
After a screening of Walkabout (1971) in a cinema, David is speaking to fans at the cinema. Interviews with Justine Saunders, Gary Foley, Professor Marcia Langton and David Stratton give background information to both Indigenous cinema and David’s influence upon the genre. Summary by Romaine Moreton.
A generous film that is the result of a collaboration between the subject (David Gulpilil) and the filmmaker (Darlene Johnson). Gulpilil invites us into his world, and offers a narrative that attempts to translate between Indigenous world view and Western sensibility. The title of the film One Red Blood is Gulpilil’s declaration of connectedness, of the world beyond the human experience, of all creatures belonging to the same inhabitable world of the Dreaming.
This film is important in that it speaks about Indigenous philosophy expressed by Gulpilil as being of 'one red blood’ and is comparable to the Eastern philosophical tradition of the presence of the Divine in all things. Such insight into Indigenous world view is seldom expressed, and his capacity to do so ensures that David Gulpilil continues to be a person – culturally and creatively – of incredible artistic significance to Indigenous peoples and Australian society alike. One Red Blood is Gulpilil’s story, a time for Gulpilil – after extensive filmic experience – to speak directly to the world as himself, rather than through the characters through which he has become known locally and internationally. Gulpilil’s filmography includes films such as Walkabout, Stormboy, Tracker and The Proposition.
This program has also screened on NITV, National Indigenous Television.
A documentary about the career of Indigenous actor, dancer, and cultural delegate, David Gulpilil, using interview as well as archival footage.
Notes by Romaine Moreton
This clip shows some of the issues relating to Indigenous Australians in film. It begins with footage of Indigenous actor David Gulpilil talking to admirers at a screening of the film Walkabout in Los Angeles in 1979. It then shows a scene from Walkabout (1971), which was directed by Nicholas Roeg. A series of speakers, Professor Marcia Langton, Indigenous activist Gary Foley, actor Justine Saunders and film critic David Stratton, then discuss the representation of Indigenous Australians in film. The clip concludes with footage from the 1967 film Journey Out of Darkness, in which two Indigenous characters are played by a white man in 'black face’ and by Kandiah Kamalesvaran (Kamahl), who is of Sri Lankan descent.
Education notes provided by The Learning Federation and Education Services Australia
This clip starts approximately 17 minutes into the documentary.
Outside a movie theatre in Los Angeles in 1979, 'Walkabout’ (1971) is seen on the bill alongside other films such as 'Zardoz’ (1974). David Gulpilil is inside the theatre talking to an audience of mainly young women.
Fan Lets talk about Walkabout.
David Gulpilil Walkabout?
Fan You were wonderful, it was beautiful and you moved so – like a gazelle. A fantastic performance. I have seen it before and I think it’s wonderful.
David Thank you.
We see a scene from the movie 'Walkabout’, with a young boy and girl walking from a house into a yard to find a man hanging from a tree.
Narration I thought my spirit would come back and I would come alive again for my walkabout, bar two.
Boy He won’t take it. Can I see if the rod is still there?
Girl No, of course it’s still there. Did you eat your breakfast properly?
Boy Yes.
Professor Marcia Langton is interviewed inside a contemporary office building.
Professor Marcia Langton Nicolas Roeg brought the English aesthetic to the archetypal story about the Aborigines in the outback, the lost children story, the Aboriginal tracker. And the English aesthetic was quite shocking really. It represents in that very classical way, the social Darwinist theory of the inevitable demise of the native races, which was the catchcry of the Empire throughout the world.
David Gulpilil inside the theatre with fans.
Fan People here would like to know why at the end of Walkabout did you kill yourself?
David Oh yeah. I want to know too. I don’t know why. Um, ..
All laugh.
Fan Is there an Aboriginal meaning behind that?
David No. No. Just a –
Fan Just a part of the script, huh?
David It’s just part of the script. I didn’t speak English at that time.
Gary Foley is interviewed inside a house.
Gary Foley There were virtually no Aboriginal people in film, you know, without playing Jackie Digger sort of role, or as Justine Saunders used to say, you know, ‘If you’re a black woman actress, you were invariably raped in every script’.
Justine Saunders is interviewed in a dressing room.
Justine Saunders I’ve had my throat cut, I’ve been shot, thrown off a cliff, burnt to death.
We see footage from the movie 'Journey Out of Darkness’ (1967).
Gary And if you were a black male actor, more often than not you were the black tracker as ‘Yes boss, he went that way, boss’. And that was it.
David Stratton In 1967 there was a film made called Journey Out Of Darkness. Now, the authenticity of the film was compromised by the fact that the Aboriginal tracker was played by Ed Devereaux, who was a white Australian, playing this role in black face and the Aboriginal fugitive was played by Kamahl, who is a perfectly decent singer, but I don’t think has very much connection with the Aboriginal people.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.