Metal Damage, Brain Damage
Metal Damage, Brain Damage
Mad Max and the New Wave
This chapter traces the history of Australian film production in order to examine how George Miller came to make his first film and how a resurgent Australian film industry helped Mad Max (1979) into being. Australian film production was in serious trouble after the Second World War. Even earlier, like other countries after the First World War, it had had to contend with the raging popularity of American movies. From the late 1960s, where film output was virtually zero, to around 20 films a year in the late 1970s, the Australian New Wave was no mad gold rush, but did enough to bear fruit. It became clear that Australian filmmakers would adapt well enough in America, where it was relatively easier to get a movie made. Where does Mad Max fit into the landscape of the Australian New Wave of the 1970s? Does it belong at all? Historically, it has been lumped in with what became known as Ozploitation, the second-tier genre works which emerged in the decade. At the time of Mad Max's release in April of 1979, Australia's national cinema and industry was well into its glorious renaissance.
Keywords: Australian film production, George Miller, Australian film industry, Mad Max, Australian New Wave, Australian filmmakers, Ozploitation, Australian national cinema
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