The Emerald Forest (1985)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Boorman

Writer:

Rospo Pallenberg (writer)

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The Adventure Movie of the Year.

Plot:

After the son of engineer Bill Markham is abducted by an aboriginal tribe on the edge of the rain forest, the engineer spends the next 10 years searching for him.

Plot Keywords:

Rain Forest | Rain | Dam | Brazil | Amazon

Awards:

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Powers Boothe	...	Bill Markham
Meg Foster	...	Jean Markham
Yara Vaneau	...	Young Heather
William Rodriguez	...	Young Tommy
Estee Chandler	...	Heather Markham
Charley Boorman	...	Tomme
Dira Paes	...	Kachiri
Eduardo Conde	...	Uwe Werner
Ariel Coelho	...	Padre Leduc
Peter Marinker	...	Perreira
Mario Borges	...	Costa
Átila Iório	...	Trader
Gabriel Archanjo	...	Trader's Henchman
Gracindo Júnior	...	Carlos
Arthur Muhlenberg	...	Rico

Also Known As:

John Boorman's The Emerald Forest (Australia)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2000) | Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Araguaia River, Brazil

Company:

Christel Films

Trivia:

According to director John Boorman's book ‘Money Into Light’, his initial choice for the part of Tomme was C. Thomas Howell. When he was unavailable, John decided to use his own son for the part.

Quotes:

Wanadi: When a dream becomes flesh, trouble is not far behind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Time of the Apes (#4.6)" (1991)

The best movie of Boorman

Certainly the best of Boorman. After seeing again Deliverance, which was thrilling when it was first released, and Excalibur, poetical, Wagnerian but a little bit out of date (regarding the shining 70's fake armors), Emerald Forest deepens philosophy and ethnology. Very profound and touching, very good acting, excellent photography, technically superb, there's nothing to really complain about. It hasn't aged at all and probably won't. I gave it a 10 because I do not see anything to improve. In our sad new era of ethnological destruction, where there's no place anymore for the Aborigene or any other tribal culture, this movie gives a little hope, a little reverie of seeing things turning in the right direction thanks to ancient magic. How vain but how beautiful!