VERNON CLEARS UP THE GAY QUESTION.

[rockatansky4073]

I have no doubt this had been put up before, but bugger it!
I'm hardly ever on here and can't be stuffed looking round for it.
This is a great interview with Vernon wells in which he's asked if Wez is gay or not and alot of you (including me) will be surprised to find out that...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zWozJSKumc

[Nightwalker]

The surrogate son he saved from his own marauders when it was 4 years old.
That's also a way to look at it. At least that discussion is now out of the way

[Taipan]

Hah, interesting!

So, we know that Miller was switching around characters' sexes a bit during the writing process but it wouldn't necessarily make Wez gay. Eventhough The Golden Youth was supposed to be female at first.
It puts a different spin on the Max - Wez dynamic. Suddenly it turns out both of them lost their kid.

Speaking of Wez: here's a crazy theory.

Isn't Wez the polar opposite of Max? A mirror image if you will. The shoulder pad is on the other side. Both lose their kid and seek revenge. Here's my craziest assumption - the name Wez looks like Max upside down. Could it be that easy?

[rockatansky4073]

Well i have the original MAD MAX 2 script and besides an awesome opening scene of Max coming across Wez and the Landau driver etc marauding a house, burning it down and hanging the occupants - which is what starts off the opening chase scene - there isn't anything about what Vernon said in there.
So it was obviously one of those things that just came up in discussions, probably with George, as back story etc. like that famous story Vernon started about Wez being a Vietnam vet n' stuff

[rockatansky4073]

"Isn't Wez the polar opposite of Max? A mirror image if you will. The shoulder pad is on the other side. Both lose their kid and seek revenge. Here's my craziest assumption - the name Wez looks like Max upside down. Could it be that easy?"

Sorry Taipan, i missed that bit.

Clever mate and kinda makes sense.

[HUMVEE Driver]

I've been saying that about Wez for a long time. Just before he shoots the guy they pulled from the buggy, he kind of looks at Golden Youth like 'watch me, this is what we do.' Like he's teaching him, like a son. Later when he says "I want him!" about Max, I think he's saying (in his own crazy mind) that he wants Max as another replacement son.

HUMVEE Driver

[rockatansky4073]

I tell ya what though, i put this video up on facebook and Kjell didn't like it at all.
In his bad spelt English he was telling vernon off and calling wez a fag and he couldn't understand why Vern would say such a thing etc hahaha

[MWFV8]

Hah, interesting!

So, we know that Miller was switching around characters' sexes a bit during the writing process but it wouldn't necessarily make Wez gay. Eventhough The Golden Youth was supposed to be female at first.
It puts a different spin on the Max - Wez dynamic. Suddenly it turns out both of them lost their kid.

Speaking of Wez: here's a crazy theory.

Isn't Wez the polar opposite of Max? A mirror image if you will. The shoulder pad is on the other side. Both lose their kid and seek revenge. Here's my craziest assumption - the name Wez looks like Max upside down. Could it be that easy?

I think this is a really good point. The upside down text might be taking it a bit far imo, but suggesting Wez is there as a contrasting character is a very sound theory. Wez going psychotic over the loss of his child only strengthens our appreciation that Max is clinging to his humanity.

I've been saying that about Wez for a long time. Just before he shoots the guy they pulled from the buggy, he kind of looks at Golden Youth like 'watch me, this is what we do.' Like he's teaching him, like a son. Later when he says "I want him!" about Max, I think he's saying (in his own crazy mind) that he wants Max as another replacement son.

The former point is a good one. The latter I'm not convinced about personally. His comment seems to imply a sadistic intent, and that would fit better with the low point Max is at during this scene.

[seriz]

I'm pretty sure that this scene (the boy saved by Wez) never existed. I read an early draft of the screenplay (before the one everybody knows on internet, from april 1981 i think) and you can't find it.
I'm also pretty sure that's all bullshit from Vernon
When I interviewed him, he told me the same story... But that means that this scene should take place something like 15 years before what we see in the movie.
It has no sense also because it was a girl at the begining, and then, they say ok it's a boy...

Of course the link Wez/golden boy, Max/feral kid make sense, nice idea, but I really think that it's all bullshit...

[rockatansky4073]

Could just be plane ol' Vernon getting bloody tired of the whole 'Gay' thing, because he mention Bennet too - who i never for a second thought was a queer (leather and a freddy mercury stache, don't mean your gay) - He's kinda pissed at it