Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I am a huge fan of great dialogue in movies. But when it comes to watching the films of George Miller and, in particular, his Mad Max series, there is almost no dialogue present; in fact, he hates it. But why and what makes his way of storytelling still interesting to watch? George views movies as a visual medium and wants to tell the story as much as he can visually.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the movie is completely silent because although there might not be any dialogue, there is still a lot of music and sound effects that accompany the visuals to tell the story. But does this mean having minimal dialogue should always be the way to go?
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
What is Mad Max?
Mad Max is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centers on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with Mad Max, and was followed by three sequels: Mad Max 2 (1981; released in the United States as The Road Warrior), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015); Miller directed or co-directed all four films. A spin-off, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, was released in 2024 and was also directed by Miller. Mel Gibson portrayed the title character Max Rockatansky in the first three films, while Tom Hardy portrayed the character in Mad Max: Fury Road.
The series follows Max, who starts the series as a police officer in a future Australia which is experiencing societal collapse due to war, critical resource shortages, and ecocide. As Australia devolves further into barbarity, gangsters kill Max's family and Max becomes a wandering drifter in the wasteland. He periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Max, who is habitually wary of others, frequently struggles to decide whether to help others or go his own way. Ultimately, he assists the survivors in the nick of time before departing into the wasteland once more. Most Mad Max films suggest that the characters of Max and spin-off character Imperator Furiosa have crossed over into the folklore of a survivor civilisation.
The series has been well received by critics; Mad Max 2 and Fury Road in particular have been ranked among the best action films ever made. The series has also had a significant influence on popular culture, most notably apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and encompasses works in additional media including video games and comic books. In 2016, Fury Road became the first film of the Mad Max franchise to receive Academy Award recognition, winning six of its ten nominations.
The first Mad Max film is a mostly traditional origin story. In a dystopian Australia where the government no longer has the capacity to effectively protect its citizens, Max Rockatansky is a skilled policeman trying to keep order on the highways. When Max takes his family to the beach for a holiday, a vicious biker gang murders his wife and child. Max kills the gang in revenge. Disillusioned by the collapse of ordered society, Max quits his job and becomes a wanderer in the increasingly devastated wasteland.
The remaining Mad Max films follow Max's comings and goings in the wasteland. By Mad Max 2, the old society has essentially collapsed, and gangs and warlords dominate the wasteland. Isolated pockets of civilisation remain, desperately preserving remnants of pre-apocalyptic technology, especially oil refineries (Mad Max 2, Furiosa, Fury Road). By the time of Beyond Thunderdome, Furiosa, and Fury Road, society has devolved into a barter economy. Furiosa and Fury Road also suggest that Christianity has been replaced by new religions native to the wasteland.
During his wanderings, Max periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Typically, Max goes along for self-interested reasons, but eventually his motives become more altruistic. Mad Max films typically highlight their protagonists' struggle to reclaim their humanity in a dystopian wasteland that has taught them to place little value on kindness and decency.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
I am a huge fan of great dialogue in movies. But when it comes to watching the films of George Miller and, in particular, his Mad Max series, there is almost no dialogue present; in fact, he hates it. But why and what makes his way of storytelling still interesting to watch? George views movies as a visual medium and wants to tell the story as much as he can visually.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the movie is completely silent because although there might not be any dialogue, there is still a lot of music and sound effects that accompany the visuals to tell the story. But does this mean having minimal dialogue should always be the way to go?
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
What is Mad Max?
Mad Max is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centers on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with Mad Max, and was followed by three sequels: Mad Max 2 (1981; released in the United States as The Road Warrior), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015); Miller directed or co-directed all four films. A spin-off, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, was released in 2024 and was also directed by Miller. Mel Gibson portrayed the title character Max Rockatansky in the first three films, while Tom Hardy portrayed the character in Mad Max: Fury Road.
The series follows Max, who starts the series as a police officer in a future Australia which is experiencing societal collapse due to war, critical resource shortages, and ecocide. As Australia devolves further into barbarity, gangsters kill Max's family and Max becomes a wandering drifter in the wasteland. He periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Max, who is habitually wary of others, frequently struggles to decide whether to help others or go his own way. Ultimately, he assists the survivors in the nick of time before departing into the wasteland once more. Most Mad Max films suggest that the characters of Max and spin-off character Imperator Furiosa have crossed over into the folklore of a survivor civilisation.
The series has been well received by critics; Mad Max 2 and Fury Road in particular have been ranked among the best action films ever made. The series has also had a significant influence on popular culture, most notably apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and encompasses works in additional media including video games and comic books. In 2016, Fury Road became the first film of the Mad Max franchise to receive Academy Award recognition, winning six of its ten nominations.
The first Mad Max film is a mostly traditional origin story. In a dystopian Australia where the government no longer has the capacity to effectively protect its citizens, Max Rockatansky is a skilled policeman trying to keep order on the highways. When Max takes his family to the beach for a holiday, a vicious biker gang murders his wife and child. Max kills the gang in revenge. Disillusioned by the collapse of ordered society, Max quits his job and becomes a wanderer in the increasingly devastated wasteland.
The remaining Mad Max films follow Max's comings and goings in the wasteland. By Mad Max 2, the old society has essentially collapsed, and gangs and warlords dominate the wasteland. Isolated pockets of civilisation remain, desperately preserving remnants of pre-apocalyptic technology, especially oil refineries (Mad Max 2, Furiosa, Fury Road). By the time of Beyond Thunderdome, Furiosa, and Fury Road, society has devolved into a barter economy. Furiosa and Fury Road also suggest that Christianity has been replaced by new religions native to the wasteland.
During his wanderings, Max periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Typically, Max goes along for self-interested reasons, but eventually his motives become more altruistic. Mad Max films typically highlight their protagonists' struggle to reclaim their humanity in a dystopian wasteland that has taught them to place little value on kindness and decency.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
