Mad Max - Plot

Plot

In a dystopic Australia, after the Earth's oil supplies were nearly exhausted, law and order has begun to break down due to energy shortages. Berserk motorcycle gang member Crawford "Nightrider" Montizano has escaped police custody and is attempting to outrun the Main Force Patrol (MFP) in a stolen Pursuit Special (Holden Monaro). Though he manages to elude his initial pursuers, the MFP's top pursuit man, Max Rockatansky, then engages the less-skilled Nightrider in a high-speed chase, resulting in Nightrider dying in a fiery crash.

Nightrider's motorcycle gang, led by Toecutter and Bubba Zanetti, is running roughshod over a town, vandalising property, stealing fuel and terrorising the populace. Max and officer Jim "Goose" Rains arrest Toecutter's young protégé, Johnny "the Boy" Boyle, when Johnny, too high to ride, stays behind after the gang rapes a young couple. When no witnesses appear for his trial, the courts throw the case out and Johnny is released. An angry Goose attacks Johnny and must be held back; both men shout threats of revenge. After Bubba Zanetti drags Johnny away, MFP Captain Fred "Fifi" McPhee tells his officers to do whatever it takes to apprehend the gangs, "so long as the paperwork's clean."

A short time later, Johnny sabotages Goose's motorcycle; it locks up at high speed, throwing Goose from the bike. Goose is unharmed, though his bike is badly damaged; he borrows a ute to haul his bike back. However, Johnny and Toecutter's gang are waiting in ambush. Johnny throws a brake drum at Goose's windscreen, which shatters and causes Goose to crash the ute; Toecutter then instructs Johnny to throw a match into the gasoline leaking from Goose's wrecked ute, while Goose is trapped inside. Johnny refuses; Toecutter first cajoles, then verbally and physically abuses him. Johnny eventually throws the lit match into the wreckage, which erupts in flames, burning Goose alive.

Goose is rescued, although he dies in the hospital due to his burns. After seeing his charred body, Max becomes disillusioned with the Police Force. Worried of what may happen if he continues working for the MFP – and that he is beginning to enjoy the insanity – Max announces to Fifi that he is resigning from the MFP. Fifi convinces him to take a holiday first before making his final decision about the resignation. Max also reports this to Jessie, his wife at the remote farm where they live, who is happy with his decision so they could take care of their young baby son.

While Max is away to buy supplies, Jessie and her infant encounter Toecutter's gang, who attempt to rape her. She flees, but the gang later finds them again at their remote farm. The gang runs over Jessie and Max's son as they try to escape, leaving their crushed bodies in the middle of the road. Max arrives too late to save them, devastated by the events.

Filled with rage, Max dons his police leathers and takes a supercharged black Pursuit Special (Ford XB Falcon) from the MFP storage to pursue the gang. After torturing a mechanic for information, Max methodically hunts down the gang members: he forces several of them off a bridge at high speed, shoots Bubba at point blank range with his shotgun, and forces Toecutter into the path of a semi-trailer truck. Max finally finds Johnny, who is looting a car crash victim he presumably murdered for a pair of boots. In a cold, suppressed rage, Max handcuffs Johnny's ankle to the wrecked vehicle whilst Johnny begs for his life. Not content to simply kill Johnny right away, Max ignores his begging and sets a crude time-delay fuse with a slow fuel leak and a lighter. Throwing Johnny a hacksaw, Max leaves him the choice of sawing through either the handcuffs (which will take ten minutes) or his ankle (which will take five minutes). Max casually drives away; as he clears the bridge, Johnny's vehicle explodes. Max continues driving into the darkness, with his and Johnny's fate unknown.