Starring the then little known Mel Gibson, this low-budget box-office smash also launched the career of director George Miller and would be followed up by three more sequels. Set in a post-apocalyptic lawless world, Mad Max can be credited for inventing a genre and opening up the global market for Australian films.
The seeds were planted for Miller’s thrilling post-apocalyptic Oscar winning opus, Mad Max Fury Road with his debut film which set the bar for breathtaking car stunts and brutal violence. Using to great effect iconic Melbourne locations such as the Melbourne University car park and Victoria’s expansive country roads, it’s a wonder that this now classic and highly influential film didn’t spearhead an Australian film industry made up of post-apocalyptic road movies.
“Stunts themselves would be nothing without a filmmaker behind the camera and George Miller, a doctor and film buff making his first feature, shows he knows what cinema is all about” - Variety
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
On display until
16 February 2031
ACMI: Gallery 1
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
183634
Curatorial section
The Story of the Moving Image → Moving Australia → MA-03. Car Culture → MA-03-C01
Object Types
Moving image file/Digital