An outstanding piece of film. The good and important thing is that it never tries to push its importance ever and instead lets it flow. Certain details become complicated but they serve a mysterious link, a click to our own imagination that we have to utilize and also, even the themes here, which are presented in such startling manner, erotic and very harsh like the still shots inserted and the confusion over diegetic and non-diegetic music was very, very good and further pushes this up the crop of films everywhere.
Two children are left to fend for themselves in the Austraillian wilderness where they meet an aboriginal boy on a Walkabout, an initiation ritual. The story itself is unremarkable, but the film making particularly the editing is what tells this film...(read more)s story which is far grander in scope than it would initially lead you to believe. Civilization, technology, innocence, sex, communication, death, rebirth, the cyclical nature of time, are all illuminated in this film through visual and auditory juxtapositions, so many mirror images and sounds end up in this film that it almost overwhelms the story, thankfully it walks that razors edge with a grace, daring, and sense of purpose you just don't see today, at least not at such a technical level.
I knew I had come across this film before. I remember bits of it from watching it as a child, and being confused (and slightly disturbed) by the father shooting himself and setting himself and the car on fire. Watching it again now I can understand and appreciate the film for what it is, a beautiful, strange and engaging piece of cinema.
The story centres on a brother and sister who are left to fend for themselves in the Australian outback after their father kills himself. Just as it seems there is no hope for them help comes in the form of a young Aborigine boy on his "Walkabout" (a traditional Aborigine ritual).
Things go well for a while, although there are difficulties communicating (especially between the girl and Aborigine boy) the three characters survive through the harsh landscape, with the two olders members taking on almost Mother and Father roles to the young boy.
Eventually, after weeks of walking, the boy leads them to an empty house, here we see the end of the Aborigine. I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to ruin the film for anyone.
This film is filled with beautiful scenery of the Australian outback, which is one of the reasons this is so engaging seeing as there is limited action and dialouge. Most of today's generation would probably find this boring, but I recommend everyone to see this excellent film.
It's the best thing I've seen so far this term. I didn't get the story; well I did get the middle but why on earth did the dad drive out to no where and kill himself and try to kill the kids and blow up the car? Turns out we are not suppost to know and the ending was a duh I was overthinking! But it looks really good, the cinematography is great (thats what we were looking for but I really don't feel like going into depth) and its shot really, really well! And its funny! The girl is such a b'**** and the boy is quite silly and its just funny seeing them wander around in the desert! Just wish it started off making sence!
What starts out as Roeg's most enigmatic film, slowly becomes his most straightforward, which is not a bad thing at all. The visuals, performances, sense of happiness combined with urgency translate into a beautiful and haunting film.
A teenage girl and her younger brother (Jenny Agutter and Lucien John) find themselves alone in the outback after their mentally ill father drives them to a remote location for a picnic then commits suicide. Scared and unable to find their way back home, the brother and sister are rescued by a young Indigenous man (David Gulpilil in his acting debut) on ?walkabout? ? a rite of passage in which a young man must journey through the bush alone. The three characters fall into ?naturalistic? roles of mother, father and child; and the little boy learns how to bridge the language divide between his sister and the young Indigenous man. Roeg?s critique of notions of civilised and uncivilised behaviour romanticises ?traditional? Indigenous culture. In a vivid sequence, Nicolas Roeg inter-cuts Gulpilil hunting with images of a suburban butcher chopping and wrapping offal. The privileged perspective of the young white woman protagonist problematises the constraints of both cultures.
Walkabout is a great film, that will lead the viewer on an emotional journey over the Austrailian outback. Very realistic view of abandonment, survival, tragedy, and regret.
I studied this last year for Australian literature as part of my oral and is such a surreal, haunting film that I believe will stick in my mind forever. The combination of the music, images and cinematography is just so chilling but yet you can't pull your eyes away from the screen. It is quite a hard film to pinpoint in terms of the genre as I believe it's in a field of its own but it shares many similarities to another Australian film- Picnic At Hanging Rock. I really recommend seeing it, as it is famous in the Australian industry as a remarkable film and it rightly deserves this reputation.. dealing with many issues.. but mainly racism in Australia. See it for a unique film experience!
This is an increadible work of art. I feel restrained from telling you all anything about it. I looked and only two out of almost sixty of you have ever seen this movie and I don't want to spoil it for you. I'm going to have to ask you to trust me about this one. I gave it five stars and I mean it. I don't think it's one of the hundred that I would take to the desert island but I'm sure it's one of the top two hundred movies ever. For me it's a must own. Double your money back guarantee but I don't expect any of you to ask for it.
A good film, it's interesting and different, and I enjoyed it, not a film I would see many times, max 2. But it's definitely enjoyable the first time and I can recommend it!!
So emotional and touching, a bit like A far off place!
I think all of Roeg's films from this era (including Performance, Don't Look Now & The Man Who Fell To Earth) are all great and deserving of attention.
In describing this film, it's difficult to simply say what it's about. Well it's about a boy and a girl who get lost in the Australian outback, until they chance upon a young aboriginal boy who helps them. I won't give away the ending. The film is about that and also about so much more. There's a world of feelings, nuances of emotions that are barely suggested at but dominate the undercurrent of the film. This film says and evokes so much more than what it simply tells.
This movie is unimaginably simple and poignant. The naked truth about humanity is seen through the eyes of a subtle aboriginal viewpoint. Cinematically perfect!
And older film based on a young woman and her even younger brother lost in the desolate back of Australia, an aboriginai saves them, thus begins "the walkabout" and a very erotic love story follows.
Thoughtful coming of age drama set in the Australian outback, featuring an unusually sensitive take on culture clash. Intelligently done, but rather lacking in drama.
sad sad movie abt some poms get lost in the outback. an abbo helps them but he is attrated 2 the sister, he thn commits suicide @ the end. its differnt thn the book, firstly the abbo doesn't commit suicide & they have a plane crash rather thn their dad goin cuckoo nd commitn suicide
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