Emerald Forest

Year: 1985

Grade: B+

Country: USA

Director: Boorman

Review

this came out 25 years before avatar and a 5 years before dances with wolves. dww is probably the best of the three, but this one is closer to my heart than that is. avatar is clearly the worst film of the three which is probably why it’s the highest grossing film of all-time. the backstreet boys weren’t the best band of the 90s even though they sold like crack, it’s just the way the mainstream is.

first saw this when it came out in 1985 and saw it with my dad. it’s about a white boy who is kidnapped by aboriginals in brazil. his dad works for a company that is building a dam in the area and after the kidnapping he continues to look for his son for the next 10 years. from there you can pretty much infer what happens from the films that copied it after its release. it’s not a really well known film even though powers boothe was in it and boorman (deliverance) directed it. not huge names, but big enough to be better known. it’s more mystical than dww, closer to avatar in that respect.

for me, the theme of native culture being dominated by the westerners is a sad and oft-used one. by itself it has lost some of its power so the fact that this film has the lost son connection makes it stronger. it also resonated for me because it came at a time when i was being reunited with my father so i could relate. if you liked avatar then you really should give this one a shot. it’s not as fancy to look at, but it’s a solid film.