Culture

Directed by George Miller. Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keayes-Byrne, Steve Bisley.
Long before Mel Gibson went bat-shit crazy, he was the star of this Australian low-budget road tale. Set “a few years from now” in a post-apocalyptic Australian outback, Mad Max follows Max Rockatansky, a Main Force Patrol (MFP) officer, as he tries to clean up the scum from the roads.
 

The opening scenes show a chase between the MFP and Nightrider who has stolen a patrol vehicle. After eluding the rest of the MFP, Nightrider gets taken out by Max and goes up in flames after a high speed crash. Nightrider's motorcycle gang, led by Toecutter, soon hear word of Nightrider’s demise. The gang have made their name by terrorising those who they come across but they are more than just ruthless thugs and seem to have degenerated into an animal state; they howl, scavenge, crawl, and fight as might wild dogs.
 

As the gang seeks revenge, the MFP sustains casualties and Max decides to leave before he is next. His time away from the force is short-lived, however, as his wife and child become victims of Toecutter's gang. With nothing to lose, Max hunts down Toecutter.
 

The film works best during the car and motorcycle chases and subsequent crashes. What it doesn't succeed in is creating believable characters. At 23, Gibson displays none of his future acting prowess, but he's a bit of a babe so that might make up for this for some viewers. The middle section (without any vehicle action) drags a bit while the film deals with some plot matters. However the conclusion is reasonably satisfying. The final scene where Max offers an abandoned gang member the option of either being blown up or having his ankle hacked off hacking was the inspiration for the Saw series, according to series creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell.