Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome: Aerial fight

This Warner Bros. clip shows an impressively staged and dramatic fight scene from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Mel Gibson performed his own stunts during this sequence.

Thunderdome is a gladiatorial arena in Bartertown. It consists of a giant, domed metal cage from which the crowd watches the battle. Combatants propel themselves using harnesses and pick up weapons located around the cage.

The concept for using harnesses in the Thunderdome apparently came from the springy straps found in baby bouncers! The straps weren't actually enough to propel the actors and the crew had to use hand-controlled compressed air cylinders, an effect inspired by the film Mary Poppins (Robert Stevenson, US, 1964).