Mad Max (1979) ****1/2
Mad Max (1979) is a bonafide classic. It has one of the best cold opens and one of the best endings of any film ever. Aussie George Miller's feature debut went on to spawn three sequels (with more supposedly planned) and he has maintained control of the franchise, which I commend him for (even if I'm not so into the third film, 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and think the fourth one is vastly overrated).
Long before the digital sheen of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) (which everyone but me seems to love; my initial review here and my "Take 2" review, where I liked it even less, here), Miller created the template for low budget post-apocalyptic films which so many other films would attempt to replicate or blatantly rip-off in the 1980s.
Max's world, while certainly dystopian, is presented as but a few years in the future, where the societal collapse still seems new. A ruthless motorcycle gang faces off against a leather-clad police force in spectacularly filmed action sequences featuring incredible, death-defying stunts and super-charged cars (most notably the "Pursuit Special" black MFP Interceptor). The high-speed chases are thrilling to this day because so much of what is on screen is real and you can all but feel the danger involved. What Miller and crew were able to squeeze out of their meager budget continues to impress.
Mel Gibson isn’t too popular these days but when I was a teenager and first saw Mad Max and its perfect sequel, The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2) (1981) (review), my friends and I thought he was the baddest of badasses. Part of the reason I love this first film in the series is that we see a more tender side of Max Rockatansky before he becomes a shell of his former self, the dead-eyed revenge machine of the film's finale, and later the mostly mute drifter of the sequel.
But as badass as Max is, the film contains an equally memorable villain, the charming but unhinged Toecutter, played with aplomb by Hugh Keays-Byrne (and his wild, curly mane). Keays-Byrne left an impression the first time I ever saw Mad Max and, through memorable dialogue and intense physicality, remains a baddie to cherish.
Almost 42 years on, there's still so much to appreciate about this film—from everything mentioned above to the crazy supporting characters to the expansive landscapes captured by the terrific cinematography to the unusual and exciting editing to the brassy and bombastic score by Brian May (no, not the one from Queen). Mad Max will always be one of my favorite films.
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