Under the pretense of having a picnic, a geologist (John Meillon) takes his teenage daughter (Jenny Agutter) and 6-year-old son (Luc Roeg, director Nicolas’s son) into the Australian Outback and attempts to shoot them. When he fails, he turns the gun on himself, and the two city-bred children must contend with harsh wilderness alone. They are saved by a chance encounter with an Indigenous Australian boy (David Gulpilil in his groundbreaking film debut) on his “walkabout,” a ritual separation from his tribe. He shows them how to survive, and in the process underscores the disharmony between nature and modern life.
A tale of brutality and beauty, Walkabout has been described by acclaimed writer/director Alex Garland as “virtuoso filmmaking” and was included in Roger Ebert’s “Great Movies” list. For more of a behind-the-scenes look at the film, check out the Guardian‘s brief interview with actors Jenny Agutter and Luc Roeg, as well as a taped interview Agutter gave in 2008. You can also find a critical analysis of the film from the Criterion Collection with Paul Ryan’s piece “Walkabout: Landscapes of Memory.”
Be sure to see the film for yourself at IU Cinema this coming Tuesday, April 11!
“A towering work, painted from a palette of feelings and instincts words cannot do justice to.” — Leigh Paatsch, Herald Sun Australia
Walkabout will be screened at IU Cinema on April 11 as part of the Michael A. McRobbie’s Choice series. This screening will be preceded by an introduction from Chancellor Michael A. McRobbie.