WALKABOUT (Criterion/E1, 1971) D: Nicolas Roeg, w/ David Gulpilil, Jenny Agutter. Rating: NNNNN DVD package: NNNNN Rating: NNNNN
Abandoned in the Australian outback, a girl, about 16, and her six-ish brother meet an Aboriginal youth who’s surviving alone. He speaks no English. They wander together.
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Nicolas Roeg shapes this simple story into a visually stunning, complex work that deals with sexuality, culture clash, nature, landscape and memory.
It can be read equally well as allegory or literal tale of survival.
Jenny Agutter and Roeg’s son Luc (credited as Lucien John) are excellent as the girl and her brother, as is David Gulpilil, the Aboriginal youth. Beyond that, he is an unforgettable screen presence.
Gulpilil went on to an outstanding career in Australian films while maintaining a traditional Aboriginal life. The one-hour doc about him is well worth watching.
EXTRAS Roeg and Agutter commentary, Agutter interview, Luc Roeg interview, Gulpilil doc, print essay. Widescreen. English audio. No subtitles.
