Walkabout (1971)

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Edward Bond
James Vance Marshall (novel)

Release Date:

1 July 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

A boy and girl face the challenge of the world's last frontier. Dangers they had never known before... A people they had never seen before...

Plot:

Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own. They...

Plot Keywords:

Walkabout | Tribe | Australian Outback | Flashback | Kangaroo

Awards:

1 nomination

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

Directed by
Nicolas Roeg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Bond
James Vance Marshall		novel

Produced by
Anthony J. Hope	....	associate producer
Si Litvinoff	....	producer
Max L. Raab	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Nicolas Roeg

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs
Alan Pattillo

Production Design by
Brian Eatwell

Art Direction by
Terry Gough

Makeup Department
Linda Richmond	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Grahame Jennings	....	production manager
Irving Zeiger	....	associate production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin Kavanagh	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Barry Brown	....	location sound mixer
Gerry Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer
Kevin Kearney	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Dean Goodhill	....	still photographer
Peter Hannan	....	focus puller
Mike Molloy	....	camera operator
Anthony B. Richmond	....	special photographer (as Tony Richmond)
Dean Goodhill	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Brian Mann	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Phil Ramone	....	music producer
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Other crew
Annabel Davis-Goff	....	continuity
Barbara Burleigh	....	production coordinator: on location (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Si Litvinoff Film Production

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• 4 Front Video (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• Siren Entertainment (1999) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Siren Entertainment (1999) (Australia) (VHS) (Special Edition)
• Universal Pictures (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• AV Channel (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Cable Hogue Co. (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Broadway (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD) (blu-ray)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (199?) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Janus Films (197?) (worldwide) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (????) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min | USA:100 min (1997 reissue) | USA:95 min (original version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Czech | Aboriginal

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M (DVD) | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (video rating: 2000) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:GP (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Company:

Si Litvinoff Film Production

Trivia:

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

Goofs:

Continuity: Jenny's stockings variously disappear and reappear with no continuity. It seems earlier scenes with her wearing them are intermingled with later scenes where she doesn't wear them.

Quotes:

The Girl:We're English! English, do you understand? This is Australia, yes? Where is Adelaide?
White Boy:Ask him for water!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sneak Previews: Fade to Black/The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith/The Idolmaker/Every Man for Himself" (1980)

Soundtrack:

Gasoline Alley

The Australian outback comes alive.

Superb cinematography, the Australian outback comes alive in this film of self discovery and regret. Agutter plays the English girl brilliantly, incapable of comprehending anybody or anything that doesn't conform to her middle-class values and upbringing. Roeg is also excellent as her brother, adapting to each and every change in circumstance as only children can. I have watched this movie many times, and always get something new from it. Highly recommended to anyone, although parents might want to watch it before letting their kids see it.