Walkabout

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Ken E Dec 2 Walkabout is a gem with excellent performances by all three of its young stars. Jenny Argutta gives an extraordinarily mature performance even though she was 16 when the film was shot. David Goulipil is balletically extraordinary as the aboriginal boy on an indigenous survival ritural. There is nudity, but it is essential to the story. This is story about nature vs the modern world. You can guess which comes off best. It's also a Garden of Eden/Paradise Lost story. This is most apparent when the boy performs a peacock-like mating dance, which the girl ignores. We see most poignantly her regret at the end (spoiler) when she's back in the city with an undeserving dull partner, as she seems to imagine her life had she stayed with the boy. Jenny Agutter was clearly a precocious teen, however I wonder how her parents agreed to the nudity when she was still quite young. It was clearly the right decision for their mature daughter, who obviously handled it brilliantly. A must-see film! See more Matthew D Aug 19 So this is what a critically acclaimed Cannibal Holocaust looks like. See more jacob c Apr 22 Hauntingly beautiful and terrifying at once, Walkabout presents a modern culture engaging with a primitive one, making for a brutal, enticing, and exquisitely shot journey through the Australian Outback. See more Wayne K Mar 24 On some levels, a simple story about survival in a harsh environment, and on other a metaphor for the flaws of civilization, and possibly other deeper meanings, Walkabout occasionally suffers from Roeg’s characteristic deliberate pacing, as life or death situations are not given the weight they should be. As someone who worked in the outback, I can confirm that its as beautiful and daunting as depicted: A gargantuan expanse of rich, vivid colours and wild, dangerous animals and unforgiving weather conditions. But there are times when the leads are on the verge of death, and nothing is really made of it. This might have been intentional, but apathetic characters is a tough thing to do right, and something I always have a hard time accepting, so maybe this one is a failing in my part. I liked the relationship the leads share with their Aboriginal companion, or rather, saviour. It’s beautifully shot, and the bond between the siblings goes through the machinations you’d expect. Its hypnotic in a sense, replicating the feeling you get when you’ve been in the blazing sun too long and everything starts to go hazy. It doesn’t have the same punch as other Australian New Wave films like Long Weekend or Wake In Fright, both of which paint a much starker picture of life Down Under, but it’s an important film made at just the right time, and if you can stick with it during its slower moments then you’ll be treated to a powerful, multi-layered experience. See more Teddy B Jan 10 Dreamlike and terrifying, 'Walkabout' displays both the beauty and power of the Australian Outback. See more helder f Jan 5 A movie of great sensitivity about a little boy and his older sister who are abandoned in the Australian desert and eventually find an aboriginal adolescent, who was on a path of his own. The movie progresses at a slow pace which is surprisingly tolerable. In great part, this has to do with The relationship between the siblings which is very tender and the two are very likable at first. Once they encounter the aboriginal male teenager, it is clear the young boy is more readily able to connect with him than the sister. At that point, she definitely becomes less likable. Despite the movie’s sensitivities, it is shot from the siblings’s perspective in that we never understand what the aboriginal young man says. This ought to be the least positive aspect of the movie, as it feels very dismissive towards the young man. It feels as though he was just a prop in their adventure while in fact he was on a journey of his own. See more Read all reviews

Walkabout

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