Review of Walkabout (1971) by Jeff D — 11 Aug 2010

Walkabout is a lovely Australian movie with all the surprising mystery and quirky appeal of a koala. Since I happen to adore koalas, I heartily recommend it. Without divulging spoilers, the title reveals the films context since it refers to two merged journeys: the tradition based aboriginal quest of Becoming and the subsequent story of a brother and sister lost in the outback after a puzzling tragic event.

Ironically, these two quests turn out to be essentially about the same thing. The film is filled with eroticism and metaphor. It has little dialogue and a moody sound track. I got caught up in it. Also, after reading some of the other reviews, I noticed that most did not take note of the clear erotic sub-text and the coming-of-age passages for Agutters character.

I didn't see it as modernity vs. old ways as much as a personal journey of Becoming.