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'In 1977 Phil Noyce directed Backroads, a low budget short feature funded by the Creative Development Branch of the Australian Film Commission. This was the first feature for this Australian director who went on to Hollywood, and now has work like Newsfront (1978), Dead Calm (1989), Patriot Games (1992), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and The Saint (1997) in his directorial CV. Dubbed by Susan Dermody and Liz Jacka as one of "the most interesting films of the period," they also characterised Backroads as "an existentialist road movie, directionless, on outback roads, leading nowhere." While atopia is in itself an interesting figure, the structure of the movie is more determined than that. The following analysis will sketch some of the lines of influence which made the movie what it is, and then go on to relate it to concepts of Australian landscape.' (From author's introduction)
