Mad Max, 1982
Tom Beauvais
Belgian Small Format Film Poster
21 x 14 in. (54.5 x 37 cm.)
Backed on linen
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Further images
Making a bold visual statement with a clean and straightforward design, this small-format poster for the first Belgian release of George Miller's groundbreaking 1979 pre-apocalyptic action thriller Mad Max utilises...
Making a bold visual statement with a clean and straightforward design, this small-format poster for the first Belgian release of George Miller's groundbreaking 1979 pre-apocalyptic action thriller Mad Max utilises the same superb Tom Beauvais artwork created for the British campaign posters, which draws us in as we look down the twin-barrels of a shotgun. As noted by Sim Brannaghan in his 2006 book on British Film Posters, the Beauvais design strips "the film down to its basic elements of cop, the car & the road".
Set in a bleak dystopian near-future Australia veering towards societal collapse due to critical petrol shortages, the influential film starred a little-known Mel Gibson in the titular role as a police officer turned vigilante when his family are murdered by a sadistic biker gang. Essentially a revenge western meets apocalyptic road movie, the film's sparse dialogue made way for a kinetic combination of visceral action sequences, chaotic car chases and an other-worldly visual style, hinting at the barren wastelands we would see in later films. Shot on a shoestring budget of $400,000 Australian dollars, Mad Max became a cult hit, earning more than US$100 million at the box office, making it the most profitable film ever made at the time, and kicked off a wildly successful franchise that has given rise to three sequels, with a fourth in the works.
Condition
Excellent (A-)
Conservation backed on linen. Backing has smoothed and diminished one horizontal fold. Light surface wear and faint colour transfer to fold line. Three tiny pinholes to each corner. A couple of light creases to white ground. Image and colours otherwise excellent.