The Emerald Forest

"What kind of man would return year after year for ten years to rescue a missing boy from the most savage jungle in the world? His father."

1985 1h 54m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 287

ActionAdventureDrama

Synopsis

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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.

“What kind of man would return year after year for ten years to rescue a missing boy from the most savage jungle in the world? His father.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Powers Boothe
Bill Markham
Charley Boorman
Tomme
Meg Foster
Jean Markham
Estee Chandler
Heather
Dira Paes
Kachiri
Eduardo Conde
Uwe Werner
Ariel Coelho
Padre Leduc
Peter Marinker
Perreira

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Boorman
Writers: Rospo Pallenberg
Languages: English, Portuguese
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Boorman, shot by Philippe Rousselot. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brian Gascoigne. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ian Crafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Powers Boothe and Charley Boorman and Meg Foster carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What kind of man would return year after year for ten years to rescue a missing boy from the most savage jungle in the world? His father.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Boorman directs. Philippe Rousselot behind the camera. Brian Gascoigne scores. Ian Crafford cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Portuguese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

141 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Portuguese.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by John Boorman, shot by Philippe Rousselot. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Brian Gascoigne. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ian Crafford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Powers Boothe and Charley Boorman and Meg Foster carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What kind of man would return year after year for ten years to rescue a missing boy from the most savage jungle in the world? His father.".
9IMDB entry: tt0089087 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 11 themes, including "parent child relationship", "amazon rainforest", "based on true story", "jungle".

The technical file

Cinematography: Philippe Rousselot
Original score: Brian Gascoigne
Editing: Ian Crafford
Production design: Simon Holland
Costume design: Clovis Bueno
Makeup / hair: Luis Michelotti
Runtime: 114 min · 1h 54m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $24,467,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Emerald Forest (1985)

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John Boorman

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2023-04-09
★ 5/10
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+

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