Walkabout (film)
| Walkabout | |
|---|---|
Film poster of Walkabout
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| Directed by | Nicolas Roeg |
| Produced by | Si Litvinoff |
| Screenplay by | Edward Bond |
| Based on | novel by James Vance Marshall |
| Starring |
Jenny Agutter Luc Roeg David Gulpilil |
| Music by | John Barry |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Roeg |
| Edited by |
Antony Gibbs Alan Pattillo |
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Production
company |
Max L. Raab-Si Litvinoff Films
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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May 1971 (Cannes Film Festival) October 1971 (UK/Australia) |
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Running time
|
100 minutes |
| Country | Australia United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$1,000,000 (estimated) |
Walkabout is a 1971 film set in the Australian outback, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg (credited as "Lucien John") and David Gulpilil (credited as "David Gumpilil"). Edward Bond wrote the screenplay, which is loosely based on the 1959 novel Walkabout by James Vance Marshall. Walkabout premiered in competition at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
In November, a white, city-bred teenage schoolgirl (Jenny Agutter) and her much younger brother (Luc Roeg) become stranded in the wilderness after their father (John Meillon) goes berserk. After driving them far into the Australian outback for a picnic, the father suddenly begins shooting at the children. They run behind rocks for cover, whereupon he sets the car on fire and shoots himself in the head. The girl conceals what has happened from her brother and, after grabbing some food and supplies, the pair head out into the desert.
By the middle of the next day, they are weak and the boy can barely walk. Discovering a small water hole with a fruiting tree, they spend the day playing, bathing, and resting. By the next morning, the water has dried up. They are then discovered by an Aboriginal boy (David Gulpilil). Although the girl cannot communicate with him, her brother mimes their need for water and the newcomer cheerfully shows them how to draw it from the drying bed of the oasis. The three travel together, with the Aboriginal boy sharing food he has caught hunting. The boys learn to communicate slightly using words and sign language.
While in the vicinity of a plantation, a white woman walks past the Aboriginal, who simply ignores her when she speaks to him. She appears to see the other children, but they do not see her, and they continue on their journey. The children also discover a weather balloon belonging to a nearby research team working in the desert.
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