Walkabout
Director: Nicolas Roeg
In order to showcase the limits of civilisation, Walkabout contrasts modern civilisation with the harsh Australian landscapes. A fourteen year old girl and her little brother lost in Australia's outback after their father attempts to murder them before committing suicide. They are saved from certain death when they encounter a teenage aboriginal boy on his walkabout.
Slowly the girl and her brother acclimatise to a more innocent lifestyle, and the three develop a bond. Throughout the movie, related scenes in civilization and the outback are contrasted. Despite all three taking something from the experience, it is the young boy who learns the most. He learns to communicate with their saviour, while the older two never truly attempt to learn about each other and suffer as a consequence.
Walkabout was the movie that put Australian cinema on the road to recovery. Very unique and thought provoking, it laid the groundwork for a series of art house movies that are still celebrated today as pioneering works of Australian culture.
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