A young sister and brother are abandoned in the harsh Australian outback and must learn to exist in the natural world, without their usual comforts, in this hypnotic masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg. Along the way, they meet a young aborigine on his “walkabout,” a rite of passage in which adolescent boys are initiated into manhood by journeying into the wilderness alone. Walkabout is a thrilling adventure as well as a provocative rumination on time and civilization. —The Criterion Collection
London-born Nicolas Roeg served in the military as a projectionist, and entered the movie industry immediately after World War II as a gofer and apprentice editor. He joined MGM’s British studios in 1950, and eventually became a cinematographer in 1959, working on a multitude of films of all types, from second unit work on Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to primary photography on the rock & roll exploitation films Just for Fun (1963), Every Day’s a Holiday (1965), and The System (1966). He moved into the director’s chair with Performance (1970), which he co-directed with Donald Cammell, and made a major impression with the low-keyed, eerily compelling drama Walkabout (1971). By the mid-‘70s, Roeg was one of England’s most respected filmmakers, responsible for the unsettling thriller Don’t Look Now (1973), and the sci-fi drama The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). With the possible exception Insignificance (1985) and the compellingly obscure Track 29 (1988) Roeg’s output throughout the 1980s… read more
The coming of age conventions are exploded to state of constant metamorphosis(see swimming scene) its less about kids growing up and more about moving from a state of modernity to one of transcendence (see the brilliant use of radio sound fx over the setting sun). Roeg working as his own DP was a stroke of genius as his camera work emphasizes the ecstasy of discovery with almost every new shot. Masterpiece
interesting tale of two adolescents from very different backgrounds.....some very memorable images...
British director Nicolas Roeg's masterful adaptation of the Australia-set novel is a visual feast matched with great performances and a subtly brilliant screenplay. Utilizing visual juxtaposition and implications rather than pages of dialogue, the film shows the disconnect between modern, "advanced" life; selfish, consumerist, lazy, and "primitive:" hard work, cooperation, and independence. A timeless masterpiece.
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Nic Roeg’s first solo effort as director. An English teenager (Jenny Agutter) and her much younger brother (played by Roeg’s son, simply billed as Lucien John) become suddenly stranded in the middle… read review
Nicholas Roeg’s Walkabout tells the story of two children, one a teenage schoolgirl (Jenny Agutter) and the other her little brother (Luc Roeg), who are put into a deeply disturbing and unexpected… read review
A wit of this film starts with the introduction. Through a presentation in the text we see what’s Walkabout. Then we see images of a father who is close to madness and decides to kill his two sons… read review
Although at a glance this film seems to be about civilization and the natural world (from which the civilized beings are estranged, somehow contributing to their dysfunctional state as in the father… read review
