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I read somewhere the dummy used to represent what was left of the driver Max found was the Toecutter's dummy from Mad Max 1. My last topic on this went astray. Who do you think the man was? My guess is that he was a travelling merchant trying to get by selling junk and furniture to survivors. My hypothesis is that he encountered marauders, they chased him, and eventually he ran out of fuel. Seeing he was pretty much dead he played the music box as it was only thing he had to try and forget about the archers waiting to shoot him in the neck. It wasn't enough to deter the archers though since they shot him anyway. I'm guessing he'd been dead for about four days or so before Max found him.

My other ideas:

1. He was killed while the truck was running and it eventually ran out of gas. This doesn't explain why he was playing the music box when he died, though. I don't think this was the case.

2. He ran out of gas and was stranded there, then eventually discovered by marauders. This explains the music box as he was bored.

3. My least plausible theory. He was killed and the truck's gas was taken. However none of the Marauders' vehicles take diesel. Unless maybe Humungus' does.

Mistakes:

1. When Max returns to get the truck later, the cab is MUCH too clean considering the driver exsanguinated. I would have put some fake blood on the window and the wall of the cab for effect.

2. When Max drives the truck away from the Gyro Captain and the dead man, look at the dead man's body when they show the back window of the truck. You will notice he doesn't have a left arm. You can see his left white shirt sleeve come to an abrupt stop. I think if I remember correctly Byron Kennedy or one of the crew had to provide the driver's "hand" for the scene where Max picks up the music box. Anyone else notice the armless driver?

I guess you have to ask yourself two questions here;

1) If you were trapped in the wasteland, would you become a travelling furniture salesman?
2) If Wez had a crossbow pointed at you, would you think a rendition of happy birthday might warm him to you?

MWFV8 wrote:I guess you have to ask yourself two questions here;

1) If you were trapped in the wasteland, would you become a travelling furniture salesman?
2) If Wez had a crossbow pointed at you, would you think a rendition of happy birthday might warm him to you?

1. Uh....all I know is that he was hauling household goods for some reason.

2. I think he was playing it for himself while they shot him. I don't think Wez would care much for a song.

I think he was just one of the people whom decided to leave the city. Packed everything, just bolted.

That's why the majority of his stuff are household items. Couches, plates, a dishwasher. He got a semi and packed it all in, went out into the wastelands because cities were too dangerous to live in.
He was shot down while driving - arrows in the cab and his neck. Tanks emptied.

Taipan wrote:.He was shot down while driving - arrows in the cab and his neck.

And the tires.

The fact he was holding the music box means he wasn't driving to me. Kind of hard to drive with that in your hand. Also since he could drive a truck I'm guessing he was a truck driver before the apocalypse. The look of him (scarf, long vest, tattered pants, boots) suggests to me that he was some sort of freight carrier. IE, like a "Pony Express" type in the apocalypse. He might have been taking those goods to another city or they may have been his. He might also have been headed for the compound. No matter what, he died and was left on the road and someone probably took his rotten boots and he skeletonized. Maybe some traveler buried him and his trailer was probably pilfered eventually.

it looks like the arrow in him goes through the door and into his abdomen. i'd say the marauders shot him and he eventually had to stop and wait for death. they took his fuel and load (stuff that was useful) and left him to rot.

Do you think the mercedes that Max goes past moments earlier was part of his convoy?

There's been at least two threads about the topic which discuss the possibility of a convoy.

A convoy? Interesting. I think that might have been the case. I watched it frame by frame to look for some clues and the Mercedes has an arrow in the driver's door. Much like the Mack truck.
There's also a 3rd car in that scene, some green station wagon, the back of it looks like one of 50's-60's Ford station wagons. Can't put my finger on the exact model/year though.