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| Figure 1 - Movie Poster |
Exploitation films benefit probably financially from controversial or trendy topics normally based round themes such as sex, violence and romance. Many of these films are often made on a low budget and screened in seedy cinema's.
The original Mad Max series is an example of "Ozploitation". The criteria for such a title only required it to be an Australia genre film. They were part of "the Australian exploitation films that were produced during a fruitful period in the 1970's and 1980's." (The Grindhouse Cinema Database, 2017) The word was originally "Aussiesploitation." Which Quentin Tarantino used in his documentary called "Not Quite Hollywood." Director Mark Hartley eventually shortened and changed the word to "Ozploitation."
The genres included in these films are Sexploitation, Horror films, biker films and even Kung Fu.
Unfortunately many of these films "exploited Australian cultures and stereotypes to attain audiences within Australia and possibly overseas." (The Grindhouse Cinema Database, 2017)
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| Figure 2 - Mad Max 1979 |
Although Mad Max: Fury Road is an an example of a recent Ozploitation film, it it was made on a bigger budget, making the quality better. Consequently the special effects and CGI were of a superior standard. It had moved away from its origins. "From humble beginnings as a low - budget revenge thriller shot guerilla - style on country lanes outside Melbourne, George Miller's post apocalyptic saga is preparing for its biggest and most artfully boisterous outing yet in Mad Max: Fury Road." (Conterio, 2017)
Despite the film being "Australia's ultimate contribution to its own genre-cinema output and a reaffirmation of Aussie imagination and craftsmanship." It is exploitation because of its themes of sex violence and nudity which attract a certain audience.
One example of this is the fact that: Lord Humungus wives wear very little through out the film. At the beginning of the film the wives are portrayed as weak females and seem to only be there as sexual objects. However as the film progresses the wives become braver as they take control of the situations they are put through.
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| Figure 3 - Movie Still |
Some would say that although the film is titled "Mad Max" it is actually a film which also exploits feminism. "The title character is actually a secondary figure in the movie, which is not really about
the wanderings of post - apocolytic tough guy Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). It's really the story of a feminist revolt led by Imperator Furiosa (Charlie Theron), who works as a top lieutenant to warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne)." (Smith, 2015)
The costume designs in the film are very sexually explicit and are said to resemble "eye brow -raising S&M fashion." (Contario, 2017)
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| Figure 4 - Movie Still |
Many scenes from the film showcase car racing, fighting, guns and weaponry. Violence is certainly a key exploitation within this film. "Mad Max was released to a mixture of acclaim and disgust. A famous article by Philip Adams, titled The Dangerous Pornography of Death aired the opinion that Miller’s debut would appeal to “rapists, sadists, child-murderers and incipient Mansons”. (Conterio, 2017)
Bibliography:
Kyle Smith (2015) Why 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is the feminist picture of the year
https://nypost.com/2015/05/14/why-mad-max-fury-road-is-the-feminist-picture-of-the-year/
(Accessed on 19/11/17)
Martyn Conterio (2017) Mad Max: from the Ozploitation wilderness to the mainstream
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/mad-max-australian-cinema-ozploitation
(Accessed on 19/11/17)
The Grindhouse Cinema Database (2017) Ozploitation: Exploitation From Down Under
https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Ozploitation:_Exploitation_From_Down_Under
(Accessed on 19/11/17)
Illustration List:
Figure 1 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=4JkRWoqRBYqUaMeug-gI&q=mad+max+2015+&oq=mad+max+2015+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.50715.65996.0.68429.3.2.1.0.0.0.115.213.1j1.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.216...0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.hWbkMMFtkfc#imgrc=mgDH7z_SqOHL3M:
(Accessed 19.11.17)
Figure 2 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Ozploitation+Mad+Max&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiM0cKg-crXAhUEnRoKHZnoCCMQ_AUICygC&biw=1536&bih=759#imgrc=nvHfrT_a1IurDM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)
Figure 3 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=v5YRWtikLMT7auiPl7gB&q=mad+max+2015+wives&oq=mad+max+2015+wives&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0.110704.111683.0.112735.6.6.0.0.0.0.382.870.2-2j1.3.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..3.3.870...0i24k1.0.6hqP6ZFNvGw#imgrc=tglLhq4hxjCUnM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)
Figure 4 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=4JkRWoqRBYqUaMeug-gI&q=mad+max+2015+&oq=mad+max+2015+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.50715.65996.0.68429.3.2.1.0.0.0.115.213.1j1.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.216...0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.hWbkMMFtkfc#imgrc=rivxcoqB_s8qFM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)
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