Walkabout (1971)

Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own. They meet an Aborigine on "walkabout": a ritualistic separation from his tribe.

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Edward Bond, James Vance Marshall (novel)

Stars:

Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, David Gulpilil

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jenny Agutter	...	Girl
Luc Roeg	...	White Boy (as Lucien John)
David Gulpilil	...	Black Boy (as David Gumpilil)
John Meillon	...	Man
Robert McDarra	...	Man (as Robert McDara)
Peter Carver	...	No Hoper (as Pete Carver)
John Illingsworth	...	Young Man
Hilary Bamberger	...	Woman
Barry Donnelly	...	Australian Scientist
Noeline Brown	...	German Scientist (as Noelene Brown)
Carlo Manchini	...	Italian Scientist

Storyline

Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own. They meet an Aborigine on "walkabout": a ritualistic separation from his tribe.

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Plot Keywords:

tribe | walkabout | australian outback | fly | snake | 

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Taglines:

Filmed in its entirety in the Australian wilderness

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Czech Aboriginal

Release Date:

1 July 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Longa Caminhada

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Si Litvinoff Film Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 100 min (1997 reissue) 95 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward Bond's screenplay ran to a mere 14 pages. The film was largely improvised.

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Goofs

The girl asks to be taken to the city of Adelaide, the children's destination in the novel. However, the city shown at the start and end of the film is clearly Sydney, which is several thousand kilometers (and two states) away from Adelaide.

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Quotes

The Girl: I expect we're the first white people he's seen.

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Crazy Credits

Opening caption: "In Australia when an Aborigine man-child reaches sixteen, he is sent out into the land. For months he must live from it. Sleep on it. Eat of its fruit and flesh. Stay alive. Even if it means killing his fellow creatures. The Aborigines call it the Walkabout. This is the story of a Walkabout."

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Connections

Referenced in Celebrity Naked Ambition (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Los Angeles"
Warren Marley

User Reviews

Beautiful lead character and a film with a subtle message

I first remember seeing this film as a late teenager in about 1979. Therefore what most vividly stuck in my mind was the lead character played by a beautiful blonde English girl, Jenny Agutter, Specifically the nude scenes of her swimming and washing.

On a less superficial level it is a film with a point-something along the lines of the graciousness of Aborigines and their ability to live in harsh surrounds, and the destructive nature of suburban life in a flat in a major city.

I think it would be a film, like Jedda, that will always be on reference for the Australian Outback, Aboriginals and the modern society which brought a European civilisation to their land.