At Play in the Fields of the Lord
by Hector Babenco
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Aidan Quinn, Daryl Hannah, John Lithgow, Tom Berenger, Tom WaitsDirector: Hector Babenco
Writer: Hector Babenco
Producer: David Nichols
Producer: Francisco Ramalho Jr.
Producer: Paul Zaentz
Producer: Saul Zaentz
Writer: Jean-Claude Carrière
Writer: Peter Matthiessen
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 189 minutes
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Movie Review: Culture clash...
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's a big book reduced to a three-hour film. I don't have a problem with that. The parts left out could make a whole 'nother film. The resulting film is quite profound and fascinating; Babenco got a big budget after his success with "Kiss of the Spider Woman", and made an epic which is unusually intimate. I appreciated the acting, all of it. Kathy Bates in particular was solid in her relatively small role, and one of these days Daryl Hannah will be taken seriously. Berenger and Quinn have the moxy to carry this film well. The photography is exquisite, especially some of the aerial shots, but also crystal clear close-ups that show every bead of sweat, etc. Stunning! I've read most of the other reviews before making my comments. This film had me from the beginning, and I'm sorry for those who didn't "get it". Films about trying to change the beliefs of natives are interesting (and upsettingly frustrating) for me. Another riveting film (for me) was 1966's "Hawaii", based on Michener, which told a similar story. "Windwalker"? "Roots"? The religious thing, to me, is merely a matter of interpretation. Who's to say that these natives aren't praying to the same God? Idols? Well, the Christian churches have plenty of their own, patron saints to various things; St. Christopher medals, cricifixes... Those movies about Columbus, or the Pilgrims, also told of similar situations. Imagine the confusion of those innocent people, who only died of age until the "Christians" came along. Nudity? Who cares. It's what they did. How dare I criticize another's culture, when my own is so screwed up. Babenco used authentic Amazonians, and I applaud him for it. This film pretty much put the kabosh on Babenco's legitimacy in Hollywood; alas, the film was a failure. I eagerly await the emergence of a DVD version of this film, as well as "Hawaii". A wide letterbox could show off some breath-taking panoramas and brilliant photography. Sorry if you don't like my opinions. I'm still an American and believe in the First Amendment; I'm also a Christian who is never ashamed, often embarrassed. UPDATE: The DVD of "Hawaii" is here, a fine film about culture clash, but I still haven't seen one as good as this.
Summary of At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Missionaries travel to the Brazilian rain forest and make a mess of everything. What else is new? Actually, plenty in this dark but beautifully realized adaptation of Peter Matthiessen's well-regarded novel, directed by Hector Babenco. Aidan Quinn, Daryl Hannah, Kathy Bates, and John Lithgow play the Americans who travel to the Brazilian interior in an effort to do some good. But their definitions of good vary wildly; Bates and Lithgow are old-fashioned puritans who want to convert the heathens to Christianity and remove all traces of their own culture. Quinn and Hannah are more spiritually minded, hoping to make a connection and a cultural exchange with the Indians they encounter. In the end, they're all delusional, trapped in their own preconceptions. Downbeat but magical in its way, with sterling performances all around and amazing scenery, to say the least. --Marshall FineSimilar DVD Movies
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