Ariel Coelho, Charley Boorman, Charlie Boorman

John Boorman's 1985 South American epic never quite gets all of its gears working simultaneously, but it remains an often startling work with an extraordinary performance by the director's own son, Ch...( read more  read more... )arley Boorman. Powers Boothe plays an American engineer working on a dam project in Brazil. When his young son is seemingly absorbed one day into the dense perils and beauty of the Amazon rain forest, Boothe's character goes on a protracted, 10-year search for him. In the interim, Boorman puts his full storytelling powers to work by characteristically exploring the arcane rhythms and dangers of an indigenous world hidden from ordinary view. Specifically, Boorman leads us into the life of a forest tribe who have assimilated the missing child and who will ultimately send him back with the opposite of his father's pro-development sensibility. The movie is gorgeous to behold, and it's great fun watching Boorman find ever-novel ways of making the same film again and again. But the environmental message and the emotion of the core relationship get in each other's way a bit, preventing the film from uniting on every front. Still, this is a must for Boorman fans. --Tom Keogh

Flixster Users

72% liked it

4,672 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

15 critics

R, 110 min.

Directed by: John Boorman

Release Date: July 3, 1985

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 6, 2001

Stats: 219 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (219)


  • December 6, 2008
    This is what happens when the Amazon forest is destroyed
  • December 18, 2007
    Magical and enchanting for the first half hour or so......then you are up the creek without a paddle.
  • January 7, 2007
    Powerful, beautifully shot eco-thriller from John Boorman examining the cultural impact of the commercial exploitation of the rainforests, as seen through the eyes of a boy adopted by an indigenous tribe. Great performances and intelligent eco-message that rarely feels preachy. G...( read more)ood stuff.
  • September 13, 2006
    It ain't Deliverance, but it'll do. A beautifully shot, frightening movie from master filmmaker Boorman.
  • June 7, 2006
    I love the naivity of this film. A modern day tarzan maybe. Makes an interesting story
  • November 13, 2009
    looks kinda intresting
  • October 24, 2009
    I seen this movie on TV some time ago and found it at my local vid store and had everyone I know watch it and they all loved it! Good story!
  • August 14, 2009
    amazing 2 look at good story too
  • June 2, 2009
    Starring then 17 year old Charley Boorman. Tells of a story of a boy missing for 10 years in the Amazon forest and raised by the invisible people (tribe)and the fate of the tribe and their home. I really enjoyed this movie.
  • April 19, 2009
    It gives a good depiction albeit parts are very 80's, of other culture and differences in living habits. Definitely one of my favorites....

Comments


  • freedomjames5
    September 1, 2007
    Why does the writer of the plot summary here infuse his personal criticism of the film into the description? I see this a lot on Flixster, and it's unnecessary to do this. There needs to be a more "open source" process to this while maintaining objective descriptions of a movie's plot. Anyway, this movie is great, and unless you're a director or professional filmmaker, then I recommend not laboring to see the movie in a critical light. It's a daring, original film, especially for its time, but also in this time when very few movies exist with real environmental messages. Much of Hollywood is so afraid of sounding preachy and pretentious that they produce unoriginal culture-driven disaster films without a clue as to how it really ties in to environmental issues. This movie does just the opposite of such shallow films that have come out. So check it out.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Mission
    The Mission (33%)
  • Medicine Man
    Medicine Man (100%)
  • Thunderheart
    Thunderheart (100%)
  • 1492: Conquest of Paradise
    1492: Conquest of Paradise (50%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Emerald Fores... : Watch Free on TV


The Emerald Forest Trivia


  • In what movie does a small boy get abducted by natives in Brazil, whose father is a contractor/architect clearing the Rainforest?  Answer »
  • Who directed The Emerald Forest?  Answer »
  • Powers Boothe, the actor of The Emerald Forest was in which TV series in 2007?  Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for The Emerald Forest. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?