Walkabout

Synopsis: A privileged British family consisting of a mother, a geologist father and an adolescent daughter and son, live in Sydney, Australia. Out of circumstance, the siblings, not knowing exactly where they are, get stranded in the Outback by themselves while on a picnic. They only have with them the clothes on their backs - their school uniforms - some meagre rations of nonperishable food, a battery-powered transistor radio, the son's satchel primarily containing his toys, and a small piece of cloth they used as their picnic drop-cloth. While they walk through the Outback, sometimes looking as though near death, they come across an Australian boy who is on his walkabout, a rite of passage into manhood where he spends months on end on his own living off the land. Their largest problem is not being able to verbally communicate. The boy does help them to survive, but doesn't understand their need to return to civilization, which may or may not happen based on what the Australian boy ends up doi
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Director(s): Nicolas Roeg
Production: 20th Century Fox
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
90%
GP
Year:
1971
100 min
571 Views


O, O, O, O,

Mm, O, mm, O,

Bu, bu, bu, bu, bu.

Ku, ku, ku, ku, ku.

A, E, I, O, U.

The "Ortolan" is the name given

to a European singing bird.

It is extremely rare.

When fattened for eating,

they are left in dark cardboard boxes,

and packets of grain are pressed to a hole

in the box, through which a light is shone.

The bird picks at the grain in the hope

of penetrating through to the light,

which he mistakes for the sun.

This goes on for several weeks.

When it has eaten itself so full

that it cannot stand or see,

it is drowned in cognac.

Gourmets regard it

as an exceptional delicacy.

You will find vinegar

is an acceptable substitute for cognac.

Stay there. Don't move.

Come on. Swim out.

Come on.

Further. Go on.

- Help!

- Stop.

Swim back.

- Not far.

- Watch, Dad.

Although there are a few of them

available in tins in the better shops now.

Give me the radio.

So you have to learn

to tell a fish knife from a meat knife,

and a fish fork

from a meat fork.

If there's no fish knife and fork, use

the smaller knife and fork for the fish.

- If you make a mistake, just continue eating.

- This one's red.

- Don't put the silver back on the tables.

- This one's yellow.

Be nonchalant.

- The place for the napkin is on the lap.

- This one's brown.

Please don't speak

with your mouth full, son.

The fish or meat will be served

to you on your left side.

- This one's green.

- Take the serving fork in your left hand...

- This one's white.

- and the serving spoon in your right.

- Oh, there's another red one.

- Don't use your fingers-

You stopped again.

Come back!

He's all right.

Don't go out of sight!

We'll eat now.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! You're dead!

I'm hot!

The wheel's come off!

Dad, my wheel's come off.

The wheel's come off.

- Chicken or ham?

- Both!

I think I know now

what's making me sad

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

- It's ready.

- Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Quick, men! Duck!

Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

You're dead!

That's not fair!

He'll get away!

You're supposed to be on my side!

Shhh. Come on.

What are you doing?

Come on!

And bring him with you.

It's getting late.

I've got to go now.

We can't waste time.

Come out now!

We have got to go now!

I... have got to go now.

Can't- Can't waste time.

We can't-

Come out now!

Stay here.

What happened?

He said we were

to go on ahead.

But he said I wasn't

to go out of his sight.

He'll catch us up later.

Do you know where to go?

Yes, of course.

This way.

Who saw him die

I, said the fly

With my little eye

I saw him die

It's getting dark, isn't it?

Pass me that.

Aren't you tired?

A bit.

- Are we going to stay here all night?

- If you'd like.

Yes, please.

But we didn't bring any blankets.

I don't think

I'm really tired yet.

Where are you going?

In the bushes.

Whoo, whoo, whoo.

Lizards!

What you looking at?

I'm looking for a light.

Why? There won't be

anybody there.

It's time you went to sleep. You've

got to be up early in the morning.

I'm going to sleep here.

Shall we take turns

at being sentries?

- No.

- Oh.

We haven't even got

any water, have we?

There's plenty of lemonade.

You'll have some in the morning.

Are you all right?

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Wasn't it nice last night?

Did you like it?

- Yes.

- I had a dream.

I know.

You kept fidgeting.

You're dropping everything.

- What?

- The ammunition's falling out.

I tore my blazer.

It doesn't matter.

Come on.

Won't tell Dad, will you?

No.

What's up here?

We can see where we are

from the top.

Well, where are we now?

We've just got

to climb that one.

- But you said-

- Then we can see where we are.

- But you said-

- Come on. I'll race you.

Oh, my legs ache!

There's the sea!

It's the sea!

A peaceful sea, isn't it?

Maybe.

What sea is it?

What's its name?

I don't really know.

Beneath the granite

and basaltic crust...

is the mantle

of iron magnesium...

and possibly

a sulfide and oxide shell,

an outer core

of molten nickel iron-

You must have lost it

when we were going up the cliff...

to find out

where we were.

I told you it was

all falling out.

Are you sure it isn't

in your satchel?

Yes!

Apart from the scientific explanation,

the expectation that the world-

that is, that human society...

- will someday come to an end...

- It isn't there.

- leads me to believe that man is more...

- I've made a hole!

- than the complement of root and matter.

- Look.

- Go on. Have a drink.

- It is he who imparts dignity to the planet in which he lives,

- although not receiving importance from it.

- Leave some for me.

The idea that man has passed

through 10,000 years of trials,

in order that there might be, at last, a

perpetual succession of comfortable shopkeepers-

- I was listening.

- We mustn't waste the batteries.

Dad said they last

for 400 hours.

- Are you hungry?

- Not yet.

We ought to eat some salt.

Why?

Uncle Ted said, when they

were soldiers in the desert...

they always

had to eat salt.

It doesn't taste salty.

What are you doing?

I mustn't step

in your steps.

That means we won't

get home by tonight.

I'm fed up.

No, you're not.

Come on.

I'll tell you

what we'll do.

You walk in all the ridges,

and I'll practice my voice lessons.

Pu, pu, pu, pu, pu. Pu, pu, pu.

Pu, pu, pu, pu,

pu, pu, pu, pu.

Pu, pu, pu, pu...

pu... pu... pu.

Do you want a drink?

No. I'm not sweating now.

Oh, come back!

I can't walk down there!

It isn't fair!

Oh, please make him come.

I'm not coming back.

We've got to get on.

It's late.

I'm going now.

Please, please try.

It can't be much further.

It's silly to give in now.

It's getting late.

We've got to go.

We can't waste time.

I'll carry you for a bit.

You're awake now.

I'm what?

If you're awake,

you should try and walk.

You should try and help me.

I'm trapped too.

Look! What's that?

- What?

- That.

Who'll sing my song

I, said the dove

As she sat on a bush

I'll sing your song

You said you were

too tired to walk.

It tastes lovely.

It's all right.

The birds are eating it.

It tastes like meat.

Today is Armistice Day.

At 12:
00, there will be

a three-minute silence...

followed by a service

of remembrance.

Meanwhile, we rejoin Captain Steele

and Dusty, counteragents,

in another episode of "Enemy. "

Does drinking give you

a big, red, fat nose?

- Why?

- I was just wondering.

I've only been

over this road once before-

Is that why Dad's nose

is all freckly?

I don't know.

I've got a fly

without any wings in my cap.

The bridge is blown!

Brake, Captain! brake!

Did our car crash?

You must look after your blazer.

It's got to last.

Yes, Skipper, I'm okay.

We don't want people thinking

we're a couple of tramps.

What people?

Did dad tear his clothes?

Perhaps that's why

he sent us on.

And you've put a hole

in your pocket.

When are we going there?

- Where?

- Back home.

In a few days.

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Edward Bond

Edward Bond (born 18 July 1934) is an English playwright, theatre director, poet, theorist and screenwriter. He is the author of some fifty plays, among them Saved (1965), the production of which was instrumental in the abolition of theatre censorship in the UK. Bond is broadly considered one among the major living dramatists but he has always been and remains highly controversial because of the violence shown in his plays, the radicalism of his statements about modern theatre and society, and his theories on drama. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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