At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)

Visually stunning epic
Hector Babenco and Saul Zaentz have constructed a beautiful adaptation of Peter Matthiessen's novel of the same name. The american actors used are magnificent with the exception of Tom Waits who looks the part but doesn't quite get it right - this is especially evident when he is speaking to Moon over the radio. The native amazonians used are the real deal - Babenco recruited at least 10 different tribes to serve as actors and this authenticity really shows. The rituals performed are highly authentic esp. the use of epene snuff and ayahuasca. The communal housing for the tribe is wonderfully filmed - you feel as if you are really there with the sounds of the instruments and the smell of foods.

I was really pleased with how well the movie stays true to the novel of course some parts are omitted - especially alot in the town of Mae de Deus but then again that would have made this a six hour flick.

A word of caution for those who have not seen this before - This film portrays...

WHERE IS THE DVD?
This great film has been extensively reviewed on this website and for good reason--perfect casting, terrific acting, gripping story, intelligent dialogue, superior production. What more can you ask for?

The DVD has been 'hinted at' for well over a year. WHERE IS IT? How can a film this great not have a DVD release, ESPECIALLY WHEN this website has been indicating for a VERY long time that it will be out on DVD?

Kathy Bates as the wife of a missionary who goes loco (that is, she does, not the missionary). Darryl Hannah as another wife of a missionary who's more than intrigued by the native Amazon culture--in particular when she's approached by Tom Berenger, former small craft pilot, who's undergone a startling transformation. Even Tom Waits in a small part is great. John Lithgow and Aidan Quinn as the two missionaries supply the right chemistry to exacerbate the tension that drives this story with a momentum that does not let up.

This is a...

A journey worth taking.
I originally saw this film when it was first released and it stuck with me. I recently saw it for the second time and it was better. The film is so sad but riveting when misguided missionaries head into the Amazon jungle to Christianize the native tribes. This story has been played out around the world for centuries and it's probably still going on with fundamentalist religious fanatics who feel the need to change others by destroying their cultures. In some ways, it's a fantasy theme of opportunities and possibilities being demonized by the personalities who created them. Christianity is a great message but it's terribly abused by the few who create such hate and leave such damage in it's name.

This is a fine film that takes you on a journey into the jungles of South America. It's so realistic that you feel you are there with them. A journey worth taking.

A fine cast actors: Tom Berenger, Aidan Quinn, John Lythgow, Kathy Bates and Daryl Hannah supported by a...

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