Last Friday I attended the showing of Mad Max in Rose Main. I had never seen the film before, and was thus surprised by the societal commentary present. The depiction of the primitive law, and the way in which people conduct themselves in a post-nuclear society spoke to certain sociological implications of human nature and formation of society.

Specifically, the Thunderdome and “break a deal, spin the wheel” laws were interesting in their basis in retributive justice, which we have started to stray away from currently as a society. It was incredibly interesting to see the way in which the film explained the formation/need for order in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic society. Another component of the commentary I found interesting was the society of children who believed Mad Max was their deity figure. This scene in particular said much about the formation of religion, and has interesting implications for the way in which information can be distorted through generations to form a mythology, in addition to the way in which religion is a product of disastrous circumstances.

Overall, I found the film entertaining and interesting from an ethnographic point of view. The film’s setting really makes you think about the way our own society would degrade and rebuild in the case of such a circumstance.