Good Movie

Good to see this hadr-to-find movie again. Slight tracking problem on the VHS in one spot, but didn't detract. Received in good time. Thanks.

An above average drama with some reality

Taken from an even lengthier book, "At Play in the Fields of the Lord" is a tale of missionaries that travel to the Amazon, set up shop to convert the heathens to Christianity and make their lives better, and basically end up doing just the opposite. The morality play about the Christian mission achieving the opposite of its intent is a cliche, of course, one that has been played out in film for 50 years.

The rest of the story -- the interactions between missionaries Aidan Quinn, John Lithgow, white man converted to native Tom Berenger, and real world Amazonians -- is more cunning and memorable. A very slow beginning will derail a lot of viewers that don't know what they're getting into. Fortunately, the pace quickens in the final 90 minutes as the machinations of mission work mix like water with the natives' oil attraction to "white" men. The inevitable conflict arises and, with it, an explosive ending that shows even the best intents on the highest plane of existence can come undone in a foreign environment.

Filmed on location in the Amazon, this movies gives an uncompromising look at a culture with whom few viewers are going to have familiarity. The Amazon natives speak in a language few will understand, "dress" in ways that make some of the cliches from white-men-in-Africa 1930s movies look realistic, and show a mean streak about the white invaders that may or may not reflect reality. There is, as others around here have stated, a lot of nudity in this flick including a full frontal nude scene with Daryl Hannah.

The mixture reminds me of a lot of movies about life in the jungle going bad. The overriding tone reminded me of Harrison Ford's venture of life in the jungle, "THe Mosquito Coast", which started out with the best of intentions and ended in similar disarray. The ending reminded me a lot of the final scenes from the 1979 Vietnam epic "Apocalypse Now" where the wayward colonel's jungle lifestyle was reduced to ashes.

I don't discount the votes of the others that gave this film five stars but I don't see much great in this film. Aidan Quinn gave a pretty good performance and Tom Bereger is probably better in this movie than anything I've seen him in. Kathy Bates was pretty much wasted as a whiny wife and Hannah, aside from her voluptuous nude scene, is the same as she's ever been. None of the native actors did much to distinguish themselves, in my opinion. Still, this is a unique film experience and adventurous viewers will gain something from that.

The New Yorker review is way off base

This is one of the most outstanding films of its kind -- heck, what am I saying? There ARE no other films of its kind. In spite of the tribal nudity and occasional harsh language I used to show it to my high school environmental science classes, and I never had a complaint.

The reviewer for the New Yorker has obviously never visited such a place -- few of us have -- or he'd know that the film wonderfully portrays the malaise that descends upon westerners who don't anticipate what they're in for. And the cultural message is wonderfully played out. All through my first viewing, all I could think was, "how on Earth did they MAKE this movie?" Because the Indian actors are all wonderful. I just can't fathom what it took to bring this director's vision to reality. But I'm very glad he did.

Five Stars, five stars, five stars!