The Emerald Forest [DVD]

Fantastic story with amazing acting & cinematography!

To reveal to our "civilized" world our human roots in nature is an ambitious goal for any film. To do so using the story of hidden tribes in the Amazon, with cultures incomprehensible to "modern" humans, is remarkably ambitious. This film brings a deep ecology sensibility that is desperately needed - but just as desperately avoided in our complacent, self-loathing, materialistic culture."The Emerald Forest" is awkward at times. I'm not sure of the order in which the scenes were shot, but the director manages to lead us in the right direction. The acting appears to evolve(or is it our awareness that evolves?), as the viewer is lured into the contracting jungle culture of these tribes, and away from the dead world of constant construction, assimilation and expansion. What is most amazing, in a way, is the gentleness with which Boorman treats contemporary culture. This is the key to providing his ecological message the wings of flight that make our jaws drop in the midst of breattaking scenery and well-presented tribal culture and ritual.Boorman lets the subject of his preaching be slowly revealed through the story and characters rather than bludgeoning us with immensely evil, calculating villains. As it is in reality, the insanity lies in our collective indifference, our willingness to accept a pathetic world of materialism and technology in the hopes that our connection with each other, our bodies and nature will not be missed. Incremental trade-offs leading to "higher standards of living" have left us dispossessed of our souls, seeking solace in hedonism and "pie in the sky" religions that cultivate the greed and abomination they purport so piously to eliminate.Yet, in this process, key elements of the movie involve psychedelic drugs and nudity, albeit natural and normal in the cultures Boorman portrays. Can we be lured back into the jungle with titillation? Obviously, the life is harsh and dangers abound. Yet, this film isn't about a bunch of teenagers getting high. It is about an adult ritual of expanded consciousness and vision that is meant not to narrow consciousness as alcohol use does, but to expand it, to bring perspective and connection in the quest of vision and leadership.Likewise, this film portrays nudity in the context of normal life and does not eroticize it. It is refreshingly ironic that, when liberated from enforced prostitution in a heavily armed brothel, the women instinctively remove the scanty clothing and adornments that have been used to make them "attractive." If clothing is a metaphor, what else does our culture uses to conceal our humanity? If hallucinogens are a metaphor, what else does our culture use to deaden our sensibilities so that we seek sexual conquest and materialistic acquisition instead of trusting, healthy relationships with the people and world around us?Boorman's "The Emerald Forest" is an odd, but remarkable achievement that has stood the test of time quite well thus far. In 2009, this 1985 film seems even more wise than when it was created.

A good movie to watch to protect your children at all times. It really shows how important it is to see a child be raised by someone else in order to get back home

I bought this movie from Amazon and I'm glad I have it. geminiwalker says it very well in her review. The movie is a treat for the eyes with its gorgeous cloud forest canopies, awesome waterfalls and jungle-embraced streams that make you want to just grab a canoe and go there. The native groups are interesting, their individuals endearing or frightening. The Fierce People are appropriately fierce and the buyers of the women despicable. Tomee's native father has some great lines that show what a wise person he is. His real father has some difficult decisions to make. He does what he can with an unusual situation. I really like the ending. Another one to watch again and again.Someone complained about a lack of subtitles. My version has subtitles for the native language. I could use subtitles for the English, since I have trouble understanding the spoken word even with the volume turned up.

This is one of my favorite movies. The movie itself is a great ecology movie. The only thing I didn't like on this specific DVD is that since it is mostly not in English, there was no option for English subtitles so I had to watch it with French subtitles. For anyone who did not speak French or Spanish, this would be a problem. I consider that a defect in the production of the DVD. English subtitles should have been available as a default for the portions of the film that are in the Invisible People language.

Even though it is 40 years old it still speaks volumes about what is happening around the world today.

This 1985 movie is hugely important 20 years later in terms of its commentary on "Modernity" and modernity's increasing damage to our environment, scientifically called, "The Biosphere". Those primitives who live "Respecting Mother Earth" as opposed to "Ripping the skin off of the World, know what "The modern world has forgotten", that the Industrial Age and Technological Age have produced both great good and increasing damage to our world. Even through this movie won no "Oscars" it is far more important than most Oscar-winning movies, except perhaps for Dances With Wolves. Tommy's father, realizing the damage to the natural world that the dam he himself built, blows it up so that his son, who lives in the Amazon Rainforest, can have a future with his wife and his descendants. It is very clear, two decades after this film came out that we must switch to renewable energy sources. The burning of fossil fuels is re-releasing the huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide first released from ancient volcanos 400 million years ago. That Carbon Dioxide raised the Earth's surface temperature to 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit, ushering in the age of the giant reptiles. Burning fossil fuels is re-releasing that Carbon Dioxide and we are going to again experience surface temperatures of 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit, obliterating modern civilization. Nature will not tolerate our abuse of it and will respond in very impersonal ways, which we are already experiencing as giant forest fires, increased desertification, rising seas, etc. This is a "Must See" movie for everybody.