Freeview films of the day : saturday 6th of January

BBC2 have a double bill of films by British master of cinema director Nicolas Roeg as their late night double bill

First, there's The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976 133mins.) [BBC2 10.30pm]

An alien is sent to Earth to find a way to save his dying home planet. He adopts a human identity and uses his advanced knowledge to become a successful tycoon. However, he is corrupted by the sensations and vices of human life and loses sight of his objective. Sci-fi drama, starring David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark and Buck Henry.

The film benefits enormously from the casting of non-actor Bowie in the lead role; his limited range is used to great effect to portray the disconnection with those around him that marks out his character as not of this world.

I'm a huge fan of Roeg's work and though the story is rather slight and the performances rather underwhelming the film is cleverly structured, beautifully photographed (especially the exteriors) and directed with his usual fluidity of movement.

Not exactly a classic but a film that was ready made for the move into the cult category.
Interesting.


and that's followed by Walkabout (1970 96 mins.) [BBC2 12.45am sunday]

An orphaned sister and brother are left stranded in the Australian Outback, where they encounter a young Aborigine on a ritual journey, who leads them across the wilderness. However, his concern for their dilemma ultimately leads to tragedy. Drama starring Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, David Gulpilil, John Meillon and John Illingsworth.

Jenny Agutter, with her school prefect voice, is perfectly cast here as an ever-so-English teenager, stranded in the Australian outback with her little brother after their father commits suicide.
David Gumpilil plays the adolescent Aborigine who interrupts his walkabout to look after them, only to be met with incomprehension when he embarks on a courtship ritual.

Nicolas Roeg directs the clash between Nature and "civilisation", and was also responsible for the dazzling desert camerawork with its creepy-crawlies and decomposing kangaroos.



For horror fans there's an early morning treat
Wake In Fright (1970 108mins.) [Film4 1.40a, sunday &+1]

An orphaned sister and brother are left stranded in the Australian Outback, where they encounter a young Aborigine on a ritual journey, who leads them across the wilderness. However, his concern for their dilemma ultimately leads to tragedy. Nicolas Roeg's drama, starring Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, David Gulpilil, John Meillon and John Illingsworth.

Directed by Ted Kotcheff and believed to have been "lost" for nearly thirty years after the last remaining print went missing this Outback adventure is the exact opposit of Walkabout.

Here, instead of finding salvation and discovery following A Tragic Event the central character falls into a world of madness and extreme behaviour with, seemingly, no end in sight.

Donald Pleasence is absolutely startling as one of the characters that Gary Bond meets during his enforced stop-over in the distinctly odd mining town of Bundanyabba.

Low-budget and very grimy - not for the easily shocked but genre fans will relish the opportunity to (re)discover this film.