Film Talk - Mad Max: The Anti Hero's Journey

Film Talks

In 1971, Australia introduced its own domestic version of the R rating, leading to a two decades long boom in independent genre film production that came to be known as Ozploitation. Enter George Miller, a young medical doctor who wanted to make a splash with his debut film starring a young American immigrant, Mel Gibson. 

Mad Max earned a cult following upon its 1980 U.S. release, while its follow-up, 1981’s The Road Warrior, became a sleeper hit. Two more films in the series followed, 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and Miller’s long-anticipated return to the character after a 30-year hiatus, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). 

On the eve of the next installment in the saga, Furiosa, Seattle International Film Festival Programmer Dan Doody examines the evolution of Max Rockatansky from highway patrol officer to post-apocalyptic paladin, and why George Miller’s cinematic universe continues to captivate audiences worldwide.