When it comes to chronology, the Mad Max Franchise is very loose, even George Miller admits that. But he also admitted Fury Road is a few years after Thunderdome, which means it also takes place after the first two movies, right? Which means it’s a good 25ish years past Mad Max right? So when people say the apocalypse started 45 years ago (pre Fury Road) I’m like ‘huh?’ cuz that would certainly put Max at an age he wouldn’t likely rock as well as some, unless he’s on par with Wolverine or the like…
If you look at the first Mad Max movie, that place is already in shambles, even the hospital and police station (Lordy loo, the MPF headquarters was such a disaster). Take that–the practicality not the cinematography–with the still running public garages, stores, and ice cream shops and it looks like Society is trying to stay afloat, but is failing in the long run, especially when people like Joe and Toecutter are running amok.
Not all apocalypses are boom, bam, done. Some take time, a lot of time. I figure, if we’re lookin’ at 45 years worth of time here, then perhaps the fall started some years before Mad Max, I was gonna go with 10ish-15ish years before, and it only got worse and worse the older Max got, hence he joined the local leather clad police force. Joe can build up his empire easy enough in a good 30 years
So that’s my thing, that it hasn’t been 45 years since Mad Max, or even since the power shut off on that one Wednesday, but since some shit in the past happened, oil wars surfacing and the like. Or maybe the Wednesday was the 10ish-15ish years before Mad Max. No, no, that can’t be it, they still had power in Mad Max. Maybe I worry too much about these things.
Darn this math and chronology.
(I’m still a fan of the Feral Kid as new Max Theory)
Yes! I was thinking about this the other day. It’s actually pretty unrealistic to imagine everything going to hell at once, collapses of civilisations in history have always happened bit by bit. Established civilisation is going to stay established until things (like goddamn hooligans on bikes…) start causing chaos.
So, Max and his lot were lucky to be in one of the remaining pockets of civilisation. Somewhere else out there, other people are gettin’ the hell out of Dodge, and there’s a throughly unpleasant ex-military guy who’s set up a stronghold and welcoming some of them in.
When Max heads out into the desert, he’d start to realise that he might have seen the end of the end. He’d been in the last refuge of modern society, and he’d been there as it went to shit. He might have felt partially responsible, or at least powerless to do anything to prevent further collapse. That’s going to fuck with anybody’s head.
Being able to set things going the right way again in the Citadel might have felt like redemption, but he’s reluctant to stick around for long, due to the track record of people and settlements he’s came into contact with. Better to just wander off and believe that everything went well.
It would also match up with this 30something age Organic gave Max if he’s aging him from Joe’s beginning rule to their present day.
*cough* or Max is actually the Feral Kid *cough cough*
Yo, but here’s the thing: the tattoo reads “Day 12045″ as in that’s the date of capture for this particular, you know, bloodbag.
12045 days = 33 years.
1979 (the year in which Mad Max was released) + 33 = 2012 (the year in which Fury Road was filmed). Not to get too conspiracy theorist or anything, but if you’re into that whole “fluid continuity” thing… (I mean, I like the feral kid theory, but I also like the “Mythic Max” idea.)
Ever since that Feral Max idea was seeded into my head I have a hard time letting go of it xD.
Even so, it would be the 2010s around Fury Road time anyway in Mad Max world. I was under the impression those days were his age, but then I wondered how Organic determined that unless he like, did some dental work I guess, or asked him. I thought it said Days not Day.
So, wait wait wait: we got to the same conclusion by different routes?
All roads are the Fury Road. V8.