INT.PAPPAGALLO'S TE~T. DUSK.
(C)GeorgeMiller&ByronKennedy KennedyMillerE'ntertainnentPty.Ltd. G.P .0.Box1519 Sydney NewSouthWales 2001 AUSI'RALIA
BLACK AND WHI'l'EACADEMYPORHA'l'
Flurriesof dust and sandswirl around us•$ we move throughan eerie, barren lsnd. 'l'heonlysoundis the bowl ofa rising wind.
Ahead somethinglooms out ofthe storm. Aswe approach we see thatit is the rustingremains of• massive oil pump.
'l'hewinddropsto be replacedby the voice ofa very old man. 'l'hisistheNarrator:
NARRA'l'ORv/o 'l'bevisiondims•ndall tbat remainsare memories. ..;;,. 'l'hegtakemeback - backto theplace where the black pumpsucked guzzolenefrom theearth.••
Out of the dust stormemerges the ancientwreck of a prime mover andfuel tanker. Itis partly charred,its wheelsand sides studdedwith metal crossbowbolts.
NARRATO~ v/o And I remembertJ,eterrible battle we fought- the day we left thatplace forever..•
A warrior,dressed in leatherand steel,ytands on a hillcrest. This is HAX. Behind him isa strange road vehi~le: two enginesand a seat mountedon a chass.is.
NARRATOR v/o But, most of all,I remember
~o understandwho he wasyou must goback to the lastdags of theold world...
•..storma heavilg-for.tifiedembassgandraise the Iranianflag.
•.•ona beach in the PersianGulf and fighttheir way acrossthe sand.
NARRATORv/o ..•when,for reasonsloni forgotten, two mightgwarrior nations went to war•..
•.•and thenanother••• and another.
Plumes of flameburst across theskgline.
• .•stretchesEarblocksuntil it finallyreaches agas stat.ion.
An•ttendant pulls downa &ign which re•ds:
arareplaces .itwith anothersign:
AUTHORISED VEHICLESONLY
A groupof ~ngrg motoristsgather around, gelling and pushing.
The attendar.tproduces•gun motioning t~amback..•
..•are gellingand shoving.
Torn up scriplitters the Eloor••.
The company's crest.ischi!!elledonthe Willl. It is accompaniedby the words:
On the floor below,beyond the marblepillars, we see thebuilding is abandoned- litteredwith broken furniture and pilesof documents.
We pass througha door designated:
At the otherend of the imposingroom we see a bus.inessmancleazingout h.isvast:leslc.Bis nam.!'is PAPPAGALLO. Onthe wall behind himwe see photo- graphs and paintingsof oil wellsand refineries.
PAPPAGALLO takesa wad of maps andputs them in his briefcase, followedby a copy of "WholeEarth Catalogue" and•nother book. Thecover reads:
TEACH YOURSELFSOLAR ENERGY
An ANXIOUS FAMILYis gathered in frontof a television set. A politican addressesthe nation.
Thespeech is cut shortas static~ills the screen.
Thefam.ilylooks upat the lights as theyflicker..•
•.•anxiousfaces look upas the street lights fl.ickoff.
It is dark, decaying,•ilent.•.
NARRATOR v/o Peoplestopped in the st~eets andlistened: for thefirst time theyheard the soundof •ilence.
A terrible scream•••11YOUNG HAN runsdown the street••• a shotis fired.
TheYOUNG HAN fallsdead••• crush.ingthemeat 11na eggs he has been clutchingto his chest•••
NARRATOR v/o Their worldcrumbled..•
Banknotes, blown by thewind, flutter towardsa storedummy, lying smashedon the road..•
A ratemerges from theback of the mannequin'sskull and scurriesaway as wehedr the roar ofa big engine.
The widewheels of a bigcar crush the dummy. As the vehicleroars down the streetit 1s followedby two big bikes•.•
NARRATORv/o And only thosemobile enough to scavenge, brutalenough to pillage would survive.
(THE FOLLOWINGIS ALL FOOTAGEFROM HAD HAXI)
lr.. A GROUPOF,OUTLAW BIKERS,••
••.leapfrbm a hillside ontothe roof of• moving fuel tanker. They pass a hoseineo the eank.••
NARRATORv/o Ae lase, the verminbad inherited the earth.
•..swarm arounda car and 6tartto back it to pieces.
le. A SERIES OF RAPIDLYDISSOLVING IMAGES.
Speeding cars,speeding bikes, crashingvans, crashing policecars, crashjng bikes,brawls, smashed windows,explosions.
NARRATOR v/o And in thismaelstrom ofdecay, ordinarymen were batteredand crushed•••
NARRATOR v/o ••·.menlikethe Warrior Max..•
•••witha woman - JESSIEand their child.
••.througha wheat field. He catches her. They tumbleon the ground laughing.
lx. MAX EMBRACESJESSIE.
NARRATORv/o ...whointhe roar ofan engine, lost everything.••
JESSIE carryingthe child, scramblesfrom her var. and runs downthe road. A GANGOF OUTLAW BIKERS run them down•••the child's ballbou~ces down the road.
MAX runs towardstheir bodies...
lz. SILHOUETTED ON AHILLSIDE GRAVEYARD. lz.
MAX stands lookingdown at two headstones..•
MAX fuels the blazewith the remnantsof his past life: children's toys; photo albums; his police badge.
•..turnstb camera, wild-eyed...
NARRATORv/o And became ashell of a man. A burnt out,desolate man, a dead man, runningfrom the demons of his past. A man who wanderedfar away.•• out into the wasteland... DISSOLVE:.
The superchargeron thefront of the vehjcle dominatesthe foreground.
NARRATORv/o And it was outhere, in thjs' bljghted place, thathe learned to liveagajn...
THE SCREENWIDENS TO ANAMORPHICRATIO.
We soaralong the empty highway,upand down its rises andaround its curvesuntil we are outin the vastwasteland.
The blackhole of the superchargerdominates the frame. Behindthe wheel we seeMAX looking about 3 years older. He is gaunt,unkempt - hjs leathers tattered andtorn.
The black-on-blackpursuit car,bearing the scarsof numerous roadduels, cruises down theroller coaster highway.
As MAXcrests a hill he hits thebrakes. His companion, a mongrel DOG, sittingin a baby'sauto seat, li.fts its bead to look.
The black-on-blackslides to astop.
On a ridge closeto the road, silhouettedin a dust-blown field, is a strangeassortmentof WARRIO'.tLIKE MEN. They are cannibalisinga farm vehicle: siphonin; its fuel and loadingfood and other lootinto their bizarre vehicles.
The DOG growls. MAX looks furtheralong the ridge. On the hor:.zonwe seea burningwooden sjack and three bodies strungfrom a gnarled,dead tree.
MAXlooks back tothe MEN. Severalof them, havingseen him, are runningto their vehicles.
The first of them i.samuscular man witha red mohawk haircut. He is heavilyprotectedby a leather and metal chest plate,shoulder pads andleggings. This isWEZ.
He runsto where a GOLDENYOUTHsits oo thepillion seat ofa huge bike.
WEZ isfollowed by TWO MOREMOHAWKERS oo bikes,THREE GAYBOYBERSERKERS io road racers aod FOURSMEGMA CRAZIESio bizarre dunebuggies. '
MAX gunsthe big motor. The black-on-blacktakes off. MAX bi tsthesupercharger- surgi.ogaway.
Throughthe rear window wesee WEZ lead theother oioe vehiclesdown the hill, givingchase...
5. ELSEWHEREON THE HIGHWAY. (A LITTLE LATER). DAY. 5.
High anglehelicopter shotof the chase, The Marauders'vehicles are strungdown the highway. Only the fastest,led by Wez,can keep up with the black-on-black.
The black-on-blacksurges arounda wide curve, revealing onlythree vehiclesstill io pursuit.
The first machineis Wez's bigroad bike, the GOLDENYOUTH ridingpillion. Itis followed by a bizarre roa1 raceraod a strangedune buggy.
As the black-on-blackcrests arise MAX is confronted by a tangle ofwrecked vehicleson the road ahead.
He swerves, slalomsthrough thewrecks and accelerates i.ntoa sweepingright hand curve.
WEZ ramps hisbike over the firstwreck and corrects, avoiding the otherwrecks.
The road racer rampstwo wheelsover the first wreck but cannot correct. It clips thesecond wreck, sends it spinning, thencontinues afterthe black-on-black.
The dune buggy decidesto avoi.dthewrecks al together aod veers off theroad to the right. It.heads across open terrain aimingto intercept theblaek-oo-black on the curve.
A lightflashes on Max'sdashboard, an alarmwhoops.
MAXlooks down at the fuelgauge: closeto empty. He cursesand flicks aswitch, cutting offthe supercharger.
Theblack-on-black slows...
TheDOG wbi.mpers,crawlsoff i.tschairandunder Max's seat.
WEZoverhauls MAX on thepassenger si.de, He raisesbis forearm,aiming bis gauntlet-stylecrossbowat MAX'S bead.
MAX barelybas time to glimpsethe road racerdrawing alongsidethe driver's door.
The passenger- a GAYBOY BERSERKER- wields abrutal,
protrudefrom a big barrel. This weapon is the 11porta-pak".
The road racerand the bike surgepast the blackcar ... just as theporta-pak fires.
Two arrowsthud into the blackcar, three go astray and one bitsWEZ in the arm.
MAXthrows the black car i.nbehindthe road racer.. .
WEZ, figh~ingto control thebike, leaves the road...
MAX cbang~s down andbits the supercharger,..
The black carleaps forward, rammi.ngintothe backof the road racer,bullying it along.
Wheels and metalscreaming, thetwo cars approach an intersection litteredwith furnitureand other debris. A road rig liesabandoned on theroadside.
MAXeases backfor a moment thenflattens the accelerator...
The black car slamsinto the backof the road racer... hurling it f6rward,just as the dunebuggy regains the highway...
Thedriver of the roadracer screams ashis vehicle hitsthe dune buggy, spinningit like a top,sending i.tcrashinginto the sideof the road rig.
Theroad racer slidesthrough a 180 degrees,rolls, smashesthrough a roadsign and hiss a powerpole.
Thepole thuds to the roadas MAX throws ahandbrtke "U"turn and skids to ahalt in the middleof the i.ntersection.
MAX,carrying a jerry can,gets out of theblack car. He looksdown the highway.
WEZ isstopped on the crestof the road, lookingdown on the intersection. The arrowis still in hisarm.
We seethe GOLDENYOUTHclearly for the-~firsttime: he is strikinglybeautiful.
MAX, unfazed ,hurries to thewreck of the dunebuggy, crushed beneaththe road rig. Fuel streams fromi.ts ruptured tank.
From insidethe wreck we hearthe moans of the injured driv€'r.
MAXputs thejerry can under theescaping fuel and- tearing a bandanafrom hi.sneck- mops up the gasolene lying on thebitumen.
Suddenly, thereis a shrill whistle.
MAXlooks upat the crest of theroad.
11. THE RISE OVERLOOKINGTHE INTERSECTION. DAY. ll.
WEZ grins as hepulls the arrow slowlyout of his arm. His eyes neverleave MAX.
He holds up thearrow and mouths thewords:
With that he puts thearrow back intohis quiver and gunsthe motor. He rea.;the frontwheel, hangs there amoment, then spinsth,,bike aroundand roars back
MAX,examines the road rig: most ofthe tyres have beenpunctured wi,tharrows,the rear doorstorn off and itscontents pillaged.
MAX tapsthe fuel tank - empty.
He reachesup to open the doorof the cabin...
There isan anguished scream. MAX turns.
The handof the dying driveremerges from thetwisted metal ofthe dune buggy.
The fingernailsscore deeplyinto the paintwork,a rush ofdark blood pours outof the wreck. Then,silence.
MAX opensthe cabin door ...
A figure dropsdown, crashingonto his shou:ders. As MAX strugglesfrom its graspwe see that it isthe bloated putrifyingcorpse ofthe rig's driver. Two crossbowbolts are buried in itsneck . ..:~ MAX stoopsand picks up a toyhurdy-gurdy whi,chbas fallen fromthe dead man's hand.
As he walksback towards theblack-on-black heturns the handle,playing the fi,rstfewnotes of "Happy Birthday".
He stops nextto the vehicle, inthe middle of the intersection. He looks from onedirection to another... undecided...and then sees thesmashed road sign.
He picks up afragment which reads:
And throws itinto the air.
It lands at h~sfeet, pointingnorth.
He gets into thecar and drivesoff in that direction.
The black-on-blacktravels slowlythrough the shimmering desert. The only soundsare the rumble of the engine and thewhistle of thewind.
As the car crestsa rise 14AXlooksahead and seesa large ki,:e- i.ntheshape of aman's grinning face- hovering abovea dune.
MAX leaves theDOG to guard the car~nd, carrying a jerry can anda tyre iron, cautiouslymakes bis way across the sand.
From the ·topof thedune MAX sees thatthe kite is tethered to an abandonedvehicle: aprimitive version of a gyrocopter- lii:tlemorethan a motor, a seat and a rotormounted on a chassis.
Aset of footprints leadsfrom the gyrocopter,up a duneand disappears ini:othedistance. ·
SlowlyMAX approachesthe vehicle, skirtingaround it, lookingfor a trap, Nothing moves exceptfor the flurriesof sand whirlingacross the dunes.
Carefully,MAXreaches up and taps the gastank: empty.
As hestraightens up, behears a low hiss.
MAX freezes. Only inchesaway a snake, coiledaround the verticalshaft of the gyro,is poised tosi:rike...
They stareat each other.
The snakestrikes..• MAX springs..,band flashing... cai:chingitby the neck.
He holdsup the snake, grinning,about to kill it,
The head andshaft of an arrowemerge from the sand behind him. It i.sfollowed bythe frame of a crossbow and a man'sface, spitting sand,a length of rubber hose clenchedin bis teeth. Thi.sis the GYRO CAPTAIN,
14AXturns. TheCAPTAIN emerges fromhis shallow grave, moti.oniogwith thecrossbow.
MAX lays the snakeoo the rotor.
He rai.seshisbow, aimingat 14AX'S head,preparing to fire.
The CAPTAINlooks quickly iothe directionof the black-on-black,aod back toMAX. He gestureswith the crossbow.
MAXthrows down the tyre ironand unhi.tchesaholster which containsa sawn-off shotgun.
The CAPTAIN slingsthe gunbeltover his stoulder.
MAX walks backwardstowards hiscar. The CAPTAIN tense, crossbowtrained on MAX, followshim across the dune.
Me? I'vegot brains.
He taps his beadas they arrive atth~ black-on-black.
MAX reaches underthe car. Hi,shandgroping for a machete clippe~to the chassis. Hisfingers wrap around the handle.
GYROCAPTAIN -~ A fe11a- a quick fella -might keep aweapon under there.
He nuzzles.the bowagainst the backof MAX'S head.
MAXslides bis hand away,disconnects iseries of mechani,calfuses andshows them to theCAPTAIN. He moves to open the driver'sdoor. The CAPTAIN reactsquickly, raisinghis bow, motjoningMAX back.
TheCAPTAIN, keeping thecrossbow trainedon MAX'S head,opens the door.
The DOG fliesout, leapi.ngforthe CAPTAIN'S throat. The crossbowdischarges,narrowly missingMAXas he hurls himselfat the CAPTAIN. The steel arrowburies itself inthe car door.
MAXpins the CAPTAIN to theground and recovershis shotgun.
MAXcocks the gun nextto the CAPTAIN'S bead.
MAXeases off the trigger.
MAX ramsthe barrel againstthe CAPTAIN'S head.
MAXdrags himto his feet andpushes him towardsthe black-on-black.
MAX is dri.vingtheblack-on-blackwhile theCAPTAIN sits rigidin the passenger'sseat. The muzzleof the shotgunis strapped tothe back of his headand the stockfastened to the topof the seat. • A lengthof wire runs from thetriggers acrossto the DOG sittingin the rear of thecar. The endof the wire is claspedfirmly in itsmouth.
The CAPTAIN, notdaring to takehis eyes off theDOG directs MAXalong back roadsto an area of high country.
The DOG'S eyesdart out thewindow. He whimpers,body twitching.
The CAPTAIN staresi.nhorror ata rabbit boundingthrough the scrub.
MAX smilesto himself.
The DOG settlesback.
1B. A CLIFFTOP OVERLOOKINGTHE COMPOUND. DAY.
MAXmoves towardsthe cliff edge. A column of smoke rises into thesky, accompaniedby a garble of distant sounds: policesirens; car horns; men screaming; war-whoops; and revving motors.
The GYRO CAPTAIN- manacled and guardedby the DOG- hobbles alongbehind MAX.
From the top ofthe cliff MAXlooks down an a battle raging on theplain below.
A fortified encampment,surroundedby a wide ditch and coils of barbedwire, is underattack by a large gang of MARAUDERS: MOHAWK BIKERS,SMEGMA CRAZIES in dune buggies, andGfYBOY BERSERKERSin road racers.
They attack alonga road which passesthrough an area- outside the fortifications- whichis under cultivation. Three wooden workhuts, a small barnand a corral containing severalcows and a horseare dotted arounda newly-ploughed field.
As the Marauders'vehicles come withinrange of the compound, they streamaround the perimeter,firing crossbows at theDEFENDERSranged alongthe battlements.
MAX unhooks an oldpair of binoculars fromthe equipmentbelt aroundhis.~aist.
Throughthe binocularsMAX sees a weird dunebuggy chargingtowards tbe camp. He recognisesthe two bizarreoccupants as membersof the ganghe encounteredsacking the farmletthe daybefore.
The dunebuggy races alonga causeway whichspans the ditch,heading for a yellowschool bus whichblocks the gateof tbe camp. ThePASSENGERin thebuggy firesa string of arrows froma multi-barrelgas-gun.
A WARRIORWOMAN on thebattlement, armed witha flame- thrower,hits the buggywith a stream of liquidfire.
The blazingvehicle plungesinto the ditch. Ittumbles into anotherwreck whichmet a similar fate -its tyres stillsmouldering.
MAX panshis binocu::.arstotheinterior of tbecompound.
He seesa large mechanicalpump drawing theoil from the groundand a primitive fractionat~ngcolumnused to refine it.
A DEFENDERfiring from the refinerytower is struckby an arrow. He falls over theguard rail, wherea dead companionhangs over theedge, suspendedby his foot.
The soundof an a.mplifiedvoicedraws MAX'S attention. He swi.ngsthebinoculars around:
A huge, muscularman - his facecovered b, a metal mask - si.tsina bizarre six-wheeledvehicle. He uses a microphoneto shout ordersto the MARAUDERS, directing thecourse of the battle. This man is the HUMUNGUS.
Beside him, i.stheMohawk Biker calle.dWEZ. He sits astride hi.sbike,the GOLDENYOUTHclinging to his waist. He speakswith HUMUNGUS,pointing, sweeping his hand.
The GYRO CAPTAIN isbecoming moreagitated.
14AXdrops the binoculars.
The CAPTAIN offershis wrists to be unmanacled.
MAXgets to his feetand hauls the GYROCAPTAIN to anearby tree stump.
MAXstarts to chain himto the stump.
14AX The contractwas: I wouldn't killyou.
TheGYROCAPTAIN turns angry,protesti.ng.
MAXpushes the shotgun closeto his face.
The CAPTAINshuts up.
MAXtests the chain. Thesounds of the battlecontinue.
MAXhas settled in. He sitsunder a small camouflage canopy. His binoculars are fixedon a tripod fashionedfrom sticks.
The DOG liesnearby. Furtheraway the GYROCAPTAIN is tetheredto the tree stump,on a short leash.
The black caris covered by acamouflage net.
MAX leansback from his binoculars,takes a canof dog food froma pack and beginsto open it.
The DOG pri.cksuphis ears.
The GYROCAPTAIN watches as MAXunwraps a velvetcloth to reveal abeautiful silver fork.
The revvingof engines wafts upfrom below.
MAX, spooningthe food i.ntohismouth, leans forward to his binoculars.
The MARAUDERS haveformed a bridgeof car wrecks across the di.tchnear a lessdefendedsectionofthe compound.
At WEZ'S signal threebikes ride atthe bridge of wrecks. Two of themare bit almost immedi.atelybutthe third rides overthe wrecks and attemptsto ramp i.nto the compound. .,::-.
The bike flies throughthe air... andbounces into tbe wire. The RIDER sailsover the fence intothe compound where he is set uponby THREE DEFENDERS.
MAXwolfs down his meal.
The GYROCAPTAIN and theDOG lick their lipsin unison.
MAX tossesthe can and itsremains to theDOG.
The CAPTAIN groansas theDOG buries i.tsmuzzlei.nto the can. The CAPTAIN i.nchesovertowards theDOG.
From the clifftop,we see the lightsin the compound come on. A searchlightweaves acrossthe wasteland.
The only sound isthe "kac:hunk!kachunk! "of the huge oil pump.
The battle has reacheda stalemate. The DEFENDERS and the ATTACKERSwatch each otheracross "no man's land'". Sc. 25. Cont...
Smoulderingwrecks and deadbodies litterthe ditch.
The animalsin the corralhave been slaughtered.
MAX is slumpedagainst a rock.
The GYROCAPTAIN rings his fingeraround the dogfood can and licksit clean.
YAX sitsup a~ the sound of abugle.
The MARAUDERSkick over their engines,fanning across the area undercultivation, tearingup the ploughed field.
As they pullback to the high groundsurrounding the camp, they·setfire to the farmhuts and drag off the carcasses of thedead animals.
The fires blazefiercely o~ thJ darkeningplain.
Tracking close onMAXas he sleeps.
The DOG sit~ing nextto him is on hisfeet growling atthe sound of vehiclesfrom the plainbelow.
MAXwakes, alert·,lookingdown.
Below,three compoundvehicles are fanningout across theplain.·
TheMARAUDERS campedon the rise rousethemselves.,. climbingaboard theirvehicles.
TheGYROCAPTAIN, tethered to the stump,strains at hischain but cannot getclose enough tothe edge to see ...
MAX ignoreshim, concantratingon the situationbelow.
The bulk oft~,eMARAUDERS havesplit into threegroups each chasinga camp vehicle offinto the wasteland. The HU!,lUNGUSleadsoneof the groups. Four MARAUDERS, camped on apinnacle, keep watchon the camp.
Suddenly a.nethervehicleburstsout of the ca.mp a.nd speeds acrossthe plain towardsMAX'S clifftop. It passes out ofsight a.roundtheback of the hill.
MAX hurries frombis canopy acrossthe other side of the hilltop.
MAX looks past theblack-on-black,to where the lone compound vehicle hasachieved the bitumen.
Suddenly,three Mohawkbikes and a towtruck emerge from behind a rockyoutcrop. Led byWEZ, they fire arrows into the tyresand smash thewindscreen.
The compound vehicleleaves the road,rolling...
Asthe GYRO CAPTAIN crawlsto his side,MAX raises his binoculars...
Thebloodied driver isbeing dragged from thewreck by T\l'OMOHAWKERS.The otherscannibalise thevehicle and siphonoff its fuel. Another occupantemerges from thetwisted metal andtries to crawl away ... It is aYOUNG WOhlAN.
The GYRO CAPTAIN seesher andfumbles urgently for something deepin the pocketsof his great-coat.
He producesa large telescopewhich is attached to his waist bya leather cord.
Through thecracked lens of thetelescope we see two of theMOHAWKERS draggingthe woman to the roadside.
MAX looks aroundto see the GYROCAPTAIN'S telescope and grabs it. The GYRO CAPTAIN, protesting,picksup the less-powerfulbinoculars.
MAX lifts t:ietelescope.
The GOLDENYOUTHis sitting onone of the bikes. The POV whip pansacross the wreck wheretwo MOHAWKERS have pushed thebadly injured driverup to the car panel. WEZ firesan arrow into theman's shoulder, pinning it tothe panel.
Methodically, hereloads and firesanother pin intothe man's other shoulder.
MAXpans the telescopeto where thethree MOHAWKERS hold the STRUGGLINGWOMAN. At WEZ'S signalthey start to tear the woman'sclothes away ...
Track i.nas theGYROCAPTAIN and MAXwatch through the binoculars andtelescope.
Camera tightens furtherto the GYROCAPTAIN. His face reacts to thehorror below.
MAXdrops his head ...hiseyes closingmomentarily. The noise of vehiclesstarting belowbreaks the moment.
He lifts the telescopeand pans to oneside.
The.:elescopelens findsall the MOHAWKERSexcept one backon tbeir vehicles. They ride off ledby WEZ...
Whi,leMAXhas the telescopetrained on thedeparting vehiclesthe GYROCAPTAIN has the bi,nocularsonthe WOMAN.
MAXwhips his telescope around...
The lensfinds the remainingMOHAWKER now standing back fromthe prostrate girl. He is loadinghis crossbow...
MAX has droppedthe telescopeand is on his feet runni,ngdownto the black-on-black, The DOG isat his heels.
The black-on-blackroars off,..
We track lowpast the dead girl'sface towards theback of the MOHAWKER.He is sittingon a wheel pullingon his trousers.
Close to hisback, the camera.stops.
He turns, lookingup.
MAX, carrying apair of bolt cuttersis hurrying towards him.
The MOHAWKERgrabs for bis crossbow.
MAX'S footstamps down, pinningbis wrist... Ssswisb! thebolt cutters swingdown ...onto the Mobawker's bead.
Tears streamdown the COMPOUNDMAN'S face.
As MAX walksup to him we seethat be is bleeding badly. Hisname is NATHAN.
l,!AX Let'sget this straight. I'mdoing it 'cos I need fuel.
MAX takes the boltcutters and insertsthem between the man and the panel. He cuts away thefirst arrow, then the second.
The supercharger screamsas MAX racestowards the compound.
NATHAN is slipping intounconsciousness.
MAX grabs him by thesh6ulder, shakinghim.
Angle down onthe plain.
The black-on-blackapproachestbe burnt out huts.
A GAYBOY BERSERKERstands up intoframe in theextreme foreground. '
He is joinedby TWOOTHER MARAUDERS.
The GAYBOY BERSERKERgrabs a hand-mirrorand flashesa signal across thewasteland.
From a far hill,we see the answeringflash.
Crane down f::-omahi.ghangleon theblack-on-black as i.tapproachesthe ca.mp. As the cameraachieves a smouldering hut we seea small animal-like figure stalking thevehicle.
Tracking closer we seethat it is awild-looking child, about 8 yearsold. He is dressedin dog skins andcarries a chromeboomerang. On onehand he wears what looks like a catcher'smitt: a leatherglove reinforcedwith steelplates. This isthe FERAL KID.
Beforewe get too closethe boy scurri(;!Si.ntoalarge rabbitwarren.
Long lowangle on the compound. Its defenderswai.t on thebarricades, the crackingtower and '.:he catwalk.
The blackcar stops justoutside crossbow ~ange- about twenty yardsshort of thecompound. ·
In extremeforeground, theFERAL BOY'S headpops up fr6m anotherrabbit hole closerto the compound.
He ducksdown out of sightwhen the car dooropens.
High angleon MAXas he stepsout of the carwith NATHANacross his shoulders.
MAXcarries no weapons and ashe steps up to camera, he raises hisarms high...
A woman on thebarricade beginsscreaming. Hername is BIG REBECCA.
A man on thecatwalk ordersthe gate to be opene:i.
MAX hurriesalong the causeway...
The FERAL KIDcomes out of therabbit warren and begins to followMAX.
A trail ofblood drips from theinjured man ontothe causeway...
As ~!AXapproachesthe camp the oldfella•;·schoolbus is pulled aside.
The WAllHIOl!wo:,IANemeri;:es,c:·ossbowreac!,,keepingit trained on MAX.
She ii;followP.dbyanother defender·":.;theMECHANlC'S ASSISTANT - pullinga strange mE:chanisedcrane. Suspended from thefront of thjs machineis a paraplegic. Hr is the MECHANIC.
Th<'ypns;,-;MAX.headingforthe car, revealing BIG RIIILCCA.dlstraught,running towardshim.
Si,e"iμ,,sthe man's face,caressing hir:i,asMAX walks on.
She turns and looks straightat the camp'sleader, PAPPAGALLO. He·is standin,:atthe gate, surrounded by anxious defenders.
BIGREDECC.\ Look at yourhandiwc,rk! They didn"t havea chance...
Oneof the group at the gate- a nuggety oldman callecdtheCUHMUDGEON - plai:stothe crowd, pointing atPAPPAGALLO:
As the DEFENDERSpart to let MAX throughwe see the groupincludes: ateenage couple -PISMO and ANGIE - holding each othertight; a woman BUTCHER, holding a kni.feand a rabbit; a middle agedman who looks likea FARMER; anda LUSTY young girlchewing her fi.ngernails. '
Get a primemover, he said...
He pointsto NATHAN whois being carri.edtoan old breadvan. The rear dooris open, revealingtwo hospital-stylebeds, dripstands and shelvesof medical supplies. An injured campmember occupiesone of the beds.
PAPPAGALLOignores him, addressingMAX:
In thebackground the FARMERstarts to workthe first arrow outof NATHAN'S chest.
BIG REBECCAcomforts him.
Listen: be saidif I brought him in, you'd giveme gas.
An anxiousyoung man pushes throughthe crowd,talki.ng over MAX. This is the QUIETMAN.
QUIET liAN There was a woman... inthe car ...
MAXlooks straightat him.
The man strugglesto keep hold ofhis emoti.ons.
The QUIET MANbows hishead and turnsaway. NATHAN groans. ANGIE hasthe clear plasticmask of anair vi.vadevice overNATHAN•S face. PISMO pumps airinto his lungs.
MAXturns to J:'APPAGALLO:
There's an uglymurmur of agreement.
MAX, keeping bistemper, talks toPAPPAGALLO:
The FARMERsucceeds in removing thefirst arrow. BIG REBECCArelaxes
NATHAN sputters. Blood sprays i.ntotheplastic mask. BIG REBECCAscreams. The FERAL KID lookson as the FARMERfeels for apulse: nothing.
PAPPAGALLO turnsto MAX:
But if youhad a contract, it waswith him. And it died withhim.
PAPPAGALLOt·irnson bish,eeland walksthrough the crowd,back towardshis tent.
The WARRIOR WOMAN putsa bow to MAX'S templeand shoveshim towards thegate.
THE FERAL KID,followingMAX, laughs. TheDOG snarls at the boy.
As thecrowd parts, MAXsees that the black-on-black isbeing winched throughthe gate.
The MECHANICsupervises the work.
l.!AXstiffens,furious...
WARRJO!{WOMAN prodshim with the bo11·:
\liARRIOnWOMAN Be thankful,you're still au ve.
She pushes him past thecar.
The DOG trained to protectthe vehicle beginsto g-rowl. The MECHANIC turnsto MAX:
Heholds up the detonatorsand fuse wire.
AlECH.\NlC Would've beena shame to blow it uμ.
The lasr of tl1cp11rsuitspec- ials. It's history,that's what it ls. A piuceof hi5tory...
The MECllA/;JCrunsanaffectic>nat,ahandalongthebonnc-t of 1.hecar.
Thr•DOG fliesat bim as be touchesthe car. TheDOG'S ja,,sc:hnmpontohi,;usc:1€'sslv~sthreateningtotopplehim fron tisme~hanical "crane''.
The Mf:CHA::rc•sASSif:iTANTturn,;,wieldingatyreiron, about 10batter the DOG to death...
~!P.Xi;rabshisarm,wrcnchjni;thetyre iron from hishand .. oth<-:rmenraisetheir weapons.
The head of acrossbow arrow cuts intoMAX'S neck. The DO(,,MAXand the camp peoμleare frozen, waiting for the nextmove.
WAHRIOR WOMAN,holdini;the other endof the bow, motions him torward.
Slowly MAX bendsand gathers up theDOG.
His words are lost inthe wail of a siren. A guard perched in the watchtower shouts awarning.
The yellow school busroars across, closingthe entrance.
Thecompound people runto their positionson the battlements.
A pairof manacles are lockedaround MAX'Swrists.
WARRIORWOMAN climbs to abig crossbow.~ountedabove the causeway.
The BUTCHERdrops her knifeand grabs her longbow. The rabbiton the choppingblock leaps for safety.
PAPPAGALLOmans the flame thrower. Others drawth2ir bows.
The FERAL KID followsthe rabbitdown a hole atth2 foot of thebattlement.
As MAXclimbs to a positionon the battlementsnear WARRIOR WOMANand PAPPAGALLOhe sees that the MARAUDER HORDE has gatheredin all i.tsglory.
The MARAUDER~rumble in formationover the rise:
At their heasis the Humungus machinesurroundedby a guard consisti.ngofWEZ and hisGOLDEN YOUTH on a bike, a tow truckwith TWO SKIN HEADS, aroad racer with THREE GAYBOY BERSERKERSand a dune buggy with TWO SMEGMA cr,:.AzIES.
As the advance guardapproaches throughthe dust and heat haze we seethat SIX NEAR NAKEDAND BLOODIED PEOPLE are lashedto the front ofthe vehicles.
At the big crossbow,the WARRIOR WOMANaims at the Humungus machine. One of the TWOVICTIMS, tied to the front of the l!umungusmachine,is screamingabove the awesome rumble ofmachines and sirens...
The camp peoplemoan as they recognisethe victims.
PAPPAGALLOholds up his hand, stoppingthe WARRIOR WOMAN f,om firing.
The MECHANIC craneshi.mselfup intoview next to MAX:
BIG REBECCAsobs. The QUIET MANputs a comforting hand on her shoulder.
PISMO and ANGIE huddlecloser together.
Thevanguard of 5 vehiclesstops on thecauseway, justout of range.
MAXand WEZ look acrossno man• sland, recognisi.ng eachother. WEZ grins,a gold tooth flashing.
l TheTOADIE, a comicallydressed Marauderperched on
thetop of the Humungusvehicle, waves hisarms The Marauderscut their motors...Silence.
TheTOADIE announces:
Cameracranes up to theHUMUNGUS as he risesin his seat. Hi.svoice is amplifiedby two loudspeakers mountedto the roll cageof his vehicle:
The SECONDVICTIM lashed onto theHumungus vehicle shouts in defiance:
The TOADIE takesthe wind out ofhim with an elbow to the stomach...
The FERAL KID watchesfrom a rabbi.twarrennear aburnt out hut.
The HUMUNGUScontinues...
Suddently, theescaped rabbit runs froma hole in the barricade and outinto the wasteland. WEZ whirls his arm around... thud!...the rabbit fallsdead from a crossbow bolt.
The FERAL KID easesback down into hishole.
WEZ leapsfrom hisbike and head-buttsthe man into unconsci.ousness. TheBROKENVICTIM sobs uncontrollably.
The FERAL BOYruns from his hole,screaming. He lets fly with thechrome boomerang...
The projectilewhistles past WEZ'S headand returns to the KID.
He reaches up and- clunk! catchesit in his steel plated mitten.
The MARAUDERS roarwith laughter.
The FERAL KID throwsthe boomerang again...
WEZ ducks and itburies itself into thehead of the GOLDENYOUTH.
The MARAUDERS are dumbstruck.
The MECHANIC grimaces.
Therest of the DEFE.NDERSaresi.lent.
WEZbends over the GOLDEN'YOUTHand pulls thewer..pon from hisskull.
He hurlsit at the FERAL KID.
The boomerangwhistles acrossthe ground...the KID thrcws himselfdown into thehole... the boomerang arcs andreturns to WEZ...out of his reach.
The TOAD!E runsforward.. .
He reachesup to catch it...
Theo falls to hisknees clutchinghis bleeding fingerless hand.
The HUMUNGUS andMARAUDERS roar withlaughter.
WEZ, bellowing withrage, leaps up dntothe HUMtJNGUSvehicle. He hits the ignition,yelling:
Powerful arms encirclehim from behind. WEZ is lifted bodi.lyfrom the seat.
The HUMUNGUS reachesover and cuts the ignitionand theP.A. system. •
TheCAMP PEOPLE easeback on their weapons...
MAX i.sconcentratingonhis manacles,starting to use a smallfile to pick thelock.
Maintaining hisvi:ious hold on WEZ theHUMUNGUS hisses soothinglyin his ear.
But,we do it my way. Fear isour ally.
Later,youcan have your revenge.
WE.Ztriesto break freebut ,;ti11he cannotmove.
The HUM\"NGUSreachesover and flickson the P.A. System.
HUldUNGUS There has been toomuch violence too much pain. None here is without sin.
But, I have an honnurabie compromise.
Give me the gasolencand I'll spare your lives. Justwalk away. I will give yousafe passagein the wasteland... Walk away and therewill be anend to the ho~ror...
He hits the ignition,eases WEZ asideand turns the vehicle around...
The TOADIE jumps on boardas theHUMUNGUSleads the HORDE back overthe rise.
Asthe vehicles rumble away,the FERAL BOY retrieves hisbloodj0d boomerang andsc11rriesback intohis hole.
The QUIET MAN fireshis long bow atthe departing MARAUDERS: the arrowfalls well short,unnoticed. He yells after them:
BIG REBECCA grabs himby the shoulder.
Sheturns to the otherdefenders:
BIG REBECCA plays tothe crowd.
Whilethe CAMPPEOPLE argue, MAX sits forgotten- themanacles unlockednow, dangling fromone wri.st.
He producesthe hurdy-gurdyhe found on thebloated manand plays the fi.rstfewnotes of "HappyBirthday".
From thehole under MAX, theFERAL KID appearswiping hisboomerang, He is attractedby the noise.
~AX playsthe next few notesfaster.
The FERAL KID grins.
More notes- very fast,
The FERAL KID laughs.
Severalpeople at the backof the C!!OWD,includi.ng WARRIORWOMAN, turn aroundto look. MAXholds the manaclesup so that she cansee that he's free.
She glaresat him as he goesback to turning the hurdy-gurdy.
The argumentcontinues.
PISMO andANGIE are quietlybickering.
The CURMUDGEONpushes pastthem headi.ngtowardsthe gate.
He hasa Gladstone bag inhis hand and'a collection of carparts and personaleffects tucked 11nderhis arm.
He'd never hurt anasthmatic old man.
The LUSTY GIRL i.sjoininghim ...TheMECH..,NICtur:isto
The DEFENDERSturn to PAPPAGALLO,standing on the battlement:
Be points in thedirection of theMARAUDERS.
PAPPAGALLOCont. I came out hereand I found that pump. I builtthat plant and ploughed that field. Why? • Because we arehuman beings.
We must maintai.nourdignity. We are not barbarians...
The crowdis silent...
Imade one mi.stake-I wai.ted too long ...thinkingwe could survive here. We can't. But, as frightenedas we all are - let's not forgetone thing.
He points tothe tanker of fuelpropped up next tc.the cracking plant...
Thati.smore than justa tank offuel. It's our lifeline,our passportto a placebeyond the reachof men on machines.
He talks over severalprotestingvoices...
No! Idon't know how we'regonna get there. But the fi.rststepis to defend~hat fuel.
I won'tsurrender it to anyone. I stay! Alone if I haveto ...
BIG REBECCAmoves overto join the CURMUDGEONand theLUSTY GIRL.
LUSTY looksstraight atPAPPAGALLO.
TheMECHANIC'S ASSISTANT startsto pushtha MECHANIC'Scontrapti.ontowa:·dstheCURMUDGEON'S GROUP, butthe ..MECHANICresists,grabbingontothe catwalk.
TheASSISTANT leaves himthere.
ANGIE takesthe ASSISTANT'Splace and pushesthe MECHANIC'S contraptionoverto PAPPAGALLO'Sside.
PISMO isleft hesitatingin the middle. After a t,rrible momentof indecision hejoins ANGIE. .;:-
Thecamp is now divided,mostly againstPAPPAGALLO. Thetwo groups stareacross at each othersolemnly...
A voiceis heard fromthe battlements....
Alleyes turn to MAX.
MAXfaces PAPPAGALLOacross a desk litteredwith plans andequipment.
WARRIORWOMAN, BIG REBECCA, theFARMERand the MECHANIC listen in.
Sc. 58..Cont ...
58. Cont. 58.
All Ineed right now is threejerry cans of diesel and fivegallons of petroleum.
They look at himquizzically.
Thinkof it as a down payment.
PAPPAGALLO nods.
WIPE.
59. THE COMPOUNDDITCH -.THEBRIDGE OF WRECKS. NIGHT. 59.
Fromthe battlement, PAPPAGALLOwatches asMAX, accorrpaniedbythe DOG, emergesfrom a holein the wall. MAXhas a pole acrosshi.sshoulders, supporti.ngfourjerry cansof fuel.
MAX'Sknee brace·squeaksi.nthe stillness.
The MECHANIC throws him asmall can. MAXsquirts a streamof oil onto themetal and then movesoff acrossthe bridge of wrecks,bui.1.tbythe Mohawk Bikersthe day before.
The FERAL KID watcheswithother camp peopleas MAX and theDOG move out i.ntothenight.
60. NO MAN'S LAND. NIGHT. 60.
MAXemerges from the ditch,the heavy load wei.ghing him down. Behind him, the searchlightfrom the compoundplays over the wi.lderness.Ahead, hesees the glowof the Marauders' campfires.
He moves forwardsilently.
_,.
61. NEAR THEMARAUll!:.K::i'CAMl'l:11'.J:.:,.NIGHT. 61.
Pickinghis way carefullyacross rugged ground, MAXskirts close to a largecampfire.
Around it,a GROUP OF MARAUDERSare carousing: some are laughingloudly at a VICTIMstrung up to abeam by hiswris,s. A bottle passesamong the MARAUDERS. In the shadows,lit by tbe flickeri.ngflame,aMOHAWK BIKER fondlesTWO CAMP FOLLOWERS.
Closest toMAXa GAYBOY BERSERKERbones bis machete on a whetstone.
MAX skirtsround hi.m,not takinghis eyes off bim. Suddenly"MAX'S leggives way,caught in a rabbitbole. He pitchesforward, tbe jerry cansthumping together.
The GAYBOYBERSERKERpivots ... listeni.ng...knifeready.
MAXis spread-eagledon the grounc. Tbe 00G curlsits lip. Tbe GAYBOYBERSERKERwalks towards MAX, biseyes searching thedarkness...
Tbere is a loudbarking! MAX looksup...
On a rabbitwarren close by, theFERAL KID sits onhis haunches, howlinglike a wild dog.
The GAYBOY BERSERKERtakes a rockand throws it, curs- ing all howlingdogs, and returns totbe camp.
The FERAL KID motionsfor MAX to follow. Keeping low, MAXlimps forward.
6~. AN EROSION DITCH. NIGHT. 62.
The FERAL KID stopsat the edge of thegully and indicates the directionfor MAX to take. He grins at MAX and runs off intothe night, hackthe way he came.
MAX drops down intothe gully heading awayfrom the Marauders' camp. DISSOLVE.
63. THE CLIFFTOP. FIRSTLIGHT. 63.
MAXclimbs up to the spotwhere he left theGYROCAPTAIN. Gone! ...Justthe canopy,a dog food canand a freshly- dughole where the treestump used to be. A clear trail, gougedin the dirt, leadsback towards thesand dune country. The DOG sniffsand lopes off...
64. A CLAY PAN, DAY. 64..
MAX and theDOG crest a rise atthe edge of the •• pan. Abouta hundred yards ahead,out on the clay, is theCAPTAIN, still draggingthe trae stump behjndhi.m.