Review of Walkabout: The Criterion Collection

Introduction

After finishing `Performance`, Nicolas Roeg decamped to Australia to begin his second film, his first as sole director. Based on James Vance Marshall`s novel and adapted by Edward Bond, `Walkabout` follows the travails of a brother and sister played Luc Roeg and Jenny Agutter. The children are left to fend for themselves in the Australian outback when their father tries to kill them, sets fire to their car and commits suicide. On the verge of dying of thirst, an Aborigine (David Gulpilil) on walkabout finds them and they join him on his rite of passage, sharing the food he finds and kills and the water he is able to extract from the harsh desert environment.

Entirely reliant on the Aborigine, the siblings, especially the girl, are unwilling to drop the brave face they are putting on and have difficulty communicating. The girl tries everything she knows to ask the Aborigine for water, but it takes her brother to point to his mouth and make swallowing noises before he understands what they want. Her mindset is perfectly summed-up in an earlier scene, when she tells her brother "Take care of your blazer, we don`t want people to think we`re tramps.", to which he responds "What people?" as the camera pans out to show how utterly alone they are.

Roeg explores the differences between the `civilised` and `savage` worlds and the cultural clash of Aborigines and urban dwellers. Using brilliant quick cuts, he juxtaposes the two worlds: cutting between the Aborigine killing of a kangaroo with an urban butcher chopping meat with a cleaver and showing Aborigines playing in the burnt out car whilst the white children amuse themselves by climbing in a tree, seemingly for the first time.

Video

Presented in Roeg`s preferred aspect ration of 1.77:1 and with a new digital transfer created from the 35mm interpositive, the transfer was approved by Roeg and shows only a small amount of detritus from the original source material. `Walkabout` is one of the most stunningly photographed films ever made. Roeg is a tremendous visual director and displays a superb use of mise-en-scène throughout, with expansive shots of the desert, close-ups of wildlife and the beauty and savagery of the outback.

Audio

The DD 2.0 English mono soundtrack, as with the picture, has been improved, taken from the 35mm magnetic soundtrack. The score is major feature of the film, featuring didgeridoo, strings and choral music.

The English HoH subtitles are clear and easy to read.

Features

The audio commentary by Nicolas Roeg and Jenny Agutter is an edit of two separately recorded commentaries, switching between the two as they describe their experience of filming and how they became involved in the project. It is an interesting and revealing commentary, with plenty of information to be gleaned.

The DVD also includes long and short versions of the theatrical trailer and an essay by Roger Ebert (as an insert) which is as well written and observant as you would expect from him.

Conclusion

On a simple level, this is a film about siblings who survive tragedy by meeting an Aborigine on walkabout. `Walkabout` is much more than that, as the teenagers become sexually aware and represent in microcosm urban repression versus the independence and freedom of the Australian natives. Roeg plays around with time, as the sun rises and sets, and you`re never quite sure as to the linear structure of the film and sequence of events.

Jenny Agutter is terrific as the uptight English schoolgirl who is either unaware of her feelings, or unwilling to acknowledge them. She is ably supported by Nicolas Roeg`s son, Luc and David Gulpilil, making their film debuts. All three are wonderful.

Nicolas Roeg has made some superb films, my favourite of which is `Don`t Look Now`, but `Walkabout` is a close second. This is a philosophical, poetic and hauntingly beautiful film, which stays with you long after it has finished. This Criterion Collection release gives the film the transfer it deserves and is well worth the extra money over the region 2 release.