Furiosa Director George Miller Never Forgot A Legendary Filmmaker's Advice
Australian director George Miller made his first feature film, "Mad Max," in 1979. It was a very low-budget affair costing about $200,000. The film takes place in the near future when the Earth is running low on oil and civilization is just beginning to crumble. "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is a road cop tasked with reigning in the chaos. "Mad Max" was decidedly low-fi, but it struck a chord with audiences, ultimately earning almost $100 million worldwide. It remains one of the most profitable movies of all time, comparable only to "The Blair Witch Project," "Paranormal Activity," and "Deep Throat." Miller would go on to make several sequels to "Mad Max" in 1981, 1985, and 2015. The fifth film in the series, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," is hitting theaters this month, with a potential sixth entry, "Mad Max: The Wasteland," in the early planning stages.
Miller recently participated in a "Furiosa" screening and Q&A event, and /Film's own B.J. Colangelo was in attendance. Miller revealed that getting "Mad Max" to the big screen in 1979 was a massive struggle, something the first-time feature director wasn't ready for. He was famously inspired by his work as a medical doctor when he made "Mad Max," knowing how certain wounds looked following acts of violence. For the film's action, Miller was inspired by the stunt work of silent comedians like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd and was empowered by the growing Ozploitation scene proliferating throughout his country at the time.
After "Mad Max" was finished, Miller was exhausted. At the Q&A, he related a piece of advice he received from fellow countryman Peter Weir, and how it prepared Miller for a life of cinematic combat.
Peter Weir told Miller that filmmaking is like the Vietnam War
Note that in 1979, Weir had only made four features, but two of them were doozies. Weir had helmed a dark comedy called "Homesdale," the horror flick "The Cars that Ate Paris," and the international sensations "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "The Last Wave," two movies that put Weir on the map and cemented his reputation as a new talent in cinema. Miller didn't say where he met Weir but recalled complaining to the filmmaker about how difficult it was to make "Mad Max":
"When I made the first 'Mad Max,' I had never been on a set before. We had such a low budget. And even though the film worked, I really thought I could never make it on movie, it was too bewildering. And I remember I spoke to Peter Weir, who had done his third feature, the second or third feature. And I explained to him how difficult it was. He said, 'George, don't you realize it's like that for every movie?'"
Miller recalled that the Vietnam War had ended only a few years before, leading Weir to make a harrowing comparison. Filmmaking, Weir said, was like fighting in Vietnam. It's always violence and chaos. Miller never forgot the comparison:
"[He said] 'Think about it as if you are on patrol in Vietnam. You've got your platoon, you've got to finish, and get through it. You've got your mission.' He said, 'But you don't know where the snipers are. You don't know where the landmines are. You don't know what's going to happen, but you've got to be agile enough to go with the flow and still get the end result.'"
That advice taught Miller to accept the struggle.
Miller learned to accept the struggle
Miller learned that every single film production is difficult. Indeed, it's been said that, apart from architecture, no other art form requires such a massive collaboration between so many people. And then, even when everything is arranged properly, a rainy day, broken car, or sudden illness can stymie everything. Weir's advice taught Miller to be nimble. Prepare for the worst, he learned, and hope for the best. And, importantly, have a backup plan ... which Miller did for "Furiosa." The director continued:
"It still sticks with me today. Things are going to happen on this film. The worst things we had to keep struggling with — really inclement weather, bad weather — it didn't delay us because you had to adjust to it. So even though we're shooting out on location, we always had a big tent with a backup plan to shoot interiors inside this massive tent. So we had lights and everything there. So you could keep shooting. You got to go with the flow of it and not diminish the result."
Miller, then, knows how to be adaptable. He just completed his 12th film at age 79, so he has definitely learned the game by now. He's not one of those filmmakers (like, say, James Cameron) who thrives on taking the path of most resistance, nor is he a "go with the flow" director like Stephen Frears. He's merely pliable, thoughtful, and plans things out. These are all qualities a filmmaker should have.
Weir also directed "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," one of the best movies of all time, but that was more a favor to the world than a gesture for Miller specifically.
"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" opens in theaters on May 24, 2024.