Ah what a film to watch on a sweltering day, the heat floods off the screen and the arid imagery is enough to leave you gasping whatever the weather. Walkabout is quite simply a classic and one of many from the late, great director Nicolas Roeg. He seemed to do an incredible job of making films from literary sources and although his filmography is hardly extensive what a fantastic array of memorable movie’s he provided us with before sadly passing away in 2018. The titles speak for themselves Performance (1970), Walkabout (1971), Don’t Look Now (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Bad Timing (1980), and The Witches (1990). Working with rock stars and very talented actors, his films will never be forgotten. Following up from the fantastic 4K update of Don’t Look Now, whether you already own Walkabout on Blu-Ray or not there are plenty of reasons for double dipping. It’s been delayed for a month and that is due to some problems with one of the books which you get along with the film; the source novel written by James Vance Marshall, a facsimile copy of the original first draft script and a soft cover book with new writings.

Of course, you have probably seen the film itself. I first encountered it in class at high school, the context of why we saw it escapes but the haunting content never will. After jousting with Mick Jagger in Performance, Roeg takes us off to the barren outback of Australia. After a brief glimpse of bustling city life, it is a massive change of environment too. An unnamed brother and sister played by the director’s own son Luc Roeg and railway child Jenny Agutter are taken for a picnic in the middle of nowhere by their father John Meillon. It’s not a happy affair and the two kids are left stranded, the teenage girl having to look after the younger boy and try and survive the sprawling wilderness. Their only company is sunburn and the many fascinating creatures cohabiting the vast domain with them. Running out of supplies and suffering incredibly they are lucky enough to stumble across an oasis that does not prove to be a mirage but the odds are still packed very much against them as like everything here it dries up in this poisoned paradise. You could actually walk within a very short distance from a farm or some form of civilisation out here without even realising it. Luckily, they are stumbled across by an aboriginal boy (David Gulpilil) on his Walkabout, a passage to manhood undertaken as a spiritual quest. Although there are language barriers they manage to communicate on basic levels and he is well versed in survival skills and living off the land. Be warned, like the also superb 1971 outback odyssey which also stars John Meillon, Wake In Fright (Ted Kotcheff) some viewers may find scenes of animal slaughter hard to stomach.

Roeg’s cinematography is amazing as the camera wanders through nature bringing everything to life. Amidst it all are scenes of abandonment and decay as well as some off side stories about exploitation of the land and people, scientific exploration and a constant feel of sexuality and desire. This is a film that can be watched on many levels and there are plenty of hidden messages within the frame as well as some startling and haunting images. The eroticism broods into Jenny Agguter taking a naked dip in a scene akin to a water-painting and the heat leaps out the screen in more ways than just the obvious one. Accompanied by a gorgeous John Barry soundtrack along with some ambient parts that are similar to the works of Brain Eno and The Orb, the hazy visions of this dream-quest take on a hallucinatory fever dream that is splendidly acted out by the principal small, young cast.

There is a timeless quality here making this film every bit as relevant today as when it was made almost 40 years ago and naturally it looks and sounds fantastic. For those that have not seen the film be prepared for a gut-punch towards conclusion, perhaps not quite as shocking and visceral as delivered by Roeg in Don’t Look Now but not far off it. Of-course both Agguter and Gulpilil are now highly regarded veteran actors with many great and wonderful films to their names. It’s producer Luc Roeg’s one stint in front of the camera, yes, he very much grew up after this demanding role. The film will leave you with questions and answers will be provided possibly by repeat viewings and believe you me if you are watching for the 1st time you will find yourself drawn back to Walkabout again and again. For those that have already done so, the obvious question is what is unveiled by the extras?

Most of these are new apart from a brief introduction from the director and a big step up from the previous bare bones Universal blu-ray disc. First up producer Si Litvinoff states how it’s the favourite film he has worked on. Talk about the stars aligning Litvinoff met Roeg when he was cinematographer on Francois Truffaut’s wonderful adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and talks took place on Roeg actually in contention to direct Clockwork Orange. However, Roeg was infatuated with the book of Walkabout and really wanted to make that and after some complicated deals were made the rest was history. Declaring it a masterpiece that gets you right in the heart is something that I certainly wouldn’t dispute.

Next up ‘white boy’ Luc Roeg reflects on the amazing opportunity he had been given as child actor in the film. It was meant to be his brother playing the part but the time it took to it all to tie together he was too old. The small cast and crew made it a very intimate experience and states he bonded very well with 16-year-old Jenny Agutter like a real sister and he describes David Gulpilil as a magical character. Working conditions and distances between locations made things pretty extreme and the sunburn was not particularly scripted but ad-libbed into the film. An adventure and a gift for any young boy. We get a lengthier 20-minute chat with the lovely Jenny Agutter who luckily had to wait 2 years from when the prospect of playing the part was put to her originally by Roeg. 14 would definitely have been too young for some scenes and although she started off travelling out with her mother, she was embraced into the Roeg family, father, pregnant wife and 3 children. Sher describes it as like travelling with a circus and the film subtext as about a loss of innocence one that she grew up alongside with the making of it.

As Jenny Agutter, states the film had a profound effect on many film-makers and one of these is Danny Boyle who declares Nicolas Roeg as the greatest British director in the next segment. Admitting it’s an outrageous comment he compares that 70’s-80’s period of Roeg’s oeuvre as comparable to Picasso painting in his prime. Roeg’s artistic palette and setting of scenes are certainly like fantastic paintings and like them as mentioned stay in the mind long after you have seen them. The sound is another fantastic aspect of these films and this is another theme discussed with examples from Walkabout, leading to the consideration of the undiscovered potential of films. Did Roeg actually unlock some of these, very possibly? Finishing off with a 16-minute 2011 BFI Q&A with director Nicolas Roeg, actress Jenny Agutter, and actor Luc Roeg and of course a commentary track, the full limited edition 3000 pieces box set is likely to be gone in the blink of an eye. Of-course the film with extras will be available in a stand-alone set. This is a magical tale with plenty of thought and messages within it and I almost envy anyone seeing Walkabout for the 1st time as it will probably stay with you for life.

(Pete Woods)

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Walkabout Limited Edition: PRE ORDER – Available 31st August 2020