Back home

The Emerald Forest

254 votes

Producing House

For ten years, engineer Bill Markham has searched tirelessly for his son Tommy who disappeared from the edge of the Brazilian rainforest. Miraculously, he finds the boy living among the reclusive Amazon tribe who adopted him. And that's when Bill's adventure truly begins. For his son is now a grown tribesman who moves skillfully through this beautiful-but-dangerous terrain, fearful only of those who would exploit it. And as Bill attempts to "rescue" him from the savagery of the untamed jungle, Tommy challenges Bill's idea of true civilization and his notions about who needs rescuing.

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1985-06-22

Runtime: 114 mins

Director: John Boorman

Spoken language: English, Português

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

Original title: The Emerald Forest

Production Companies: Christel Films, Embassy Pictures

Production Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Reviews

W

Wuchak
**_Good rainforest movie marred by eye-rolling bits and tacked on eco message_** An American engineer (Powers Boothe) takes his family to the Amazon Basin to build a major dam, but his son suddenly disappears and there are rumors that he may have been taken by a tribe called The Invisible People. Ten years pass and he’s still looking. Will he find him? Will the son (Charley Boorman) recognize him? Meg Foster is on hand as the wife/mother. “The Emerald Forest” (1985) is similar to “A Man Called Horse” (1970) story-wise, albeit involving a teen, plus featuring the Amazon setting of “Fitzcarraldo” (1982). It influenced later movies like “Dances With Wolves” (1990) and, as far as ‘look’ goes, “Apocalypto” (2006). Being helmed by John Boorman, it’s a quality production. Unfortunately, this is the least of these movies and therefore justifiably obscure. It’s not just the unnecessary environmental message in the second half but, worse, the laughable implication concerning a rain dance. (Why Sure!) Isn't it ironic how “Natives” in the Americas are now adorned with god-like powers and sage-like stature in cinema? (I put ‘Natives’ in quotations because they’re actually the progeny of settlers from Asia via Beringia). If these Amazonian Indians had that much power, then taking care of the technologically advanced encroachers or enemy tribes would be a piece of cake. Another criticism is the unrealistic portrayal of The Invisible People. It’s way too paradisal with too little emphasis on the mundaneness and hardships inherent to such a life in the deep equatorial forest. For instance, the nubile females appear overly fresh and immaculate for living amidst gross jungle challenges. In other words, they seem like girls who’ve lived a relatively soft life with modern conveniences (I’ve seen the real-life articles/photos in National Geographic and they’re very different). Both “Apocalypto” and “At Play in the Fields of the Lord” (1991) offer a less fantastical portrayal. The story was inspired by a supposedly true event, but the man who lost his son to a mysterious tribe was Peruvian, not American, not to mention he was a lumberjack rather than an engineer. It took sixteen years for him to find his son, who had been totally assimilated into the primitive culture. Responding to these deviations, it was said that the screenplay was based on several real-life stories, not just this one. The film runs 1 hour, 54 minutes, and was shot in Brazil with additional studio stuff done in England. GRADE: C+
2023-04-09

Recommendations

The Nameless
2.8

The Nameless

1999-10-08

The mutilated body of a six year old girl is found in a water hole. The girl is identified as the mi

Chariots of Fire
3.4

Chariots of Fire

1981-05-15

In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners tr

He Got Game
3.4

He Got Game

1998-05-01

A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter pri

Man on Fire
3.8

Man on Fire

2004-04-23

Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl

Bully
3.3

Bully

2001-06-15

A group of teenagers in South Florida enact a murder plot against their mutual bully, Kent, who has

Chopper
3.4

Chopper

2000-06-21

The true and infamous story of Australia's notorious criminal Mark 'Chopper' Read and his years of c

Unbreakable
3.6

Unbreakable

2000-11-22

An ordinary man makes an extraordinary discovery when a train accident leaves his fellow passengers

Gridiron Gang
3.5

Gridiron Gang

2006-09-15

Under the leadership of their counselor, teenagers at a juvenile detention center gain self-esteem b

Detroit Rock City
3.4

Detroit Rock City

1999-08-13

In 1978, a Kiss concert was an epoch-making event. For the four teen fans in Detroit Rock City getti

Lords of Dogtown
3.5

Lords of Dogtown

2005-06-03

The radical true story behind three teenage surfers from Venice Beach, California, who took skateboa

The Quiet
3.1

The Quiet

2005-09-12

After her widowed father dies, deaf teenager Dot moves in with her godparents, Olivia and Paul Deer.

The Phantom
2.6

The Phantom

1996-06-06

The 21st successor to the role of Bengalla's resident superhero must travel to New York to prevent a

Anti Drug Operations
0

Anti Drug Operations

2025-01-30

SWAT captain Shen Ao joins an anti-narcotics team on a remote island, uncovering a drug ring using d

Welcome to the Dollhouse
3.5

Welcome to the Dollhouse

1996-03-22

An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive

Quiz Show
3.6

Quiz Show

1994-08-25

Herbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures vic

Life as a House
3.5

Life as a House

2001-10-25

When a man is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he takes custody of his misanthropic teenage son, for

Battle of Britain
3.5

Battle of Britain

1969-09-15

In 1940, the Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle against the might of the Luftwaffe for contro

Little Indian, Big City
3

Little Indian, Big City

1994-12-14

Stephen, an international trader, tracks down his ex-wife Patricia in some Amazonian backwater. He n

The Child
3.5

The Child

2005-10-19

A poor young Belgian mother wants her petty thief of a boyfriend to be gainfully employed to raise t

Cobra Verde
3.5

Cobra Verde

1987-12-03

A fearsome 19th century bandit, Cobra Verde cuts a swath through Brazil until he arrives at the suga