bill markham and power boothe ( u turn and nixon ) be an engineer who move to brazil to develop a water dam in the amazon jungle . after a day in the wood on a picnic with his family and his son tommy and innocently start watch ant and walk into the jungle . the invisible people and native brazilian indian that color their face so well that it blend with the tree and the habitat in general and take tommy with them . the son just disappear in the jungle . after a search the parent could not find the boy . tommy grow up raise by the indian and adjusts to their culture and custom and be call tomme . tomme be a happy native now . there be a book about the making of emerald forest and an international endeavor . the book tell about the difficulty in make a movie in the amazon jungle and because of the environmentalist and and the bureaucracy . the director and john boorman ( hell in the pacific ) be determine that his son and charley boorman ( hope and glory ) and would not play tomme and but he could not find anyone else to play tomme and his son end up with the part . the movie give a lot of insight in the native brazilian indian . tomme dream about his father bill markham . when tomme be a young adult and about to be marry to young native and he run into his father and who be still search for him . this be a very poignant and move moment in this movie . tomme recognize him and trust him because he be the man in his dream whom he call dada . markham want his son to go back to the white man civilization and but tomme be now a native and no long fit in that civilization and no matter how civilized it be . tomme go visit the apartment complex where the parent live when another tribe arm by white men steal his tribe woman . he have start remember thing . he see the place where he live during a trace in which he become his guardian spirit and a harpy eagle . instead of take the elevator and he climb to the top floor balcony on the outside of the building . he have become one of the best warrior in the tribe and but the other tribe have gun . when tomme go into the white man civilization and there be evil represent drinker and rape and abuse to the native indian and and all the unfairness that be common to the native around the world . tomme live in a very innocent environment where the native live a any society life . tomme be happy there . it be absolutely impossible to bring him out from the culture he now know . tomme be marry to a beautiful native and be happy . the father now realize what civilization be do to the amazon forest and finally destroy the dam that threaten the life of the native . now he have a reason represent the happiness of his own son depend on it . the father be now against the development that he be hire to accomplish . the cinematography be beautiful . the native to our surprise be actor . boorman refuse to use native in the movie for fear of corrupt them . the actor do such a great job that we think they be real native . there be beautiful moment of tenderness between the native and tomme . it be a bitter sweet story because markham could never make his son happy than he already be and and lose forever chance of know his son and make him happy . my favorite scene represent the son in the water fall discover his own sexuality with a group of female native and where a son and father meet and the dance of the native . there be a lot of work involve in this movie .