Walkabout
Directed by: Nicolas Roeg
Written by: Edward Bond
Starring: Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, David Gulpilil

Something is amiss in Sydney, Australia! It seems as though the pressures of life down under have hit one father particularly hard as he decides to drive his two kids — a girl of 14 and her younger brother — into the outback and execute them. After his plan goes awry, the man lights his car on fire and shoots himself, leaving his children stranded in the wilderness “with only their cunning to protect them” (Wayne’s World, 1992). Thus begins…WALKABOUT!

The title of the film refers to an Aboriginal rite of passage in which a young male is sent off to live in the bush for an extended period of time, forced to survive off of natural resources. After spending a night alone, the two abandoned kids happen to meet up with one of these boys and quickly realize that he seems to have his shit together when it comes to killing animals with a giant spear. They decide to team up and an unusual family bond is quickly formed as the three search for any sign of civilization. Roeg does occasionally cut away from the kids, spending some time with a research team losing a weather balloon — which is later found by the kids — and what seems to be some sort of outback sweatshop, employing Aboriginal workers to create Australian chotchkies. I suppose this is a comment on the effect of the ‘civilized’ world on these tribes. This cultural divide is continually explored throughout the film, sometimes in an almost heavy-handed, clumsy nature. In one instance, images of a downtown butcher hacking up chicken parts is intercut with graphic imagery of the Aboriginal boy hunting Kangaroos with his spear. To be honest, I could’ve done without some of this as I think the relationship between the three kids succeeds in expressing these exact themes in a much more subtle fashion.

Nicolas Roeg’s previous work as a cinematographer clearly informs Walkabout’s imagery (he photographed this film as well) as he manages to capture some striking shots of Australian wildlife that directly feed into the feverish and hypnotic nature of the film. Sound design also plays a huge role in shaping the atmosphere, with the sounds of scattering insects amplified ten fold. This film is definitely designed as an audio/visual experience. In many ways I was reminded of Gus Van Sant’s Gerry. Both films are hypnotic fever dreams that are in many ways designed to be experienced. Roeg is always aware of the geography of the outback, exploiting every odd animal and unusual landscape, massaging the audiences senses in an attempt to totally immerse the viewer. I found this cinematic engagement most successful when played straight as opposed to some of the abstract visual trickery employed through match cutting and multiple exposures. The urge to visualize the state of mind of these characters is almost unnecessary when the dire nature of their surroundings has bee so successfully communicated through the films more straightforward visual storytelling.

Criterion presents Walkabout in full 1080p, giving Roeg’s cinematography a much deserved high definition make-over. The films presentation is authentically grainy and the colours of the Australian outback are well represented. It’s like watching a brand new 35mm print on your television. No signs of any sort of digital artifacting or banding are present throughout. Criterion has provided some supplemental materials that have been carried over from their previous DVD release, including an audio commentary with director Nicolas Roeg and star Jenny Agutter, video interviews with Agutter and Luc Roeg, and a 2002 hour long documentary on the life of actor David Gulpilil.

Although the story may seem simple, there’s a lot going on in Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout. Some of it great, some of it a little heavy handed for my taste, but I couldn’t help but be engaged by the visceral nature of the journey.

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