Mad Max, Mythology and the Millennium : An extract from a book that regards the trilogy as a reconstitution of archetypal tales of social decline and rebirth. The Mad Max films were tapping into some of the classic story telling elements, seen in similar stories and myths of cultures worldwide. This conforms with Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Universal Myth (also seen in other films like Star Wars and the Matix) ; “the evolution of Max as hero – from his rejection of the ‘outside world’ due to personal tragedy in the first feature; his wanderings, trials and tests in the hostile wilderness of both the sequels; through to his individual (if not yet communal) reconciliation with his humane self in Beyond Thunderdome.” George Miller’s trilogy is certainly a thought-provoking and unexpectedly pertinent series. Interestingly, Miller’s other work includes the critically acclaimed series, Babe and Babe: Pig in the City, playful stories about a sheep herding pig (yes, you heard correctly).
