The Emerald Forest Movie Review (1985)

A unique story about child from the United States who assimilates into a native tribe in Brazil, The Emerald Forest is a film that will have you thinking about it long after the credits roll.

I remember watching my mother watch The Emerald Forest when I was a child. She may have watched it a few times because I have images that have always lived in my head. Flashes of memory from the film that I never fully watched or understood, but I’ve always meant to get around to viewing it as an adult. And while those images did end up being in the movie (isn’t it fascinating how you can keep them for so long without meaning?), I now understand what child-me wouldn’t have been able to.

The Emerald Forest is about the Markham family (a father, mother, son, and daughter) who have moved to Brazil so that Bill can work on a major dam-building project. While visiting the site, which is just on the edge of the Brazilian rainforest, 7 year-old Tommy is abducted and disappears while playing. For the next 10 years, Bill searches for Tommy and, eventually, finds him living with the tribe of The Invisible People, where he has been adopted as one of their own.

In the opening credits, it says that this film is based on a true story. After going down a rabbit hole of research, it seems that the movie is likely based on several similar stories, one of which was from a 1972 article in which a Peruvian man searched for his abducted son and found him living in a similar manor to the film.

The film’s story is fascinating in several respects, the largest being the effect of the abduction on Tommy. In most situations (real or filmed), a kidnapping would be a horrific event in which there is significant trauma associated with the victim and not just his family. In this situation, Tommy (renamed Tomme by the tribe) begins a new life. The tribe and his adoptive family love him and have great respect for the man that he is becoming. He clearly believes in and loves the life that he is living and intends to continue with the traditions in the forest with his tribe for future generations.

While all of the actors are great, it is Charley Boorman who steals the film as Tommy. He is the son of the director, but that fact is like a footnote when it comes to his performance. He is vulnerable, fully immersed, and authentic to the world in which he lives in this role. He is thankful to meet Bill as the dad that he sees in his dreams, but his is a completely fulfilling existence with a future – and no actor could have performed it better.

It should also be noted that everyone around Tommy (including Bill) has dark hair, while his is very blonde, creating that much more of a stark visual separation. Where does Tommy really belong? With which family and in which world?

There is some very nice cinematography here, with closeup shots of forest animals, blanket shots of the forest overhead, and direct shots of several tribal rituals. Life in the tribe is fleshed out well, and although much of it may be fictionalized, it brings a strong feeling of separation from the world with which we are familiar. It also makes you question, at the end of the day, which one should be considered the real world.

While some of the effects feel a bit dated (this is 40 years old, after all), The Emerald Forest has a strong story and a great cast. Definitely worth watching just to immerse yourself into something totally different.

Runtime: 114 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English, Portuguese, and Native Language (with English subtitles)

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms