Teacher S Notes for Walkabout

Teacher’s notes for ‘Walkabout’

• Film begins with an excerpt about traditional Aboriginal culture, in reference to a rite of passage, when a 16 year-old indigenous boy must fend for himself in the wild. This thematically ties in with the subject matter in the film, when a teenage girl and her younger brother must fend for themselves after their father has attempted to kill them and then ended his own life.
• Thematically, the ideas of maturation, transitioning into adulthood, love, survival and the limitations of culture are reflected in the initial excerpt.
• ‘Walkabout’ refers to the traditional Aboriginal practice but also the journey the two white children are forced to go on, when their culture is removed.
• The film begins with images of ancient looking rocks, almost resembling naked cracked bodies. Dissonant wavering sounds merge into the sound of a transistor radio being searched for a channel – static and noise can be heard as clarity is sought.
• The image shifts from the rocks to a brick wall, showing at the same time similarity and difference between the natural and artificial world of society.
• A polite French voice is heard (signifying the language of culture learned in schools in the 70s) and the sound shifts to the sounds of didgeridoo playing, while the images are that of modern society and infrastructure. The sounds of the didgeridoo are broken by rhythmic interruptions of a horn or transport signal (Ship) blowing – symbolizing the civilization that has developed from transportation and colonization.
• The images flash between crowds of predominantly white people, to images of buildings representing cities, to images of female legs representing shorter skirts and a time influenced by a changing attitude and women’s liberation. Contextually these aspects are important.
• The freedom of women is mocked with the shift to an image of young women at a private school doing voice exercises that are almost sexual noises. Is the director reflecting the ambiguity of this time, when women sought sexual liberation but set themselves up to be objectified or conditioned to be objectified?
• The image then shifts to the young boy, also in a Private school setting, watching armed forces marching by. A further representation of port war Australia and white Australian culture.
• Images flash between Private schools and city scenes of business and the father can be identified as part of this social group. The viewer is able to identify the three ‘white’ characters, as representative of a specific social group in NSW in Australia in the 70s.
• The girl’s school population reflects the integration of some Asians into society at this time (Chinese) and the sounds of elocution lessons can be heard over the sounds of the didgeridoo. There is a blending of cultures indicated here, a juxtaposition of different sounds and images.
• The cross cutting scenes move to images of the father at work, then leaving work and sitting in the courtyard of city buildings, gazing up at the immense infrastructure – he moves into a space devoid of people and has a blank look on his face. The emptiness and isolation that has been reflected here is continued when a tracking shot moves from a brick wall across to an empty outback scene. The loneliness and absence of people is again reflected.
• As the Indigenous music continuous and sounds of tapping add to the building of tension. Another image of a kangaroo meat sign and then the minced meat and then a raw chicken is shown; broken by images of the small child walking through a tropical garden setting. We know this is not a natural setting, as the trees have signs on them and it is purely ornamental. This is not an environment where nature is needed for survival. Reflections of butchers, indicate this is modern society.
• The tapping becomes more frequent and the father stares up, as panning images reveal the heights of huge office buildings or apartment buildings. The images shift to the girl and boy walking home from school and the city scenes and flora reflect that this town is Sydney, indicated by the Sydney Harbourbridge. Images have been selected to make the city seem as though it is a jungle or a wilderness, trees are just as menacing looking in this environment.
• Tracking and panning shots then reveal an apartment building with a pool and sounds of an ‘English’ speaking woman on a radio program can be heard discussing a barbaric process of drowning a bird in cognac (alcohol). This is the only time we see the mother and she is watering plants and focusing on her cooking. These images reflect the stereotypical 70s female homemaker, donning an apron and cooking meals for the female while the husband is at work. As the scenes move into the apartment, the didgeridoo sounds end and the radio sounds continue.
• A still shot, splits the image in two, separating the father and mother by dividing the scene into two by rooms. She in the kitchen, he smoking in the other room. They do not speak, indicating a breakdown in relationship, there is clearly walls between them. He steps out onto the patio alone and watches his children in the pool. His facial expressions indicate tension. He does not respond to his son when he calls to him and continues drinking alcohol. It is the daughter who is teaching the young boy to swim, indicating that she is used to assuming a role of responsibility.
• The image of the wall returns and the tracking scenes reveals the outback scene again, however this time the father’s car is identified in the middle of it.
• A framed shot through the car window allows the viewer to see that the children are still in their school uniforms, we see a close up of the fathers face and he looks at his children without affection, just with cold, distant annoyance. The children seek the sounds of the radio, in this unfamiliar environment, symbolizing their dependency on modern society and being entertained by technology.
• Close ups of each character reveals their different positions, indifference and distraction (father), uneasy concern (girl), innocence and inattention (boy). The close ups of his hand removing her fingers from the radio knob (resulting in silence), the petrol gauge and his deliberate movements to continue into the deserted outback all add to the tension.
• Close ups of lizards moving slowly across rocks and the sounds of crunching create a feeling of prehistoric timelessness, that this land is timeless and unforgiving. That there is nothing here for these people and when the car stops for a ‘picnic’, the viewer knows there is something wrong.
• The car pulls up to the side of the screen, indicating that something is off-balance. The girl questions the father and the close ups of his face combined with his deliberate, indifferent responses indicate distance.
• Although the father says we will eat now, his cold expression and inappropriate gaze at his daughter provides the viewer with concerns over his mental state. He proceeds to get something out of his brief case but does not get out of the car to assist with the food baskets.
• There is a great deal of symbolism in this scene – the plane the young boy plays with, the gun he shoots with and the car with the broken wheel, the soldier doll, all represent aspects of social evolution – transport, weaponry, defense, consumerism and materialism. When the boy complains he has broken the car, the father appears to be reminded of the consumption and requirements of his son and this almost acts as a catalyst for what happens next. It is as if modern society has caused this mental illness.
• The young child’s indifference to the calls from his older sister and the indifference of the father towards her and she to him, seems to be a central element in this family. The girl however, appears to be able to assume responsibility for the boy and it appears has had to do so from quite a young age. This is a dysfunctional family.
• A close up of the boy playing is used to highlight the unexpected shooting. Close ups of the horrified girl’s face, the small boys smiling face, the father’s determined face through the car window are all exemplified by the sounds of the music coming from the radio and the boy shouting ‘bang bang’. All elements contradict each other, in this odd setting – emphasizing the discord and disharmony – something has clearly gone wrong.
• The earlier shooting from the little boy foreshadows the shooting from the father.
• A mixture of close-ups indicate the inadequacy of this man, as he tries to shoot but misses, determined but failing.
• Tracking shots show the action of the girl, attempting to save her brother and drag him to safety.
• The music continues to play, as the father calls out to the girl, as though nothing has happened and says ‘and bring him with you’. As though he has no connection or association to the boy, he does not call him by name. His dialogue trails off into an angrier tone, moving from “we have got to go now’ to ‘I have got to go now’. This indicates that ‘going’ means to another place altogether. The tone of ‘I have got to go now’ is said in a quieter, more defeated way. Followed by an angry command.
• Close up of the jerry can of petrol shows the father’s intention. The music continues to play and we hear a shot and see a close up of the burning car and father falling back. Close-ups of burning items (the father’s) symbolize the end of all he was. Again, the daughter’s action contrasts to the images that connect to the father. Perhaps this is a deliberate statement about the rise in status of the new generation of women in the 70s. Men were debilitated and inadequate, due to the action and changing attitude of women. The daughter clearly does not need him to care for the child. She represents education, skill and action.
• Panoramic shots reveal the contrast between the children and the vast landscape of Australia.
• Close ups of ants devouring the decaying fruit so quickly, show the power of nature and the risk of this environment for the children. It emphasizes their vulnerability.
• Close up or panning in or out shots of rocks, lizards and mountains (Great Dividing Range) indicate the lack of civilization and the harshness of the terrain.
• Catholic choir singing, as the children walk through this dangerous terrain emphasizes the necessity for faith that they will survive and the singing also indicates the innocence and lack of experience the children have in the real world. Their childhood has been shattered by their attempted murder and suicide of their father. Close up shots of bugs and creatures provide a sinister juxtaposition to the angelic singing.
• The close up side shot of the girl and her statement ‘I am looking for a light’, indicates the scale of this situation. The darkness all around reflects the somber mood. The radio continues to provide a link to the civilized world and it is left on.
• ‘We haven’t got any water’ foreshadows another concern relating to survival, emphasized by the sound of the boys watch ticking, indicating that they will run out of time in this place. Almost mournful sounds of Gregorian chanting occur as the children sleep on the rocks, emphasizing the position they are in.
• A change in the chanting pitch (from dissonant to harmonious and then back to disharmony again) is followed by an image of the sunrise that looks like the Aboriginal flag. This signifies a transition in the film and sets the scene for the children to move into ‘Indigenous’ territory and that their experiences will move away from what they know. What will start of as hopeful will not end well. The sounds and image of the sun that fades off, foreshadow the later events in the film.
• Side shots of the children climbing the rocks and panning shots of rocks falling off cliffs or lizards (that look like dragons), reveal the difficulty of their journey. As the girl drops items, there is the realization that these will not be useful for their survival in this environment.
• The beauty of Australia and the natural world is emphasized by panoramic sweeping shots and rhythmic harp music and emotive string music.
• Bird’s eye views and panoramic shots that pan back or in reveal the size and scale of The Great Dividing Ranges. Low shots and high shots are used to show the heights the children must climb along their journey.
• Sweeping circular shots of the colours of the Australian desert and rock formations create the hard environment and the dry heat is captured by the camera filming the children from above, attempting to create shade in an environment without foliage, under flapping, flimsy material.
• The young boys mentioning of his father, suggests his ignorance at what has happened. He follows all instructions that the sister gives, indicating that she has been raising him or attending to him, rather than the parents.
• The close up of the young boy licking salt off the sister’s hand indicates a very close relationship. He is likened to a little dog, symbolizing his loyalty and dependency on his sister. This also indicates their desperation and efforts to survive.
• Music is used to build tension, as low shots of deserts and vast red sands convey the dry harshness of the land. When the girl attempts to practice her voice lessons as they walk along, there is irony in the situation. Elocution and correct diction will not help her survive here, her education has not prepared her for this world. She is soon unable to continue and breathing become difficult when walking across sand dunes.
• When the little boy says ‘I am not sweating now’, this indicates that his body can no longer cool itself and that he is heading towards dehydration. The images and sounds here are remnant of an Arabian desert and disturbing electronic sounds accentuate the mood.
• Close ups of the children’s dirty faces, the girl’s stumbling feetand a close up of a scorpion emphasize their threatening position.
• The scene where they discover a fruit tree, covered in colourful budgies is like a symbol of heaven, emphasized by the choral singing of ‘Who killed Cock Robyn?’ – Is this symbolic of white man’s indulgence on limited food and water resources? Is this particularly meaningful in the context of the Australian outback? That future generations will simply run out of what they need to survive?
• The mise-en-scene here is framed through the tree, from the bird’s perspective, as the children lie face down at the water, like creatures would. The children establish a temporary residence with the birds but again we hear the radio, an indicator that they are attempting to recreate civilization.
• During the children’s rest at the waterhole, the boy asks questions that link to his father and the burning car (prompted by sounds of a crash on the radio). Although the children have shed some of their clothes here and assumed a semi-natural state, the girl still retains her connection to modern society by insisting that her brother looks after his blazer and that “it has got to last’. Again irony is used, when she says ‘we don’t want people to think we are a couple of tramps’ and he replies ‘what people?’ Absurdity is used here to convey the severity of their situation.
• The young boy’s reference to the problem with super heroes is also ironic, as the notion of super heroes and being saved by superior human beings is a link to westernized pop culture ideology. The irony here is that he asks are we super heroes and the girl replies ‘I don’t know’ and shortly after the only one to save them arrives – the Indigenous boy who has no experience of pop culture or modern civilization. Super heroes is a concept invented by modern society, an empty and imaginary concept that has not value in this environment.
• Ominous music indicates the unpredictability of the outback, as the elements and animals continue to go about their rhythmic cycles. The sleeping children are at the mercy of animals that are around them and the searing heat and sun that dries up the water and renders them lethargic and devoid of life.
• Camera angles create a distorted look to their bodies and they look like corpses, a true indicator of what will happen to them if they stay in a place that has limited resources.
• Sounds of birds, the changing sky and the fragile material easily moved by wind, indicate the power of the elements.
• A clanging and dissonant musical piece emphasizes the overhead view of the skeletal tree (now removed of all fruit and foliage) that cannot provide shelter or a source of food.