Gulpilil (1953-2021)

[Brooksie]

One of the indelible figures of Australian cinema has left us. Known professionally as David Gulpilil, his tribal name was simply Gulpilil, reflecting his ancestral home in Arnhem Land in Australia's Northern Territory. The news comes as no surprise as he has been ailing with lung cancer for several years - a documentary, My Name is Gulpilil (2020) was expected to be his epitaph, but he was able to attend its premiere - yet it still means the end of an era, not only for the Australian screen, but internationally.

Gulpilil was extraordinary for several reasons - for one, there is no real equivalent for the Western concept of acting within his culture. The idea of impersonating another person for entertainment was quite foreign to him, yet he grasped it innately, most notably in his breakthrough performance in Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout (1971). He spent his career navigating international fame on one hand, and the demands of his tribal life on the other. I can't think of many other performers who were able to do that (it is notable that at his own request, his family is breaking with tribal tradition and allowing the media to use his photo and full name).

To be sure, he had his ups and downs, but on the screen he was an absolutely magnetic, compelling and charismatic presence. If you have never seen him perform, both Walkabout (1971) and The Last Wave (1977) are currently streaming on the Criterion Channel, along with the biographical documentary One Red Blood (2002).

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... ung-cancer

https://www.smh.com.au/national/once-in ... 59d94.html

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/d ... 57dwd.html