The Emerald Forest
Plot Outline
Bill Markham is an engineer and on a trip with his family out to the area where he is building a dam in Brazil. His young son, Tommy, is exploring when he encounters a mysterious tribe who shun contact with the modern world. When he disappears with these 'Invisible People' into the rainsforest...
Plot Outline
Bill Markham is an engineer and on a trip with his family out to the area where he is building a dam in Brazil. His young son, Tommy, is exploring when he encounters a mysterious tribe who shun contact with the modern world. When he disappears with these 'Invisible People' into the rainsforest, Bill promises his family that he will find him and bring him back to the civilised world.
When he finds him after ten years, he is a grown man in the tribe that adopted him. During his time with Tommy the tribe faces danger caused by the encroachment of the modern world on their idyllic existence. Now Bill has a life challenging decision. Is it really Tommy that needs rescuing?
Review
The ecological message about the destruction of the rainforest habitat is obviously one that John Boorman cares about deeply. The atmosphere created by the detailed look into the tribal lifestyle, and the purely beauty of the photography is stunning. Subtitles are kept to a minimum when the tribe speak in their language, as the director is content to let the acting and action carry the sense of these moments. It is a powerful narrative, and the opening titles inform us that the story is based on actual events.
The pace of the film initially is necessarily slow to let us appreciate and sympathise with the ways of the tribe. Throughout the film we learn of their hunting, coming of age, and marriage rituals. Interspersed with this we see Bill's latest attempt to search for his son.
Then the mood of the film turns more urgent with the violence triggered ironically by Bill's contact with an 'hidden' but aggressive tribe. Although it results in Bill and Tommy meeting it brings the tribe into direct contact with the 'Fierce People' and the modern world. Up until the resolution of this conflict, the film plays well as a modern parable and warning of man's greed and cavalier attitude to ecological balance.
The film's age certification of 15 in the UK, and Restricted in the U.S. is not due to the bare breasted tribal females (which is always natural and never salacious), but for the violence. A number of people succumb to spears and arrows, and later there is obvious interest from the Fierce People in what guns do, with some realistic depiction of bullet wounds. It's not the film's intention to horrify, but faint hearts beware.
Unfortunately, I feel the final denoument is disappointing. Without giving anything away, the ending relies on a character behaving in a way that I found unconvincing, and some rather dodgy special effects. Quite frankly, it tries to wrap the story up too neatly.
My assessment of the performances goes against the trend of other reviews I have read of this film. I haven't seen enough other work of Powers Booth to gainsay the comments that his emotional range is limited. I think the stoic, man of few words approach suited the role and I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and say it may have been a deliberate acting choice on his part.
Charley Boorman (the director's son) has a difficult job portraying a boy who has grown to manhood first within the civilised world and then as a tribesman. I think he acquits himself brilliantly and is very believable. It would be hard to have accepted a 'name' actor in the role, and John Boorman obviously felt comfortable with the decision.
Video
The anamorphic transfer is excellent, and as you'd expect , did not suffer from edge enhancement defects. The image is clear and grain free even in the most difficult scenes within the rainforest which have a wide range of contrasting light and shadow. There is very little damage to the film, and I only recall seeing a few flecks during the first minutes of the film. Considering the artistry that has obvioulsy gone into the look of the film, I'm really glad we got a full ratio anamorphic transfer.
Audio
As Dolby Digital 5.1 wasn't introduced until 1992, the Dolby Stereo Surround track would have been the original sound source for the film. It's a shame though, as the ambient rainforest sounds just cry out for a remix, and it would have helped enhance the action sequences as well. I don't know whether it is just my DVD player, but stereo surround levels are always much lower and I have to crank the volume up regardless of whether I just us the TV speakers or my cinema sound setup. Some of the mother's dialog is virtually inaudible, but thankfully she doesn't have much of a part in the film and the rest of the film is clearer.
Extras
The trailer - that's it. But there again, John Boorman's films never seem to get much of a treatment in these stakes. Only Zardoz seems to have had more than the bare essentials, and even that wasn't much. I'd have liked to have had a Director's commentary because I'd like to have heard about the challenges of making a movie in such a challenging location as the Brazillian rainforest.
Overall
Despite my reservations about the ending, this is a thought provoking film that I have been more than happy to see a number of times. The detail of the tribal lore and magnificent beauty of the rainforest is something I find fresh and involving on every viewing.
A word of caution. Hardened cynics who believe completely wholeheartedly in science, and cannot accept the possibility of tribal 'magic' may not enjoy key moments of this film. But if you can get past that there there is much to enjoy. Not John Boorman's best, but I would suggest definately one that is worth seeing at least once.
My only hope is that this movie one day gets an R2 release, and that when it does that it has at least a Director's commentary and a remixed 5.1 soundtrack. Some hope I guess. In the meantime I'll just be grateful for being able to get R1 disks using the Internet.
This page has been read:
5691
times