In 1979, an unknown director named George Miller introduced viewers to a post-apocalyptic world that centered around his also unknown star, Mel Gibson, in a low budget Australian film titled Mad Max.
Mad Max was only even released due to an insane set of circumstances. Making the film required a ton of guerrilla filming. The extras were paid in beer. The on screen biker gang was an actual local motorcycle club. The crew never got permits for most of the filming locations. Ten of the motorcycles were donations from Kawasaki. Gibson, the film’s “star”, earned a whopping $10,000 for his performance.
Including all of those variables, the film with a $300,000 budget managed to earn almost $100 million worldwide. As a result, the film’s unexpected sequel, Mad Max 2, aka The Road Warrior, was given a budget of $2 million. With Gibson’s star on the rise and American audiences growing more familiar with the character, the film made back its budget during its opening weekend. More importantly, The Road Warrior established Max’s personality. Cementing his place among the cadre of 1980’s action heroes, Gibson’s performance in this film practically guaranteed that this film would have a sequel and earn more money for the franchise.
Most Americans were actually introduced to the franchise through this film and found the original movie later. The cast wasn’t necessarily more recognizable, but the marketing was more aggressive. Like other 80’s action stars, Max was given his share of one-liners. His character also transformed. He had evolved into the opportunistic anti-hero, as opposed to the mute suicidal soul hell bent on vengeance.
The Road Warrior gives Max his first return to humanity. He is cocky at times and sympathetic at others. He embraces others where he once refused to reconnect with another human being. His dialogue is still limited, but he is peppered with the words of those around him. This creates the opportunity for other characters to establish themselves in the franchise. Winners of this formula include Bruce Spence who would appear in the sequel as The Gyro Captain. Signature roles in The Road Warrior include the villain The Humungus (Kjell Nilsson), The Feral Kid (Emil Minty) and Warrior Woman (Virginia Hey.)
The film’s plot is a product of Miller’s world building. In this future, fuel is the new currency. Max comes across an oil refinery that is being circled and terrorized by a group of bandits led by The Humungus. The inhabitants have a plan to take as much fuel as possible and to flee, but every scouting effort has been suicide. Humungus’ group of thugs has the camp in a stranglehold. In exchange for gas and food, Max agrees to help by driving a rig with a tank full of fuel while the rag tag group defends him. It’s classic Miller. Most Max movies feature some form of race or chase, and this one is no exception.
The thing that makes this film successful is also the thing that makes it unique. While Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s many protagonists occupied the box office, Gibson was building his brand. He would go on to be another sarcastic self-made hero in films like Lethal Weapon, but in 1981, he was still mostly the quiet type who relied on expressions more than dialogue.
The Road Warrior is a visceral, gritty film with flashes of violence. It is raw compared to other action films in the same era like Terminator and Rambo. As with the other Max films, viewers will be fascinated to learn how many of the vehicles and mechanics were created. Despite limited dialogue (Max only gets 16 lines in the whole film), The Road Warrior tells a compelling story of a loner willing to do what it takes for a sympathetic cause, even if his motives are born from self-preservation.