The Emerald Forest

Bought this for a friend that had seen it years ago and wanted to see it again.

The beauty and power of the rainforest juxtaposed to the beauty and power of "civilization," on of my favorite themes. Who is the true savage? Powers Boothe plays a construction engineer building a dam in the rainforest that is increasingly changing the structure of the most valuable real estate on earth. Not only is it effecting the plants and animals, creating desert where there was once rich vegetation, but it is affecting the indigenous tribes in horrendous ways. Charley Boorman plays the beautiful young son who is kidnapped by the leader of the "Invisible People." His father and mother (played by the beautiful Meg Foster) spent the next ten years searching for the boy as he is being raised in tribal customs.Meanwhile, as the living space for the tribes grows increasingly smaller, the "Invisible People," who are basically good hearted, land loving indigenous people who keep to themselves and only want to survive, are increasingly threatened by the "Fierce People," a carnivorous, cannibalistic tribe who are desperately seeking space for themselves.We watch Tomme grow up, learn from his new "father" who loves him dearly and was perhaps initially attracted to the tyke's golden blond hair and his own need for a son. We watch Tomme go through a ritual rite of passage that sends him on a dangerous quest for the special green rock that allows what are now his people to become "Invisible." It is in this quest that Tomme and his father cross paths again, and a lesson is learned about the cost of the damage civilization has brought to what is truly a beautiful and rich country better off left alone.For a long time I couldn't find this movie anywhere. Not even at amazon.com. I cherish the copy I did finally find. I am thrilled to see that it is now available on DVD, but would like to see a DVD created with educational "special features" about the rain forest and the fight to preserve it. That's really what this movie is all about. See it now, before it gets away again.

The Emerald Forest is a true story and I love watching it.

Others have commented that this may not be in English or may not be a good recording. We found the sound and picture to be fine (considering how old the film is), and this was in English. There may be a subtitle option. This was a favorite film when I was younger, but I had forgotten how much violence there is. I was hoping to show my 12 year old this film, as the nature, culture and spiritual themes are good...but there is as much violence (or more) than Avatar. So tired of guns being the main character in many otherwise great movies. Yes, violence happens in life, but it could be suggested rather than shown so much. Keep in mind that although it's an interesting and beautiful story (and true, apparently), it's a bit dated. However, the love story is inspiring, the dream messages are interesting, and it is ultimately redemptive in terms of how people can change for the better.

I first saw this film when I was a teenager and it absolutely captivated me. I’ve thought about it many times and I suppose I identified with the boy in the movie because I was blonde and blue-eyed when I was young. An amazing story that highlights events that actually happened. John Borman directed it and his son Charlie starred in the film. Definitely an adventure and a throwback to the really interesting films from the 1980s. I definitely had to have this because it was such an inspiration to me growing up. This film and a couple of others were instrumental and inspiring me to study indigenous cultures in high school and college. That’s what started me on that road. So my change it knowledge has been lost it is such a shame. I will say that the cinematography is beautiful and the message in the film is something that seems to be more easily forgotten now… Take care of the planet and it will take care of you.

For lovers of high culture movies, this movie is a delight. Not only a powerful drama, but a powerful message of humanity and parental love and nature. The movie is old, and at the time a film for the theaters is the only thing wou could expect, so do not expect any spectacular Star Wars special edition digital restoration with color tuning and defects correction or even extras. The bluray looks exactly as it looked when I went to the theater. And part of the magic is to see it exactly as it was.It seems a very low budget edition, with only PLAY CHAPTERS TRAILER in the menu. No foreign language subtitles (just english), no extras. And yet it is one rare treasure in my collection. It should have 10 stars, but I only can give 5. It is a kind of movie that we are not seeing around anymore, where content was more important than style. It is not a forgettable popcorn movie, I feel it is an underrated classic.It is a movie that has a high moral ground in its powerful message of love and what we have forgotten to see in our existence.

I first watched this movie many years ago before having any children of my own. I was so moved by the possibility of a parent losing a child in a blink of an eye. I was even more wowed by the reality of that same parent finding and meeting their child years later; imagine the joy...A miracle...A gift from God if ever there was one. And they lived happily ever-after; not exactly! The ultimate love of a parent is to sacrifice whatever they can for the safety and happiness of their child's life. What if that sacrifice meant never being able to see, hear, or hold your child ever again. This sacrifice is not out of anger or hatred...but out of pure unconditional love. I recently watched this movie for the second time; this time as a parent. Sadly my life parallels this story too closely; and I now know first hand the pain that a human heart must endure when it is for the purpose of protecting another soul. If you have ever suffered a loss, this movie will speak to you personally. If my words are speaking to you, I wish you well and I hope you find peace.