Walkabout
1970
After a pair of British children are abandoned in the Australian outback, they join up with a young Aborigine who is performing his traditional, coming-of-age rite of passage, the Walkabout. A commentary on pastoral simplicity versus cosmopolitan clutter, this haunting film marked Nicholas Roeg's directorial debut. Based on the .. Read more
| Starring | Jenny Agutter, John Meillon, Lucien John, Peter Carver |
|---|---|
| Director | Nicolas Roeg |
| Genres | Drama |
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Walkabout
After a pair of British children are abandoned in the Australian outback, they join up with a young Aborigine who is performing his traditional, coming-of-age rite of passage, the Walkabout. A commentary on pastoral simplicity versus cosmopolitan clutter, this haunting film marked Nicholas Roeg's directorial debut. Based on the novel by James Vance Marshall.
| Starring | Jenny Agutter, John Meillon, Lucien John, Peter Carver, John Illingsworth, Barry Donnelly, Noelene Brown |
|---|---|
| Director | Nicolas Roeg |
| Studio | UCA |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 03 Nov 2007 Production year: 1970 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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Nicolas Roeg's second film as director is an atmospheric masterpiece of sexual tension. Jenny Agutter and Lucien John play the children stranded in the Australian outback when their father commits suicide. As they are guided by an Aborigine youth (David Gulpilil), who teaches them how to live off the seemingly arid land, the film examines the relationship between the youth and the girl — a relationship that has to span a chasm of misunderstandings caused by cultural differences and the innocence of childhood. Roeg successfully conjures up a tale that is as dazzling as the shimmering landscape against which it is set.
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Roeg's second film (made after the massively delayed Performance) is at first sight uncharacteristic: the story of two... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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10 out of 10 people found this review helpful
G’day Mate!
Two children (Agutter and John) are left in the middle of the Australian outback after their father tries unsuccessfully to shoot them and then turns the gun on his self. Fortunately, an Aboriginal boy (Gulpilil) discovers them on his Walkabout, a traditional rite of passage where the young male learns to live off the land. Despite their attempts to maintain an air of social etiquette, the two children are exposed to a primal environment where their food is killed by hand and natural resources are skilfully utilised. With its combination of innovative editing, breathtaking landscape cinematography and wistful soundtrack (John Barry), Walkabout is truly a sensory treat. Under the skilful direction of Roeg the film is constantly kept alive, with each frame continually being filled new and wonderful imagery. The lack of real action and plot may off put some people but those who enjoy films for their visual flair (Picnic of Hanging Rock for example) will certainly enjoy this title. Of course if you are an older viewer then you can also relive the rather guilty pleasure of viewing the rather seductive Agutter wandering around in, and out, of a school uniform……. 5/5
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Still a great film
I saw this in the cinema in the early 1970s, and seeing it again now I still experience its power. Roeg seems to have a talent for getting through to the unconscious with his visual images - like the unforgettable sequence when the Aborigine boy paints himself in traditional designs and does a night-long dance outside the tumbledown shanty where the three main characters are sleeping. This is one that will stay in the mind for the next thirty years.
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