Emerald Forest - Movie Review Example

Emerald Forest The film “Emerald forest” by John Boorman depicting the lives of individuals living in the Brazilian rainforest, is a complete caricature of how man has always lived with others in the society; sometimes considering the things he does to be more perfect and superior to his neighbor’s who might be more reserved towards his culture, religion and his environment at large. “Emerald Forest” is based on a true story of the life of a young man, Tommy, who is silently abducted by the inhabitants of the Amazon when he does not heed his father’s warning over the dangers of moving deep into the forest. This scenario happens when the entire family apparently decides to go for a picnic in the Amazon forest in Brazil. The father, Bill Markham, is an engineer who has moved to Brazil in order to complete a project on the construction of a hydro electric dam. Because it requires an expansive land, the engineer and his team engage in a mission of clearing the forest not only for the construction of the dam but also for agriculture and human settlement, a motive which results into depletion of the natural environment. The mysterious disappearance of the son, who is only seven years old, leaves the father on a searching mission for his son but unfortunately or as fate would have it, fails to catch up with the abductor. It is because of Tommy’s peculiarity that he is abducted, but the abductor believes that Tommie does not deserve to live with these people whose aim is to destroy the world; a fact that is sharply contrasted by the general appearance of Tommy (4). Tommy’s eyes are generally green, a symbolism of the beauty of the vegetation that was being depleted by the engineer and his team for settlement, agriculture and construction of the dam. However, Tommy and the father’s reunion comes much later, after ten years when his father’s team runs into a war with another tribe “The Fierce people” who chase after him when they discover that he is a talented hunter and has a unique weapon (gun). Fortunately, he bumps into his son near a river bank , who finally saves him from the attackers and safely leads him to the camp of the ‘Invisible people’ where he is required to stay a little until he fully recovers from his wounds then he is free to go back to his abode. What is so fascinating about this movie is the way Tommie comfortably adapts to the life of these hunters who had abducted him. In spite of his origin, he learns hunting skills and becomes part of the family of this Indian family. The father’s reunion with the son brings readers to a captivating mood where the person who is least expected to salvage resurfaces at desperate time. However, when the father asks the chief of the Invisible people to release his son so that they can embark on a journey home (to return to civilization), the chief has this to say, “If I told a man to do what he does not want to do, I would no longer be chief.” This means that the chief held the decisions of the people in high esteem to an extent that he would take no action whatsoever, if it was not in line with the wishes of the subjects. Comparatively, this is different from what would be expected in the American society where leaders tend to hold onto the belief that they are more superior to their subjects and that the final decisions lie with them. This is why the question of primitivism or civilization, if it were to be critically analyzed, would remain relative (37). Effects of technology with respect to this film are also evident. Whereas technology has made life easy from time immemorial, its negative impact has also been experienced from time to time. Taking a look at the whole episodes in the film, technology is a breakthrough considering the period of Stone Age when man, for instance, solely relied on rubbing of materials together in order to generate heat. This was cumbersome and time consuming. With the discovery of electricity, man was not only able to enhance his communication skills through communication gadgets powered by electricity, but was also able to use electricity to provide heat and light; thus, making life a little comfortable. Contrary to this, the discovery of technology has increased chances of the depletion of the environment; a good example is found in the film where human settlement, agriculture and space for construction of hydroelectric power results into clearing of forests. The same has often happened in the contemporary society where gaseous emissions have continued to deplete the ozone layer. The term ‘Termite people’ has been used by the native Indians in the forests to show the effects and influence of this ‘civilized’ community in environmental degradation. Locusts are insects that destroy the soil, vegetations and anything that they come into contact with. This is similar to effects of the spread of colonists and early explorers. Their spread resulted into cutting of trees for settlement thus interfering with the ecological systems. The way in which the king reveres the decisions and demands of the people is a replica of how they hold their spiritual lives into high esteem. The movie depicts an indigenous community and their spiritual relationship to the environment. They do everything possible to sustain their evergreen vegetation, a sign of their spiritual connection with their environment. It is can therefore be said that there is something in human genome that draws him into recognition of a healthy ecosystem even without being exposed to outside world. This however has changed and is contrary to my ‘civilized’ society where people do not uphold respect to the environment. A good example is the constant clearing of land to pave way for construction. The happiness of man is garnered out of respecting oneself and others and showing total concern to the environment. It would be wise to deduce that ultimately I would rather belong to the ‘primitive’ culture where environmental sustainability is prioritized than stick to a ‘civilized’ culture where man keeps on terrorizing the ecosystem. The concern that the chief shows to Tommy is a full evidence of the love shared by the “Invisible people”. The chief, Wanadi, has this to say to say to Tommy’s father when the father questions why his son had to be abducted. “One day, I was hunting at the Edge of The World when Tommy appeared and he smiled; and even though you were a Termite Child, I had not the heart to send you back to The Dead World” (134). This means that he (chief) had no intentions of killing the child but rather protecting him from harm. The warning given by Tommy’s father against staying in the forest is a paradox at the end of the play since it is the forest where the father says is dangerous that proves to be the safest place possible. Scholars like Freud Sigmund, Emile Durkheim and even Carl Marx would perhaps make their analytical judgment by considering the connection of man to his world of spirituality and the mutual relationship that is inherent within man, which at times is dictated by the present circumstance. According to them, they would presumably conclude that man is shaped by what goes on in his society and that is what sometimes make them good or bad. For instance, Tommy’s dressing mode is shaped by how members of his new society don. This is also true of behavior change. Psychologists like Freud Sigmund believed that man is for example not born with a natural violent disposition; rather it is something learnt as man interacts with the outside environment. Marx, a capitalist, is known to be a believer in radical change especially where social change is inevitable. He believes that it is not the perceptions of men that influence their being, but rather the social being that shape their consciousness. This is relevant to the movie especially the way Tommie perceives the world. Despite his father’s plea he refuses to join his father in the civilized, exposed and cruel life where weapons and war are the order of the day. His social environment has influenced his moral being and he decides to have nothing to do with that exposure. In a nut shell, I would no doubt choose the culture of the isolated ‘Invisible people’ because despite their social background, their humble way of life makes more sense given the way leaders like chiefs address sensitive matters of the society. They are much free with their subjects and allow them to make decisions in matters affecting their lives unlike our culture where leaders tend to be domineering, officious and arrogant towards their subjects and sometimes do not allow for freedom of expression. Work Cited Holdstock, Robert. The Emerald Forest. London: Orion, 2013. Print Read More