Gulag, aka the land of Cannibalistic Children (spoilers).
Having only seen the third Mad Max for the longest time, I sat down and ran a marathon of all three movies. To my surprise the first two were quite brutal yet brilliant films. I find the third film wraps up the movies quite well. Max was righteous at the beginning of this story and only the death of his wife brings the brutality shown in the first two films. The third film we see Max's character finally able to calm himself and even when he is faced with killing a retard; he refuses to. You could call it a more child friendly film but I think of it more as Max returning to his former self.
As I was watching the film I continued to read the trivia on all three movies (as I had seen the third many times already) and to greater surprise; continuity is kept for Max's character throughout all three films. From his injured eye, to his clothing, vehicle, and characteristic weapon.So why exactly do the children fall so deep into a continuity-less pit? How does a woman take control of part of this world where in all previous movies they were raped and murdered at will? Where did all the children's parents go? It is very very simple.
Most of the leaders, including Master were aboard the flight you see crashed into the Sand. They took the wreckage and gutted it, took the animals aboard the plane (pigs)and designed a city around it. However it would be quite obvious to anyone living in this world that Children would not be able to exist within Bartertown. Even the one woman seen (Aunty) is hidden high in a tower where no one can reach her unless she decides so.
So the Adults were left with one option, create a village for the children far from Bartertown at the only oasis in the desert. Being a savage world they tucked their children away far from reach but how would they be fed? clothed? etc.?
So the legend of Gulag begins (Btw, Gulag was a Russian based administration that forced Concentration Camps; fitting name). They set them up with a bit of food and clothing as well as housing and forced the tale of 'Tomorrow-morrow Land'.
Take in the fact that they live in an oasis with nothing but lizards and 'maybe' a bird or two to feed and clothe them.
The fact that everyone was shocked when Gulag came up on the spinning wheel (it is also the smallest portion of the pie); why wouldn't it just say exile?
The fact that a bright colorful head is placed on the exiled victim.
The fact that they send them in the exact direction of the children.
The fact that the children magically saved Max in the middle of nowhere.
The fact that no one is wearing 'regular' clothing even though a plane that would hold 200+ passengers and their luggage is right around the corner.
Even The fact that a group of children left in search of Tomorrow-morrow land to prove Max wrong. They head in the exact direction of Bartertown lead by one of the older children. These same children don't even wait for Max in the steel pipe and magically find a way through a closed and locked gate.
I believe that the children look upon these horses and men as food and clothing and only a select few of the older children actually know the truth. I also believe that Max would of been eaten if he didn't strike a resemblance to the person painted on the wall. What do you guys think?