: (Brian May) After the
tantalizing success of the 1979 Australian horror romp for motorheads,
there was little doubt that a larger budget was destined for a sequel to
. George Miller altered the plot of
internationally) to fully embrace
the dystopian element by explicitly referencing the worldwide holocaust
that was hinted in the prior film, losing all remaining semblance of
normal human existence. The lone surviving protagonist, former police
officer Max, roams the western deserts of Australia without much seeming
purpose, though he still harbors an inclination to help maligned
survivors when possible. With his family and friends killed in the prior
film and the revenge element no longer driving him, he and his modified
interceptor car have little purpose in
, which leaves
the 1981 film as more of an action thriller than a suspense and horror
venture. Through this movie and its sequel,
, the purpose of the concept became fixated solely on the
outrageously choreographed chases, beyond silly characters, and brutal
scenes of rape and dismemberment, some of which needed toned back for
censors. Despite the loss of the crucial and highly personal element
from
, the sequel retained the franchise's popularity
internationally, likely because of the sheer style of the whole concept
and its appeal to motorheads. With no happy ending ever destined for
Max's character in this or any other sequels, there is no real
resolution for his music. Miller turned once again to Australian
television and thriller movie composer, Brian May, for the music, a
no-brainer of a choice after May's orchestral mayhem for the prior entry
proved to be such a vital element of its success. The composer had
parlayed that surprising triumph into a few other film scores within the
same genre, though his two
works ultimately marked the
pinnacle of his career. Generally, May's handling of the sequel's music
remains stylistically similar enough to the first film to sufficiently
connect the two, but there are some fairly significant differences as
well.
Most obviously, the second score features a larger
orchestra and a tendency to lengthen the lines of motifs and underlying
structures to yield a more fluid and dramatic listening experience. The
excess of cartoonish stingers is curtailed in
Mad Max 2, yielding
fewer jump scares and over-the-top punctuation of on-screen deaths. The
Bernard Herrmann-inspired horror techniques from
Mad Max are
greatly diminished and replaced with variants more in tune with the
fantasy action genre. Woodwinds and synthesizers are added to the
orchestral ensemble this time, the former well applied while the
latter's groaning in "Confrontation" is really obnoxious and doesn't add
any value to the sound effects that dominate the film. Slamming metallic
elements are applied by May but surprisingly underused; the role of
percussion is so important in this concept that hearing it restrained is
a disappointment. Most impactfully, the overall mix of the orchestra is
less vibrant than that of the previous score, draining much of the brash
energy from the ambience. The performances aren't as abrasively stylish,
either, the dramatic string portions here sounding out of place despite
guiding the music in a direction that Maurice Jarre would fully embrace
in the subsequent score. While May employs more motifs in
Mad Max
2, they don't congeal into anywhere near as cohesive a narrative as
the fewer but more clearly delineated equivalents in
Mad Max.
Several ideas do return from the first score, but they don't do so
obviously, creating something of a casual disconnect between the two
works. For instance, Max's five-note theme recurs but in new harmonies
with different instrumentation, leaving only one bold reference on the
idea's trademark French horns at the very end of the picture to reflect
a similar situation. Max's theme is repurposed to supply anguish to
humanity as a whole, transformed into a string-led, elongated,
meandering form with more romanticism and tragedy. The same five notes
poignantly begin and anchor the identity, but many listeners won't make
the connection. It's also unclear what strategic purpose is served by
this alteration unless it acknowledges that Max is a totally lost and
purposeless human being. In that case, the identity has come to
represent not just him, but everyone fighting against evil to stay
alive.
The newly extended and harmonized version of Max's
theme in
Mad Max 2 occupies most of "Main Title" and stews
slightly in "Gyro Saves Max," but it saves its power for the end of the
picture. This melancholy stature cannot be more different from the
template of horror and revenge from
Mad Max, and while it makes
for a more pleasant listening experience on album, it's not completely
comfortable in this context. The agonized form of Max's theme returns on
strings at 1:53 into "Finale and Largo" and translates into hopeful
variants on horns at the end. Some satisfaction results as May returns
to the normal five-note phrase on horns at 4:44 into that cue, but even
here it is elongated again for a fanfare ending. The romantic string
version returns at outset of "End Title" and guides most of the cue. May
offers a residual hint of the previous film's family theme at 3:47 into
"Main Title," but that identity has been otherwise purged from Max's
existence. The style of the Main Force Patrol motifs from early in
Mad Max is referenced in the pounding percussion and brass
rhythms here, as at the opening of "Montage," which is actually the
final confrontation music; the "Montage" album track is something of a
suite arrangement. This material guides some of "Break Out" and "Finale"
in the same staccato style, and a unique extension of that mode is
buried in the "Reprise" portion of the album's SFX suite. Arguably the
main new theme of
Mad Max 2 is the humanity suffering motif that
sometimes bleeds into the villainous gang action music when in direct
conflict. This malleable identity serves as an interlude to Max's
romanticized theme in "Main Title," shifting into action alarm at the
end. Interestingly, the humanity motif effortlessly becomes an action
rhythm on the low strings in "Marauder Massacre," exploring even longer
lines. The same techniques carry over to "Max Enters Compound,"
suggesting from Max's perspective that everyone could be perceived as a
possible victim or villain. This idea opens "Gyro Saves Max" in slight
melodrama and returns to its role as a quiet interlude to the main theme
at 1:10 into "End Title." The theme is largely usurped by the remaining
new character identities in the finale sequence, which is something of a
shame; no true resolution is in store for humanity according to May's
score. The remaining motifs in
Mad Max 2 are all dedicated to
individual characters, and while they are sufficient and appropriate in
each case, none of them is particularly memorable.
The Feral Kid motif consists of descending figures on
woodwinds and can be heard at 1:20 into "Montage," in a cameo during
"Max Enters Compound," at 1:23 into "Break Out" on flutes (more
influenced by the humanity suffering motif at this point), and cycling a
few times in the middle of "Finale and Largo." Also on the brighter side
of the score's motifs is the Gyro Captain theme, which offers some
glimpse of hope from brass in the middle of "Gyro Saves Max," breaks
through on French horns late in "Break Out" and "Gyro Flight" for brief
heroics, and is whimsically stated best at 3:47 into "Finale and Largo."
As for the villains of
Mad Max 2, none of the new motifs can
really compete with the brutally maniacal and effective one for
Toecutter and his gang from the prior movie's score, but the Wez
henchman motif comes relatively close. Crazed but related to the prior
Toecutter motif, this stern, deep brass identity for Wez debuts at 4:25
into "Main Title" but is highlighted throughout "Confrontation," heard
muscularly at 0:32 into that cue and increasing in action intensity for
a later crescendo. Sadly, this motif makes an exit from the spotlight at
that point. The subsequent motif for the humorously ridiculous Lord
Humungus (an entire essay could be written about this character's escape
from "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," but it suffices to say
that professional wrestlers have imitated his look and persona for years
since) and his gang consists of pairs of descending three-note figures
in "Marauder Massacre" and related hints late in "Max Enters Compound."
A short piece of this motif seems to close out "End Title," but it is a
generally underutilized idea. On the whole, some listeners will find
Mad Max 2 to be a more digestible version of May's harsh take on
this concept's thriller personality. But the sequel score somehow loses
most of the raw energy and brazen horror of its predecessor, and its
more conventional blend of drama and action is a less engaging
experience. The mix remains problematic, even within the score; "Finale"
sounds especially muffled compared to other cues. The longstanding album
for
Mad Max 2 opens with the film's trademark boomerang sound
effect and annoyingly presents some of its music only within a sound
effects-laden track at the end. A not-insignificant amount of important
material is missing from the middle of the film on this sole album. In
the end, May's sequel score is an awkward bridge between his flamboyant
entry for
Mad Max and Jarre's immense
Mad Max Beyond
Thunderdome and never as memorable as either.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
