The Search for Michael Rockefeller (2011) User Reviews

An Update of Leonard Nimoy's Quest

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 12 February 2015]

In 2007, filmmaker Fraser C. Heston discovered a cache of lost footage shot by adventure-author Milt Machlin during his expedition to the cannibal coast of New Guinea in 1969, in search of the lost scion, Michael Rockefeller.

This is something of an update on Leonard Nimoy's "In Search Of..." of the 1970s, where Rockefeller was discussed previously. But Nimoy did not have the additional footage we have here, thus making the search even more interesting now (although the possibility of Rockefeller being found is even more remote).

Sadly, this is actually not that interesting, given we are dealing with a billionaire heir and cannibals. This should be exciting, but the narration and whatnot are just not that great. The same material handled differently could be incredible.

Good Doc.!- Saw Off Netflix!

[MovieHoliks · 8/10 · 14 August 2015]

"It's the desire to do something adventurous," he explained, "at a time when frontiers, in the real sense of the word, are disappearing." -Michael Rockefeller

I've had this documentary in my queue at Netflix for-EVER, and finally got around to seeing yesterday. Michael Rockefeller was the fifth child of New York Governor (later Vice President) Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, and a fourth-generation member of the Rockefeller family. He disappeared during an expedition in the Asmat region of southwestern Netherlands New Guinea. There was debate on whether he drowned, or was later killed by villagers after swimming ashore. And *possible SPOILER* I suppose: the film shows footage of this white man living among the villagers, as one of them, so there was always the possibility he was still alive-??

This is a really interesting adventure documentary. I noticed it was directed by Fraser C. Heston (son of the late Charlton Heston), who had previously directed features like "Alaska", and adaptations of Stephen King's "Needful Things" and also "Treasure Island" (1990 TV movie). He does a good job of creating the epic feel this film needs to have. And it's gotten me interested in the subject, in checking out some other films, books, etc.. And it would also make a great topic for a big screen dramatic film adaptation some day-??

Very Interesting, But Not Conclusive

[jonlioncourt · 28 August 2016]

I'm not going to retell the story like some people do with reviews; IMDb has already provided that to you. My comment is more of the "open ending". It seems the consensus is that Rockefeller died either by drowning (although an excellent swimmer) or by being murdered by cannibals in retaliation for 4 of their villagers who were killed by white men 4 years prior. However, a less than 5 second clip of the found reels clearly show a nude white man in a canoe with tribal people and surrounded only by the black tribal people in other canoes. There were more than 50 and possibly 100 people in this clip (large canoes) and only one was white and Rockefeller was the only missing white man.

The narrator states that the footage wasn't clear enough to say for certain that the man was Rockefeller, but with his obvious complexion, hair color and style, on top of having a beard (as he did before he left) seems somewhat certain to me. No other white men were ever seen among the tribes, so who else could this be? Another question would be why would Rockefeller, a recent Ivy League graduate and heir to a fortune want to trade that for living in the stone age? Perhaps he was stranded with no way to contact anyone? And the people who looked for him perhaps were just not looking in the right place? After all, at that time the recently discovered film had not been seen and it wasn't until 2007 that it was viewed, so no one would have known he might have been assimilated into a tribe.

In that clip, one could have found the exact beach the canoes had launched from, had it been seen. By now, Rockefeller is most likely dead of old age. Contrary to this film's claim to this incident being the most mysterious of the century, it really isn't. I think Amelia Earhart probably was, just ahead of the Lindbergh kidnapping. The film clip showing the white man is proof enough for me to believe Rockefeller lived among the tribe after having been stranded. It appears obvious the film was made after he had adopted the tribe's nudity policy. You wouldn't just discover a tribe and strip down. He had to have been with them for enough time to adopt their customs. There is no other explanation in my opinion. The last question I have is who took that clip and did they notice the white man at the time it was filmed?

If you're not patient, you might become bored. I was, but I was also curious enough to stick it out. It isn't for everybody, but I do recommend it.