Walkabout

Two children are left alone in the Australian desert after something their father does. Walking on, they meet an Aboriginal boy on his initiation journey who teaches them to find water. The film tells no story of rescue. Its subject is the failure to communicate: nobody speaks anyone else's language, and the girl never quite sees the person helping her. Cutaways to the city keep that gap in view. Nicolas Roeg directed. It is David Gulpilil's first film, adapted from a novel. A real warning: the hunting and butchering of animals is real, and the nude scenes involving the lead actress, seventeen at the time, were later argued over. The ending is not hopeful either.