list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Walkabout on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Walkabout/77983/default.aspx Title: Walkabout
Year: 1971
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Plot: The contrast between modern, urban civilization and life in the natural world lies at the heart of Nicolas Roeg's visually dazzling drama Walkabout. In broad outline, the plot might resemble a standard fish-out-of-water tale: two city children become stranded in the Australian outback, and struggle to find their way back to civilization with the help of a friendly aborigine boy. But Roeg and screenwriter Edward Bond are concerned with far more than the average wilderness drama, as a shocking act of violence near the story's beginning makes clear. This is particularly true in regards to the relationship between the white children and the aborigine boy, who ultimately develops a troubled romantic attraction towards the older sister. Obviously intended as a statement on the exploitation of the natural world and native cultures by European civilization, the film nevertheless maintains an evocative vagueness that usually -- but not always -- favors poetry over didacticism. Most importantly, the film's justifiably acclaimed cinematography is likely to sway even those who find fault with the film's narrative and message. The shift between the sterile city images and the truly stunning, beautifully composed Australian landscapes provide the film's single best argument, making the film a vivid and convincing experience. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 24
Number of Lists: 18
Number of blog posts: 8
Number of discussion threads: 2
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:09:31 GMTWalkabout1971Nicolas RoegThe contrast between modern, urban civilization and life in the natural world lies at the heart of <a href="/players/P___108672/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nicolas Roeg</a>'s visually dazzling drama Walkabout. In broad outline, the plot might resemble a standard fish-out-of-water tale: two city children become stranded in the Australian outback, and struggle to find their way back to civilization with the help of a friendly aborigine boy. But Roeg and screenwriter Edward Bond are concerned with far more than the average wilderness drama, as a shocking act of violence near the story's beginning makes clear. This is particularly true in regards to the relationship between the white children and the aborigine boy, who ultimately develops a troubled romantic attraction towards the older sister. Obviously intended as a statement on the exploitation of the natural world and native cultures by European civilization, the film nevertheless maintains an evocative vagueness that usually -- but not always -- favors poetry over didacticism. Most importantly, the film's justifiably acclaimed cinematography is likely to sway even those who find fault with the film's narrative and message. The shift between the sterile city images and the truly stunning, beautifully composed Australian landscapes provide the film's single best argument, making the film a vivid and convincing experience. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide24Tag Target (>10)18823http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t00953agapl.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Walkabout/77983/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/sci-fi-4/archive/2008/1/22/24214.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 5/1/2009 11:23:18 AM
Body: [quote user="robertsmor"] As for Logan's Run...always been a guilty pleasure of mine ever since I saw it in the theater when I was seven and was blown away by the fact that I got to see boobs in a PG flick (during the Love Shop sequence). Quite educational in that sense![/quote] Logan's Run is a pleasure for me as well! Although I rarely feel guilty for liking the movies I do. Jenny Agutter is just really attractive here. I was surprised when I looked her up and realized she was the same girl from Walkabout. I guess there has been a new adaptation of Logan's Run in the works for a while now, but I'm not sure if it's going anywhere. Anyone see the TV series or read the original book? I'm curious.
]]>Fri, 01 May 2009 15:23:18 GMTRisseladasci-fi5/1/2009 11:23:18 AM[quote user="robertsmor"] As for Logan's Run...always been a guilty pleasure of mine ever since I saw it in the theater when I was seven and was blown away by the fact that I got to see boobs in a PG flick (during the Love Shop sequence). Quite educational in that sense![/quote] Logan's Run is a pleasure for me as well! Although I rarely feel guilty for liking the movies I do. Jenny Agutter is just really attractive here. I was surprised when I looked her up and realized she was the same girl from Walkabout. I guess there has been a new adaptation of Logan's Run in the works for a while now, but I'm not sure if it's going anywhere. Anyone see the TV series or read the original book? I'm curious. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40717.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:02:08 PM
Body: In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:02:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:02:08 PM In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/2/27/40678.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:01:09 PM
Body: In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:01:09 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com2/27/2009 6:01:09 PM In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul Moore http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/Re_Australia_and_all_things_Australian/591/38213/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 12/10/2008 5:29:36 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"]One of Hugo Weaving's pre-Matrix performances was brilliant in The Interview [/quote] YEAH! The Interview is probably my favorite movie out of Australia. And it's one of the few movies I rented totally at random without any knowledge of at all before. This was back when I had slightly more free time and was able to rent like 10 movies per week for free at our public library. The Mad Max series has to be the most successful and well known movies to come out of Australia (this is my assumption). The Road Warrior may be my favorite action film. Ten Canoes was a movie I received from the Spout mavens program and was quite a different movie from anything I'd seen before. I recommend that one. And another film that features aborigines that is pretty famous is Walkabout, a movie that I thought was good, but not the greatest.
]]>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:29:36 GMTRisseladaFriends of Foreign Flicks12/10/2008 5:29:36 PM[quote user="leeroy711"]One of Hugo Weaving's pre-Matrix performances was brilliant in The Interview [/quote] YEAH! The Interview is probably my favorite movie out of Australia. And it's one of the few movies I rented totally at random without any knowledge of at all before. This was back when I had slightly more free time and was able to rent like 10 movies per week for free at our public library. The Mad Max series has to be the most successful and well known movies to come out of Australia (this is my assumption). The Road Warrior may be my favorite action film. Ten Canoes was a movie I received from the Spout mavens program and was quite a different movie from anything I'd seen before. I recommend that one. And another film that features aborigines that is pretty famous is Walkabout, a movie that I thought was good, but not the greatest. http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/12/28631.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/12/2008 12:01:51 PM
Body: We are told from a title card that a walkabout is a ritual undergone by adolescent male Aborigines (the native people of Australia) on their path to adulthood. The teenager is given a certain distance to walk, where he must entirely live off the land, with no assistance from his tribe. That sounded like a great premise for a movie, but when the film opened I was surprised to find that the opening of the film follows two white kids as they go on a picnic in the desert. And like so many films with racial themes, Walkabout falls into a trap. It wants to be about the journey of an Aboriginal boy turning into a man, but Roeg apparently feels that an audience needs a white protagonist. We didn't and it dilutes the movie's power. The two white kids (no character is in the movie is named, so I'll have to be general) are British, traveling with their father (John Melion) by car across the Australian outback. They stop for a picnic for lunch, and the father tries to kill the children, for reasons unexplained. When he fails he pours gasoline over themselves and the car and lights a match. Right here we have a problem. This plot twist is so unexpected and so poorly handled that it is completely unbelievable. Even beyond that, the kids seem amazingly unphazed by these events. Reason: it was just a plot device to get the kids trapped in the outback. The teenaged girl (Jenny Agutter) and her younger brother (Lucien John) begin a directionless walk across the desert, and nearly die of thirst until the reach an oasis, which also soon dries up. They are about ready to despair until they meet an Aboriginal teenager (David Gulpilil) on his walkabout. He saves their lives by showing them how to find water (just did for it, it's right underground). He hunts lizards and kangaroo for the two Europeans, and despite the fact they don't speak each others language, they quickly develop a bond. This is especially pronounced between the Aboginal and the girl, who skinny dip together in a lake. At this point, I wondered if the movie was going to develop into some kind of romance between the two, which could have been an interesting idea, but the movie doesn't go that way. Instead, it has a somewhat confusing and certainly ambiguous ending that's just frustrating. The problem is basically that the movie isn't fair to its subject. If its about the Aboriginal on his walkabout, why isn't his dialogue subtitled? Why does the movie always take perspective of the white people? And if these white people are in the movie at all, why aren't they more upset that their father is dead and just tried to kill them?! I am giving the movie a tacit recommendation mainly because of the cinematography, which is also by Roeg. It is absolutely gorgeous and you could easily take a still of most shots and hang it in an art galley. Despite the fact the movie isn't brave enough to make him the protagonist, Gulpilil, Australia's foremost Aboriginal actor, is excellent. Gulpilil has such a strong and charismatic screen presence that it's a real shame he's not given the range of roles he deserves, but he's always a pleasure to watch. Perhaps I have been to hard on the movie. Walkabout does not live up to its reputation as a classic, but is a good movie, rarely boring and interesting for its running length. But it should have had the guts to be what it claims to be. Walkabout (1971)
]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 16:01:51 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/12/2008 12:01:51 PMWe are told from a title card that a walkabout is a ritual undergone by adolescent male Aborigines (the native people of Australia) on their path to adulthood. The teenager is given a certain distance to walk, where he must entirely live off the land, with no assistance from his tribe. That sounded like a great premise for a movie, but when the film opened I was surprised to find that the opening of the film follows two white kids as they go on a picnic in the desert. And like so many films with racial themes, Walkabout falls into a trap. It wants to be about the journey of an Aboriginal boy turning into a man, but Roeg apparently feels that an audience needs a white protagonist. We didn't and it dilutes the movie's power. The two white kids (no character is in the movie is named, so I'll have to be general) are British, traveling with their father (John Melion) by car across the Australian outback. They stop for a picnic for lunch, and the father tries to kill the children, for reasons unexplained. When he fails he pours gasoline over themselves and the car and lights a match. Right here we have a problem. This plot twist is so unexpected and so poorly handled that it is completely unbelievable. Even beyond that, the kids seem amazingly unphazed by these events. Reason: it was just a plot device to get the kids trapped in the outback. The teenaged girl (Jenny Agutter) and her younger brother (Lucien John) begin a directionless walk across the desert, and nearly die of thirst until the reach an oasis, which also soon dries up. They are about ready to despair until they meet an Aboriginal teenager (David Gulpilil) on his walkabout. He saves their lives by showing them how to find water (just did for it, it's right underground). He hunts lizards and kangaroo for the two Europeans, and despite the fact they don't speak each others language, they quickly develop a bond. This is especially pronounced between the Aboginal and the girl, who skinny dip together in a lake. At this point, I wondered if the movie was going to develop into some kind of romance between the two, which could have been an interesting idea, but the movie doesn't go that way. Instead, it has a somewhat confusing and certainly ambiguous ending that's just frustrating. The problem is basically that the movie isn't fair to its subject. If its about the Aboriginal on his walkabout, why isn't his dialogue subtitled? Why does the movie always take perspective of the white people? And if these white people are in the movie at all, why aren't they more upset that their father is dead and just tried to kill them?! I am giving the movie a tacit recommendation mainly because of the cinematography, which is also by Roeg. It is absolutely gorgeous and you could easily take a still of most shots and hang it in an art galley. Despite the fact the movie isn't brave enough to make him the protagonist, Gulpilil, Australia's foremost Aboriginal actor, is excellent. Gulpilil has such a strong and charismatic screen presence that it's a real shame he's not given the range of roles he deserves, but he's always a pleasure to watch. Perhaps I have been to hard on the movie. Walkabout does not live up to its reputation as a classic, but is a good movie, rarely boring and interesting for its running length. But it should have had the guts to be what it claims to be. Walkabout (1971) http://www.spout.com/blogs/jscott/archive/2008/4/5/26986.aspx Post By: JScott
Post To: JScott Blog
Post Date: 4/5/2008 2:39:32 PM
Body: Mother of Mine is a film that focuses on the unseen impacts of war. Eero [Topi Majaniemi] is a Swedish child sent to live in Denmark after his father dies in the war and his mother gives up on life. He is taken in by a mother who isn't excited to have him and a father who wants nothing more than for Eero to be able to adapt and thrive. He takes Eero to school where they call him the "war child" which is all he knows about his identity anymore. It takes over his life. All he imagines are air raids.Every actor in this film is much more than capable. Personally I think the acting is the biggest strength of the entire film. Klaus Haro mixes the strength of the acting with the natural beauty and depth of the Finnish landscape.I am in the camp of people who believe the flash forwards take away from the film more than they add. I think the story would flow better and perhaps have more impact if it weren't for the disjointed feeling the flash forwards evoke.I think this film would make an interesting double feature with Koreeda's Nobody Knows about a mother who gives up on her children and leaves them to raise themselves without taking their lives into consideration. There are many great films about troubling childhoods. Anything from Francois Truffaut or the country of Iran would be a nice start. I will also always recommend seeing Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout as it might be my absolute favorite coming of age tale. I also am drawn to its colonizing undertones.I think Mother of Mine fits well into the childhood genre and lives up to the high expectations I have for such films and for this film because I had heard so much positive reaction going into it.
]]>Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:39:32 GMTJScottJScott Blog4/5/2008 2:39:32 PMMother of Mine is a film that focuses on the unseen impacts of war. Eero [Topi Majaniemi] is a Swedish child sent to live in Denmark after his father dies in the war and his mother gives up on life. He is taken in by a mother who isn&#39;t excited to have him and a father who wants nothing more than for Eero to be able to adapt and thrive. He takes Eero to school where they call him the &quot;war child&quot; which is all he knows about his identity anymore. It takes over his life. All he imagines are air raids.Every actor in this film is much more than capable. Personally I think the acting is the biggest strength of the entire film. Klaus Haro mixes the strength of the acting with the natural beauty and depth of the Finnish landscape.I am in the camp of people who believe the flash forwards take away from the film more than they add. I think the story would flow better and perhaps have more impact if it weren&#39;t for the disjointed feeling the flash forwards evoke.I think this film would make an interesting double feature with Koreeda&#39;s Nobody Knows about a mother who gives up on her children and leaves them to raise themselves without taking their lives into consideration. There are many great films about troubling childhoods. Anything from Francois Truffaut or the country of Iran would be a nice start. I will also always recommend seeing Nicolas Roeg&#39;s Walkabout as it might be my absolute favorite coming of age tale. I also am drawn to its colonizing undertones.I think Mother of Mine fits well into the childhood genre and lives up to the high expectations I have for such films and for this film because I had heard so much positive reaction going into it. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jscott/archive/2007/9/26/20167.aspx Post By: JScott
Post To: JScott Blog
Post Date: 9/26/2007 6:46:01 PM
Body: Back in 2006 I was in Telluride, Colorado for the 33rd Annual Telluride Film Festival which gave their silver medals (for lifetime achievment essentially) to both Penelope Cruz and Rolf de Heer. Penelope's tribute had lines around the theatre and had people turned away. The one for Rolf was in a tiny venue (known as the Sheraton Opera House) that sat maybe 100 people. The show wasn't sold out and we were led into the event by watching clips from Rolf's other films Bad Boy Bubby and a few others. While they seemed very gritty and true, they also kind of turned me off of this man's work. Though I do appreciate that he wanted to take a look at the love life/sexual desires of the developmentally challenged. Long story longer, Ten Canoes was my favorite film of the fesitval, even going head-to-head with Pedro Almodovar's (my favorite living director) Volver. It is a fable about life, death and the constant desire to be older than you are ready to be. The story is told by a narrator (David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu, the aboriginal boy from Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout) and spans two seperate life cycles. Not only is the tale inciteful but the real life canoe making is interesting to watch. Ten Canoes is the first film ever made to only be made in an aboriginal language which celebrates their heritage and culture, both which are dying. The film is warm, funny and at times shocking. These "uncivilized" people aren't much different from you, me or anyone else in your city. They all want to love and be loved, they all have vices and they think farting is funny and in this film it very much is. The subtleties in the camera work (including, but limited to, the exact picture drawn on the chest of Minygululu [Peter Minygululu] the elder matches the area where his soul is deposited, waiting to be reincarnated). The use of the same actor (Jamie Dayindi Gulpilil Dalaithngu) in two story lines infact shows that cyclical nature of their beliefs and other the film. Also not to mention that he is the younger brother of the narrator who is telling the story of "his ancestors." This film is an incredible oppertunity to see into a culture that most of us will never have a chance to witness. This film would make an incredible double-feature with the previously mentioned Walkabout (or The Tracker) if anyone is interested in a wholely Australian experience. This film may not have the complexity and depth of Walkabout but it shines in other ways and is very much worth a viewing. I have absolutely no reservations about giving this film 5 stars.
]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:46:01 GMTJScottJScott Blog9/26/2007 6:46:01 PMBack in 2006 I was in Telluride, Colorado for the 33rd Annual Telluride Film Festival which gave their silver medals (for lifetime achievment essentially) to both Penelope Cruz and Rolf de Heer. Penelope's tribute had lines around the theatre and had people turned away. The one for Rolf was in a tiny venue (known as the Sheraton Opera House) that sat maybe 100 people. The show wasn't sold out and we were led into the event by watching clips from Rolf's other films Bad Boy Bubby and a few others. While they seemed very gritty and true, they also kind of turned me off of this man's work. Though I do appreciate that he wanted to take a look at the love life/sexual desires of the developmentally challenged. Long story longer, Ten Canoes was my favorite film of the fesitval, even going head-to-head with Pedro Almodovar's (my favorite living director) Volver. It is a fable about life, death and the constant desire to be older than you are ready to be. The story is told by a narrator (David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu, the aboriginal boy from Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout) and spans two seperate life cycles. Not only is the tale inciteful but the real life canoe making is interesting to watch. Ten Canoes is the first film ever made to only be made in an aboriginal language which celebrates their heritage and culture, both which are dying. The film is warm, funny and at times shocking. These "uncivilized" people aren't much different from you, me or anyone else in your city. They all want to love and be loved, they all have vices and they think farting is funny and in this film it very much is. The subtleties in the camera work (including, but limited to, the exact picture drawn on the chest of Minygululu [Peter Minygululu] the elder matches the area where his soul is deposited, waiting to be reincarnated). The use of the same actor (Jamie Dayindi Gulpilil Dalaithngu) in two story lines infact shows that cyclical nature of their beliefs and other the film. Also not to mention that he is the younger brother of the narrator who is telling the story of "his ancestors." This film is an incredible oppertunity to see into a culture that most of us will never have a chance to witness. This film would make an incredible double-feature with the previously mentioned Walkabout (or The Tracker) if anyone is interested in a wholely Australian experience. This film may not have the complexity and depth of Walkabout but it shines in other ways and is very much worth a viewing. I have absolutely no reservations about giving this film 5 stars. http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2007/9/11/19683.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 9/11/2007 3:57:00 PM
Body: Ten Canoes is my favorite Spout Mavens screener if I have watched so far.I saw a little blurb about it from a Spout blog a month or two giving high praise to director Rolf de Heer as something like the most important director working right now. It was a shockingly definitive statement from what I recall. I think it was from Paul (Paul where have you been lately? I haven't seen a post from you in any of the groups for several months). Looking at his credits there were some movies that interested me a bit more than Ten Canoes though. Bad Boy Bubby looks potentially right up my alley actually. So I was hoping that I wouldn't be potentially be turned off to him by one movie when I may like some of his other ones.The only think I could think about when looking at the cover of this movie and hearing the description was the movie Walkabout. After watching Ten Canoes I read all of the other Spout Maven reviews, and I'm incredibly surprised that no one else has mentioned Walkabout as another movie featuring aborigines yet. I did find that movie to be fairly good, but I didn't know if I could stand another movie that was much more like it. But I should have expected that a movie made from entirely within the perspective of the aboriginal culture would not be as bleak and menacing as many portions of Walkabout.It was fascinating reading other Mavens' reviews of this film. Many saw the exact same things and had totally opposite intrinsic reactions. Some people liked the humorous elements, some of them thought they were completely fake. At the very beginning of the movie with the narration I thought I was going to be put off. But I was lulled in.Some people remarked on how the story took too long with too many breaks, even though the movie self-consciously acknowledged that it is being told to someone who feels the same way. And it is essentially saying that if you as a viewer feel the same way, then you are in need of the same lesson as Jamie Gulpilil's character. But many reviewers have gone above and beyond that and said, they still don't buy it. I'm not sure what kind of movie they think this is, but to me it's one where you lay back and enjoy the scenery and get immersed into a world. It certainly isn't a world of nicely packaged, heavily edited products that are delivered to you in short time spans, the way we receive most of our narratives and entertainment. What is the point in rushing a story when you have all day to hear it?At the same time you come to realize pretty quickly that people of this society have the same dynamics, emotions, vices and everything else that we do. There are some pretty colorful characters. Birrinbirrin and his obsession for honey is one of my favorite. Everyone has their own agenda that often gets in each other's way in often tragicomic ways. I am just realizing this! It is a lot like a Coen brothers film! Maybe not quite, but I think it touches on those elements that make stories and characters like that so interesting to me.A lot of people also complained about the black and white portions of this movie. One practical complaint was that it was difficult to read the subtitles, but I don't remember that being an issue for me. Maybe they should adjust the contrast on their screen. Someone else complained that the function of this in order to remind you which of the two stories you were in was unnecessary. I did not think so. The fact that one actor played a person in each story would have made me potential confused. Also someone complained that it didn't look as beautiful in black and white and that it made the color scenes look all the more beautiful in contrast. What is the problem there!? That sounds like a good technique to me!In the future I am quite excited to see more films from de Heer. And am slightly more excited about future screeners from Spout.Rating: 8/10
]]>Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:57:00 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog9/11/2007 3:57:00 PMTen Canoes is my favorite Spout Mavens screener if I have watched so far.I saw a little blurb about it from a Spout blog a month or two giving high praise to director Rolf de Heer as something like the most important director working right now. It was a shockingly definitive statement from what I recall. I think it was from Paul (Paul where have you been lately? I haven&#39;t seen a post from you in any of the groups for several months). Looking at his credits there were some movies that interested me a bit more than Ten Canoes though. Bad Boy Bubby looks potentially right up my alley actually. So I was hoping that I wouldn&#39;t be potentially be turned off to him by one movie when I may like some of his other ones.The only think I could think about when looking at the cover of this movie and hearing the description was the movie Walkabout. After watching Ten Canoes I read all of the other Spout Maven reviews, and I&#39;m incredibly surprised that no one else has mentioned Walkabout as another movie featuring aborigines yet. I did find that movie to be fairly good, but I didn&#39;t know if I could stand another movie that was much more like it. But I should have expected that a movie made from entirely within the perspective of the aboriginal culture would not be as bleak and menacing as many portions of Walkabout.It was fascinating reading other Mavens&#39; reviews of this film. Many saw the exact same things and had totally opposite intrinsic reactions. Some people liked the humorous elements, some of them thought they were completely fake. At the very beginning of the movie with the narration I thought I was going to be put off. But I was lulled in.Some people remarked on how the story took too long with too many breaks, even though the movie self-consciously acknowledged that it is being told to someone who feels the same way. And it is essentially saying that if you as a viewer feel the same way, then you are in need of the same lesson as Jamie Gulpilil&#39;s character. But many reviewers have gone above and beyond that and said, they still don&#39;t buy it. I&#39;m not sure what kind of movie they think this is, but to me it&#39;s one where you lay back and enjoy the scenery and get immersed into a world. It certainly isn&#39;t a world of nicely packaged, heavily edited products that are delivered to you in short time spans, the way we receive most of our narratives and entertainment. What is the point in rushing a story when you have all day to hear it?At the same time you come to realize pretty quickly that people of this society have the same dynamics, emotions, vices and everything else that we do. There are some pretty colorful characters. Birrinbirrin and his obsession for honey is one of my favorite. Everyone has their own agenda that often gets in each other&#39;s way in often tragicomic ways. I am just realizing this! It is a lot like a Coen brothers film! Maybe not quite, but I think it touches on those elements that make stories and characters like that so interesting to me.A lot of people also complained about the black and white portions of this movie. One practical complaint was that it was difficult to read the subtitles, but I don&#39;t remember that being an issue for me. Maybe they should adjust the contrast on their screen. Someone else complained that the function of this in order to remind you which of the two stories you were in was unnecessary. I did not think so. The fact that one actor played a person in each story would have made me potential confused. Also someone complained that it didn&#39;t look as beautiful in black and white and that it made the color scenes look all the more beautiful in contrast. What is the problem there!? That sounds like a good technique to me!In the future I am quite excited to see more films from de Heer. And am slightly more excited about future screeners from Spout.Rating: 8/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/jscott/archive/2007/7/6/13266.aspx Post By: JScott
Post To: JScott Blog
Post Date: 7/6/2007 3:07:52 PM
Body: Walkabout If Dr. Emmett Brown slid his DeLorean into my driveway and said, “Grab your duffle bag Marty, we’re going back… to the future” I would first tell him my name is not Marty, and then I would grab Nicolas Roeg’s masterpiece Walkabout, pull down the passenger door, buckle up and prepare to be dazzled by the wonderment that the future holds. My vision of the future has the Internet as the main pipeline that feeds world information from all corners to all corners. Some cultures will get trampled and possibly even forgotten in the shuffle. Not only is Walkabout an incredible movie technically speaking but it also tells the story of maturity and warns against globalizing culture. The driving essence in Walkabout is the rite of passage. For the three main characters the survival of the outback is their survival from childhood. The Black boy (actual character name, I am not racist, played by David Gulpilil) is the guide for the white children, but in the end, the British colonials destroy the life of the aboriginal people. The use of Aboriginal people to mass produce sacred artifacts for market perfectly illustrates the way the British view the culture of the Aborigines. It’s quaint, it is something to take home and put on their mantle, like a trophy. Roeg does an incredible job showing the hypocrisy of the British family. In the opening of the film we see the two children swimming in a pool not 10 feet from the ocean. The father, a geologist, reads books about the outback from the inside of his car, which is parked in the outback. Roeg does an incredible job by subtly implementing examples to support the overall theme of the film. That is exactly why I feel this film is art. Roeg combines a socially conscious message with incredible aesthetics. That is my passion in art. Striving for equality and humanistic values for everyone is something I strongly associate with. Visually Roeg is able to create a world of fantasy by emphasizing the creatures that inhabit the outback. By contrasting the images of the sterile city and the rich natural landscape Nicolas Roeg is able to show that savagery is in the eye of the beholder. You are forced to ask yourself if the fences and walls are keeping the barbarians out or locked in? The aboriginals are only shown to kill what they need and to be peaceful people, while the only images of British people are destructive or corrupt forces, except for the little white boy. He might be Roeg’s hope for a future of cultural awareness as he is able to communicate with the aboriginal boy. Ultimately it is lack of communication between the white girl and the aboriginal boy that destroys lives and leaves dreams unfulfilled. She does not understand his attempt to win her over. It is only years later after she is assimilated in her mother’s image as a housewife that she realizes what she lost in the outback. Even though they cannot speak to each other the aboriginal boy tries to take the white girl to some drawings on a wall in order to bridge the communication gap. In cultures with no written language, or little to no literacy, drawings and painting are used to tell stories.
]]>Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:07:52 GMTJScottJScott Blog7/6/2007 3:07:52 PMWalkabout If Dr. Emmett Brown slid his DeLorean into my driveway and said, &ldquo;Grab your duffle bag Marty, we&rsquo;re going back&hellip; to the future&rdquo; I would first tell him my name is not Marty, and then I would grab Nicolas Roeg&rsquo;s masterpiece Walkabout, pull down the passenger door, buckle up and prepare to be dazzled by the wonderment that the future holds. My vision of the future has the Internet as the main pipeline that feeds world information from all corners to all corners. Some cultures will get trampled and possibly even forgotten in the shuffle. Not only is Walkabout an incredible movie technically speaking but it also tells the story of maturity and warns against globalizing culture. The driving essence in Walkabout is the rite of passage. For the three main characters the survival of the outback is their survival from childhood. The Black boy (actual character name, I am not racist, played by David Gulpilil) is the guide for the white children, but in the end, the British colonials destroy the life of the aboriginal people. The use of Aboriginal people to mass produce sacred artifacts for market perfectly illustrates the way the British view the culture of the Aborigines. It&rsquo;s quaint, it is something to take home and put on their mantle, like a trophy. Roeg does an incredible job showing the hypocrisy of the British family. In the opening of the film we see the two children swimming in a pool not 10 feet from the ocean. The father, a geologist, reads books about the outback from the inside of his car, which is parked in the outback. Roeg does an incredible job by subtly implementing examples to support the overall theme of the film. That is exactly why I feel this film is art. Roeg combines a socially conscious message with incredible aesthetics. That is my passion in art. Striving for equality and humanistic values for everyone is something I strongly associate with. Visually Roeg is able to create a world of fantasy by emphasizing the creatures that inhabit the outback. By contrasting the images of the sterile city and the rich natural landscape Nicolas Roeg is able to show that savagery is in the eye of the beholder. You are forced to ask yourself if the fences and walls are keeping the barbarians out or locked in? The aboriginals are only shown to kill what they need and to be peaceful people, while the only images of British people are destructive or corrupt forces, except for the little white boy. He might be Roeg&rsquo;s hope for a future of cultural awareness as he is able to communicate with the aboriginal boy. Ultimately it is lack of communication between the white girl and the aboriginal boy that destroys lives and leaves dreams unfulfilled. She does not understand his attempt to win her over. It is only years later after she is assimilated in her mother&rsquo;s image as a housewife that she realizes what she lost in the outback. Even though they cannot speak to each other the aboriginal boy tries to take the white girl to some drawings on a wall in order to bridge the communication gap. In cultures with no written language, or little to no literacy, drawings and painting are used to tell stories. http://www.spout.com/blogs/totoro/archive/2007/6/1/9904.aspx Post By: totoro
Post To: totoro Blog
Post Date: 6/1/2007 11:10:45 AM
Body: I first saw this story of culture clash at an early age. Back then I understood it as a tale of desert survival. As I get older, I realize more and more that it is a film about what gets lost in the drive towards modernization. While a lot of the "symbollism" is quite obvious and overblown, and the use of zoom is almost laughably dated, the film is on the whole so quiet and contemplative that it has survived its datedness to be one of my all time favorite films. It is one of the rare films that gets more interesting each time I rewatch it.
]]>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:10:45 GMTtotorototoro Blog6/1/2007 11:10:45 AMI first saw this story of culture clash at an early age. Back then I understood it as a tale of desert survival. As I get older, I realize more and more that it is a film about what gets lost in the drive towards modernization. While a lot of the &quot;symbollism&quot; is quite obvious and overblown, and the use of zoom is almost laughably dated, the film is on the whole so quiet and contemplative that it has survived its datedness to be one of my all time favorite films. It is one of the rare films that gets more interesting each time I rewatch it. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/suicide/MemberTagFilms.aspxsuicide
Number of films tagged: 1828

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