MovieChat Forums > The Emerald Forest (1985) Discussion > 'What about me !?'

'What about me !?'

posted 18 years ago by marshall_neal
18 replies | jump to latest

Remember Uwe Werner, the hippie journalist who accompanied Bill Markham one on his jungle trips. Is it just me, or was Werner a little bit of an obnoxious loudmouth? Examples: ( SPOILER ALERT )
1) Just before Bill and Werner left for their trip, Jean (Meg Foster) was talking about how she felt regarding Tommy's disappearance / being a missing person
Jean: " There are times I almost....."
Werner: " That you wish [Tommy] were dead? At least you could stop all
the searching and have some peace of mind. I could understand
that."
Jean: (Understandably peeved) " I don't think you understand anything!"

2) During the journey along the river, Bill is taking in some of the
scenery, including a water snake.
Werner: ( with a big grin on his face )" You would miss these trips
if you found your boy, huh?"
Bill: " Listen, Uwe, I'm only letting you tag along because I owe your
magazine a favor! I'm running out of gratitude pretty fast."

3) Bill and Werner stepped of the boat, and before continuing their journey
on foot, Bill introduces Werner to a missionary friend
Bill: " This is Uwe Werner"
Werner: (While shaking hands with the missionary) " Confirmed atheist"

A little blunt and lacking in tact, wouldn't you say?

Later, they encounter the Fierce People, are taken to their village, and Bill has his little disagreement with the Chief. All the while, "Motormouth" Werner is asking questions "What's going on?" "What did [the Chief] say?"
Finally, Bill says that he is going to be given a head start before the Fierce People hunt him. Werner has his Last Question ( before the Fierce People have their Next Supper ): " What about me!?" Then, the Chief has him skwered.

I'm sorry, but what follows is probably going to portray me as a sick, sadistic, little sh*t...
My two cents on the above scene: Maybe that was his karmic retribution for being an obnoxious loudmouth? ( snicker )
When the Chief said " Toomagah!!! " ( or some such ooga-booga mumbo-jumbo)he probably said: "Oh, will somebody shut him up already!? He's starting to annoy me with all his dumb questions!" Was that the POINT of poking him with the spear? LOL
" What about me !?" Spear pricks him " AAAAAAAHHHHH !!!" Does that answer your question? More LOL

Am I the only one who found that scene amusing in a way?
Out of morbid curiosity, I just wonder what kind of response I'm going to get. Anyone else have any comments about that scene?

[–] iamme1270 18 years ago

I'm only commenting because this is my favorite movie -- and yes lol the over talkative Werner is a posted scapegoat in the movie representative of and for all senseless people out there

-- and probably representative from my perspective of a hardened journalist who has just seen too much of the ugly side of human life to be considerate, sympathetic or even empathetic anymore...

kind of like murder detectives or coroners in a big city probably...

the violence was probably a little overdone, but it's a debate... Boorman always seems to balance things out in his conservation message (ooooo i'm gonna take a hit on that comment!)

my only other issue is that yes, boorman had a dialect made for this movie, why - i won't ever know -- but to sound as if you are poking fun at a language you don't know -- that I find a litte trippy most of all from your post!!! take as a jab, and not a mean one --

i teach english to foreigners

[–] BentSpoon 18 years ago

Heh.
Yes, you certainly get the impression Powers Boothe was glad the Fierce People killed him.

[–] Al_Truist80 18 years ago

Was anything trimmed from this scene? It just seemed more brutal than it appeared, in a 'just off the screen' kind of way. Boorman certainly doesn't shy away from horror, as Deliverance testifies, but it's rarely in-your-face nastiness.

[–] jporter-6 13 years ago

Who knows how much of this scene was left on the cutting room floor? But the point of the scene is that Bill Markham sees the drug-fueled anger and cannibalism of the Fierce People. In about 12 hours or so, he is going to see that his son Tommee (and the Invisible People) are in very real danger from this bunch of savages--sorry, that's what they are. I'm not politically correct.

[–] Statutory_Ape69 11 years ago

"Politically correct" is the bleeding heart liberal douchebag name for bleeding heart liberal douchebags. You were right on by using the word "savages".

[–] sambuca 18 years ago

A hippie would never be this inconsiderate... sounds like a Republican supporter to me.

-Goodnight, mother of six!
-Goodnight, father of two!

[–] jporter-6 13 years ago

Oh yeah. We see the Democrat hippie thugs infused in the Occupy movement. Your statement is blather.

[–] ragreen259 12 years ago

Yawn... here's an idea, why don't both of you go the F* away?

[–] slipcat555 18 years ago

I think the reason Uwe was made an obnoxious character is so that his death would not be too much of an emotional distraction from the main interest of the story, which is Bill Markham's reunion with his son. You don't want Markham to be too upset about Uwe when he meets his son or when he goes back to tell his wife that he found (and lost again) Tomme. It's more dramatically effective this way.

In the book version of Emerald Forest, Uwe Werner was an anthropologist instead of a journalist. And his bluntness was definitely part of the story. Both the mother and father disliked him and wanted to punch him sometimes, but at the same time they also needed him because of his knowledge of the rain forest people.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 13 years ago

There's a book? How was it? Would you recommend it over the movie or to accompany the movie?

OPEN YOUR EYES! dailymotion.com/video/xbi2hi_1993-chandler-molestation-extortion_news

[–] slipcat555 13 years ago

Yeah, the book is based on the movie. It's no masterpiece, but if you're a fan of the movie, it's worth checking out. It provides more background and explation, fleshing out the the charactes more. The author is Robert Holdstock.

John Boorman also wrote a book about the experience of making the film. It's called The Emerald Forest Diary. Great book! Both of these are out of print but easy to get.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 13 years ago

Thanks. I think I'm interested in Boorman's diary!

OPEN YOUR EYES! dailymotion.com/video/xbi2hi_1993-chandler-molestation-extortion_news

[–] drxcreatures 15 years ago

He could have been a MUCH nicer person but, 'I' personally felt bad for him. *shudder*

http://www.cgonzales.net & http://www.drxcreatures.com

[–] jporter-6 15 years ago

It's not you. He definitely was a jerk.

Not going to comment on the scene.

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