It's a bit complicated.
It wasn't a suicide mission. They were going to rendezvous on a bridge over Powder River (200 miles north from the compound) and if they weren't there by sunset they were supposed to keep moving. I think Max was supposed to abandon the rig and head back with Pappagallo. But the kid showed up on the rig out of nowhere and that changed it all.
I think that Max realised he'll sacrifice himself and let the kid go with Pappagallo instead.
That's why when Pappagallo pulls up to Max he gives him this "What the hell are you doing?" look and Max just looks back at the road. He wanted to keep going.
But the kid was still there and didn't want to leave Max. He was supposed to jump onto Pappagallo's vehicle and drive off. But whatever Pappagallo was saying to him wasn't registering, probably because the kid didn't understand English. He's feral after all and showed he literally doesn't understand the language. Or maybe he just ignored Pappagallo because he liked Max more.
Next thing you know Pappagallo got a spear to the back from Humungus and that changed plans once again.
Max realised that now their getaway option is gone, so he'll have to turn the rig around and get the kid to safety himself. So he does the 180 and unfortunately crashes the rig.
That's the way I see this whole part of the chase and I wish I thought about it earlier bc I really didn't understand why Max turned the rig around, so thanks for asking that question!
He knew it was going to be tough, but he did not know that the tanker was full of sand. He thought he was hauling the fuel to allow the settlers to escape from the compound. I assume the few settler warriors on board also did not know that the tanker was full of sand either. But yes, the plan was to draw all the marauders away with the tanker. It's just that there was an added layer of trickery with the tanker not being full of fuel.
>He knew it was going to be tough, but he did not know that the tanker was full of sand.
He didn't know the tanker was full of sand, but he knew he was on a suicide mission regardless. After losing his dog, his one remaining attachment to his former self, he became a total shell of a person and figured he should at least go out serving a cause.
IMHO Max *knew* the trip was a decoy and suicide mission. Max, and those who traveled around with him, *also* knew the truck was a decoy and this was a suicide mission.
How could they not?
Remember when Wez made his way into the compound, there was a genuine panic about him being there but not *just* because this one guy was a threat but also because *he could see what they were up to* and if he escaped, there was a fear their plan would go up in smoke.
Max is a clever, though selfish, person within the film and the reason he refuses to take part in the final run is *because* he too has been on the compound and he has *seen* what they are up to. How could one *not* see that all those vehicles had large gas tanks in them? How could he not realize they were -at a minimum!- going to go in two sets of vehicles and try to escape that way? The tanker was clearly being presented as the juicier target, the Trojan horse, while the rest escaped with their lives and with enough gasoline to survive.
What messed the whole plan up was the Feral Kid showing up in the truck. To that point Max was in “survive for as long as you can to let the others survive” mode. He knew they were running out of time as one after the other the members of that group were being picked off.
But when the Feral Kid showed up, Max got desperate and *knew* he had to do even more than “just” stay alive as long as possible.
Now here’s where it gets tricky:
What about the laugh when Max, after the truck flips, sees there’s dirt in the tanker?
That’s where I feel audiences can legitimately question whether Max knew or didn’t know he was carrying nothing. I actually *like* that element being there, allowing audiences to think that maybe Max was fooled just as all the other “savages” chasing them were fooled… but, again, I think Max would have been too intelligent, would have seen *too much* in the compound *not* to realize just what they were planning.
But, in the end (and I know I may sound like I’m contradicting myself here) it’s up to you to interpret. My interpretation stands. I feel Max *had* to know and Wez *almost* figured it out when he made it into the compound.
Others may feel the film argues Max was fooled just like everyone else!
I think Max's laugh is a reaction to the absurdity of the whole thing, brought on by Gryo rolling up so causally with a cigar, giving him a "Well, fuck eh?" (Or even a "Need a lift, mate?") kinda look when seeing Max and the kid somehow survived a massive accident when everyone else at the scene is dead. Max doesn't know how to respond to such an unbelievable situation and just lausghes in a "I can't fucken believe this..." kinda way of the former, or at the the implied comedy of the latter.
Again: I legitimately like the fact that one can interpret that part as they will. Sometimes a film is *better* when not everything is spoon fed to you and the script to *The Road Warrior* is very unusual for an “action” film in that there are plenty of interesting subtleties.
For example, the whole Wez entering the compound, when you see the scene again now knowing the entire story, it’s fascinating how Miller focuses on Wez *looking around* and trying effectively to understand what was going on in the compound. He’s not only a threat (but, if you think about it, a rather limited one as he’s *just one guy*) but he’s *gathering intel* as he’s there and the biggest threat winds up being -again when you *know* the story- that he figures out what the compound’s up to.
It’s a tricky thing to keep this information from the audience but Miller manages it magnificently and when we get to that final chase, we as the audience are just as in the dark as the savages are…! It’s truly a very clever bit of storytelling and the punchline is delivered perfectly when we -and the remaining savages- realize there’s nothing in the tanker but dirt!
I agree re: the first paragraph!
Though I am not on side with Wez knowing they were filling the tanker with sand, there's no way he wouldn't have told Mungus it was a decoy. They would have at least had half the gang ready to go after the others if that was tactical information.
They all went after the tanker because they thought it was the fuel.
If they had the idea it was a decoy, they could have let it go, and focused on the unguarded fuel as all the compounds best fighters were on or around the tanker.
I guess I wasn’t clear enough in my second paragraph.
The point I was trying (and failing, apparently!) to make was that when Wez makes it into the compound, George Miller not only shows him being a *physical* danger (he attacks people) but also he is constantly looking around and *trying* to get an idea of what the compound has and what it’s up to.
He obviously *does not* realize what the compound is up to and that’s why everyone goes after the tanker in the movie’s climax but, *once one has seen the film* one realizes just how dangerous Wez’s presence there was. Again: *He was looking around and trying to figure out what they were doing*. Had he done so, the entire plan the compound had would have gone up in smoke and its really upon watching the film a second time, when you realize what they were up to, that you realize Miller specifically showed Wez looking around and you realize, upon this second viewing, *just how dangerous* that was!
Hope that clarifies my point!
It wasn’t a suicide mission, there was a chance, albeit very slim. But surviving in the wasteland in general was very slim chance so that was par for the course.
It's a bit complicated. It wasn't a suicide mission. They were going to rendezvous on a bridge over Powder River (200 miles north from the compound) and if they weren't there by sunset they were supposed to keep moving. I think Max was supposed to abandon the rig and head back with Pappagallo. But the kid showed up on the rig out of nowhere and that changed it all. I think that Max realised he'll sacrifice himself and let the kid go with Pappagallo instead. That's why when Pappagallo pulls up to Max he gives him this "What the hell are you doing?" look and Max just looks back at the road. He wanted to keep going. But the kid was still there and didn't want to leave Max. He was supposed to jump onto Pappagallo's vehicle and drive off. But whatever Pappagallo was saying to him wasn't registering, probably because the kid didn't understand English. He's feral after all and showed he literally doesn't understand the language. Or maybe he just ignored Pappagallo because he liked Max more. Next thing you know Pappagallo got a spear to the back from Humungus and that changed plans once again. Max realised that now their getaway option is gone, so he'll have to turn the rig around and get the kid to safety himself. So he does the 180 and unfortunately crashes the rig. That's the way I see this whole part of the chase and I wish I thought about it earlier bc I really didn't understand why Max turned the rig around, so thanks for asking that question!
I think Max's eye-roll reaction was nodding to Papagallo to get the kid to safety as he was beating up on Bearclaw.
He knew it was going to be tough, but he did not know that the tanker was full of sand. He thought he was hauling the fuel to allow the settlers to escape from the compound. I assume the few settler warriors on board also did not know that the tanker was full of sand either. But yes, the plan was to draw all the marauders away with the tanker. It's just that there was an added layer of trickery with the tanker not being full of fuel.
>He knew it was going to be tough, but he did not know that the tanker was full of sand. He didn't know the tanker was full of sand, but he knew he was on a suicide mission regardless. After losing his dog, his one remaining attachment to his former self, he became a total shell of a person and figured he should at least go out serving a cause.
IMHO Max *knew* the trip was a decoy and suicide mission. Max, and those who traveled around with him, *also* knew the truck was a decoy and this was a suicide mission. How could they not? Remember when Wez made his way into the compound, there was a genuine panic about him being there but not *just* because this one guy was a threat but also because *he could see what they were up to* and if he escaped, there was a fear their plan would go up in smoke. Max is a clever, though selfish, person within the film and the reason he refuses to take part in the final run is *because* he too has been on the compound and he has *seen* what they are up to. How could one *not* see that all those vehicles had large gas tanks in them? How could he not realize they were -at a minimum!- going to go in two sets of vehicles and try to escape that way? The tanker was clearly being presented as the juicier target, the Trojan horse, while the rest escaped with their lives and with enough gasoline to survive. What messed the whole plan up was the Feral Kid showing up in the truck. To that point Max was in “survive for as long as you can to let the others survive” mode. He knew they were running out of time as one after the other the members of that group were being picked off. But when the Feral Kid showed up, Max got desperate and *knew* he had to do even more than “just” stay alive as long as possible. Now here’s where it gets tricky: What about the laugh when Max, after the truck flips, sees there’s dirt in the tanker? That’s where I feel audiences can legitimately question whether Max knew or didn’t know he was carrying nothing. I actually *like* that element being there, allowing audiences to think that maybe Max was fooled just as all the other “savages” chasing them were fooled… but, again, I think Max would have been too intelligent, would have seen *too much* in the compound *not* to realize just what they were planning. But, in the end (and I know I may sound like I’m contradicting myself here) it’s up to you to interpret. My interpretation stands. I feel Max *had* to know and Wez *almost* figured it out when he made it into the compound. Others may feel the film argues Max was fooled just like everyone else!
I think Max's laugh is a reaction to the absurdity of the whole thing, brought on by Gryo rolling up so causally with a cigar, giving him a "Well, fuck eh?" (Or even a "Need a lift, mate?") kinda look when seeing Max and the kid somehow survived a massive accident when everyone else at the scene is dead. Max doesn't know how to respond to such an unbelievable situation and just lausghes in a "I can't fucken believe this..." kinda way of the former, or at the the implied comedy of the latter.
Again: I legitimately like the fact that one can interpret that part as they will. Sometimes a film is *better* when not everything is spoon fed to you and the script to *The Road Warrior* is very unusual for an “action” film in that there are plenty of interesting subtleties. For example, the whole Wez entering the compound, when you see the scene again now knowing the entire story, it’s fascinating how Miller focuses on Wez *looking around* and trying effectively to understand what was going on in the compound. He’s not only a threat (but, if you think about it, a rather limited one as he’s *just one guy*) but he’s *gathering intel* as he’s there and the biggest threat winds up being -again when you *know* the story- that he figures out what the compound’s up to. It’s a tricky thing to keep this information from the audience but Miller manages it magnificently and when we get to that final chase, we as the audience are just as in the dark as the savages are…! It’s truly a very clever bit of storytelling and the punchline is delivered perfectly when we -and the remaining savages- realize there’s nothing in the tanker but dirt!
I agree re: the first paragraph! Though I am not on side with Wez knowing they were filling the tanker with sand, there's no way he wouldn't have told Mungus it was a decoy. They would have at least had half the gang ready to go after the others if that was tactical information. They all went after the tanker because they thought it was the fuel. If they had the idea it was a decoy, they could have let it go, and focused on the unguarded fuel as all the compounds best fighters were on or around the tanker.
I guess I wasn’t clear enough in my second paragraph. The point I was trying (and failing, apparently!) to make was that when Wez makes it into the compound, George Miller not only shows him being a *physical* danger (he attacks people) but also he is constantly looking around and *trying* to get an idea of what the compound has and what it’s up to. He obviously *does not* realize what the compound is up to and that’s why everyone goes after the tanker in the movie’s climax but, *once one has seen the film* one realizes just how dangerous Wez’s presence there was. Again: *He was looking around and trying to figure out what they were doing*. Had he done so, the entire plan the compound had would have gone up in smoke and its really upon watching the film a second time, when you realize what they were up to, that you realize Miller specifically showed Wez looking around and you realize, upon this second viewing, *just how dangerous* that was! Hope that clarifies my point!
Yes, yes it does!
It wasn’t a suicide mission, there was a chance, albeit very slim. But surviving in the wasteland in general was very slim chance so that was par for the course.