mad max (cinema history class)

Session: Australian Horror/Sci-Fi, week 4
Movie: Mad Max  (1979)

Plot:
In a dystopian world of the near future, the only law on the open road is the Main Force Patrol. After a criminal, being chased by the MFP,dies in an accident, his friends want revenge. Hilarity ensues.

Class Reaction:
This went over reasonably well. There was some definite disagreement as to whether it counts as a science fiction movie. Personally, I feel that it's not. It's a dystopian movie set in the future. But it's the near future, and none of the weapons or cars are beyond the level of contemporary technology. Dave made a very good point, in that the film doesn't explain why society is in such a shambles. I agreed, and wondered whether society was in a downward spiral, or rebuilding after hitting bottom.

My Thoughts:
I was really looking forward to this. Years ago we had the AIP dubbed version of Mad Max on VHS. I never actually wtached the whole thing, but I'd seen bits and pieces. Seeing this just a week after seeing The Cars That Ate Paris, I can really see how it was influenced by that earlier film. Also, clearly by Spaghetti Westerns.

In some ways this was coming full circle. Ethan and I first met Keith at one of the classes he teaches at Nassau Community College. We went to it becuase Ethan loved the Saw movie franchise. And Saw was inspired by the climactic scene at the end of MM.

MM reminds of typical revenge films. The Punisher, Death Wish, Death Rides a Horse. They all feature an early action by the antagonist, which drives the protagonist to seek revenge. But what makes it different is that the avengeable action takes place pretty late in the film, so the revenge is somewhat hurried. You don't have the same guilty pleasure of watching the hero pick off his victims one at a time over a prolonged stretch. No matter. It was still enjoyable.

As to the four movies that Keith showed in this session, I rank them in the following order:

1. Mad Max
2. The Cars That Ate Paris
3. Patrick
4. Thirst

Mad Max fails the Bechdel Test.