Can I Ever See Mad Max Again?

Those of you who have heard me speak at a convention recently have heard my introduction bit that now includes The Way of the Black Beast.  One quickie way I'll describe the book is that it's Xena meets Mad Max.  That's very true in that it follows a warrior women struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world that includes magic.

But it's been a long, long, long time since I've seen any of the Mad Max films all the way through.  Occasionally I'll catch the final chase in The Road Warrior or the bungie-battle in Beyond Thunderdome on television, but it's been awhile since I've consciously sat down to view these films.  And since I invoke the name Mad Max when describing my novel, part of me thinks I should check them out one more time.

The problem is Mel Gibson.

In Hollywood, there are really two types of people who get the leading roles.  Actors and Stars.  Actors are people like Christian Bale, Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep — people who can submerge into their role and, at times, disappear.  You momentarily forget who that person really is and just see the character.  Stars never want to be forgotten.  People like Sean Connery and Anjelina Jolie are meant to be seen on the screen as who they really are.  They never really meld into their roles because that would defeat the whole point of putting them into a movie.

Now, whether you like it or not, Mel Gibson is a star.  And with all the horrible things he has said in the last few years, it's become more and more difficult to not see that ugly side of him regardless of what he is pretending to be on the screen.  He's actions and statements have undercut his ability to continue being a star.

So, I've hesitated to return to Mad Max — a series of films I've loved (even the horrible Beyond Thunderdome) — because I'm afraid the magic of those movies will be lost.  I've never been a big Tom Cruise fan, but I wonder if Risky Business is still a fun, funny film or if it's also been tainted by his public fall.  I'm certainly mature enough to separate these things in my mind, and yet, when the whole point of having a Movie Star in your movie is to shine a light on the public persona they portray themselves to be, I have to form a layer of disbelief on top of the normal audience suspension of disbelief just to enjoy the film.  That seems like a waste of time when there are plenty of movies I've yet to see.

I don't have answer, but until I do, I think I'll leave Mad Max alone.  I don't need to lose that wonderful experience just because its leading man turned out to be a fool.