goose (Bisley) is killed he becomes disillusioned and leaves the force to spend time with his own family. This plan soon goes to hell though as his wife Jesse (Samuel) and young son Scott are murdered by the vicious Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his cronies.
As a result of all these brutal crimes Max becomes the title character and systematically starts to hunt down all the members of the gang in ORDER to extract revenge no matter what it takes and regardless of the cost. This is where the real fun starts, the bodies go flying, the cars get destroyed and movie really picks up speed.
I remembered this film being a hell of a lot more violent than what I watched here but what is so much more obvious now that I’ve gotten older (maybe not wiser but definitely older) is that the raw power of Mad Max is contained in that which you don’t see (ala Ring). Max does something that not many films are prepared to do : It assumes that the viewer is intelligent enough to figure out what’s going on without needing to be spoonfed the entire way.
VERDICT : An outstanding piece of crude filmmaking that has stood the test of time and is still capable of surprising the viewer. If you like the film then you’ll love it on DVD, if you didn’t like it last time you saw it then I suggest that you give it another chance as you just may change your mind.
THE EXTRAS
* To The Max - Behind The Scenes Of A Cult Classic : This is simply pages of text and not the detailed featurette I was expecting. It’s broken down into the following sections : Genesis, The Director, The Producer, The Star, Cast & Crew, The Awards, Max Fax & The Words About Max. Sure, the information provided here is informative but surely text isn’t the way to deliver it.
* Mad Max 2 Trailer (US Version)
* Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Trailer (US Version)
*****This is where I have serious problems with the release that VR has given us. According to the press release this is a “Premium Release” there’s nothing of any substance when it comes to the extras content. There should have been an audio commentary (Miller at least as well as Gibson and Bisley) and since we got the trailers for the other two films in the series it’s not a big stretch to have expected the trailer for the first film!*****
In any case here’s a rundown of the extras on the R1 version courtesy of DVDFILE.COM.
* Road Rants Trivia & Fun Fact Track. Enable this feature and you’re rewarded with a remarkable variety of factoids and trivialities about the film and its production. This supplement is very informative and nicely complements the commentary track.
* The feature-length commentary brings together art director John Dowding, director of photography David Eggby, special effects supervisor Chris Murray, and film historian Tom Ridge. They sit down for the first time to watch the film together and reminisce about the production. They don’t discuss character motivation or plot, but describe the practical aspects of shooting the film. They ask and answer each other’s questions as one craftsman becomes curious about the work of another. The level of detail is even more obscure than the text trivia feature (although there is an ever so slight overlap) and, consequently, it’s quite involving.
* Two documentaries running 17 minutes and 26 minutes, respectively. The first, Mel Gibson: The Birth of a Superstar, is a valentine to Mr. Gibson. We learn of his background studying his art. It traces his start in the film industry, his involvement in Mad Max, and his accomplishments since. Consider it a professional biography. The second featurette is Mad Max: The Film Phenomenon. Here we learn a more about how the film was made and its completely unexpected success. This documentary is not an extended trailer, nor is it a publicity vehicle. Rather, it seems to be a sincere effort to place Mad Max within the context of contemporary cinematic history.
* There is also a theatrical trailer and four television spots, though the source elements aren’t in very good condition. Although the menu selection would have us believe that the trailer is Australian, it’s actually the American version. Finally, there is a photo gallery which includes international lobby cards and one-sheets. All the supplements are shown in non-anamorphic full screen.
CONCLUSION
This cult film has been long overdue in Region 4 given that the USA has had it for several months. However the DVD is a poor imitation of what it should be and deserves to be. The Region 1 release comes with several extras whereas we get the equivalent of bubkus although we do get a DTS soundtrack.
Mad Max is released by Village Roadshow on September 11 with a RRP of $34.95.