En liberté dans les champs du Seigneur

Directed by Academy Award nominated Argentinian-Brazilian writer-director Hector Babenco and co-written by a longtime Luis Buñuel collaborator Jean Claude Carriere this is a breathtakingly beautiful, masterfully directed film, that features a story of two protestant missionary couples from a small town in U.S. that come to Amazonia with an intent to preach to the wild Indians of the area and an American pilot, wonderfully played by Tom Berenger, who feels atracted to the way of life of the Indians and joins and lives with them. Following the life of it´s protagonists in Amazonian forest, the film explores many subjects, such as: religious fanaticism and intolerance, ecology, destructive external influence on an unique Indian culture and, of cause, lust and greed. It´s slowly paced and has a duration of over 3 hours but it never became boring, at least for me. I was surprised to find that this film has an average rating of only 6.3 here on IMDB. It certainly deserves much more. 8/10

I fell into this movie, broadcast by Belgian 2, in the scene where the evangelists travel up the river. The cast immediately caught the attention: what are all these actors, who usually don't play adventure type characters, doing in the Amazon?! Then Berenger is shown in a kind of nudity I thought US/Hollywood culture forbade. This absence of hypocrisy combined with quality actors made me sit straight. I had already missed a lot, but there was plenty of great and convincing story telling left. People struggle, try over and over to keep on going when things go wrong. Cultures try to interact but fail in different ways. Several of the main characters die of unexpected but reasonable events. And everything is so well set, framed and timed that it keeps watchable. The scene where Bates, dressed as a native exorcist, dances on her grief over a horrible loss was beautiful. There's MAYBE one scene just a bit artificial, where Hannah has pulled up a leg to hide some of her nudity for The Camera: it contrasts with her subsequent confrontation with Moon where she doesn't show any embarrassment.

The supporting acting by natives (mostly people who had only just adapted 'civilization' and who could still remember village life) is surprisingly good. The native language that was created sounds really well, not like any language I've ever heard, and it is spoken consistently as far as I can hear. The final shot is impressive, and the accompanying music sublimely subtle. I really must see the first 30 minutes some time!

I don't really have a problem if a reviewer, that is, a Siskle or Ebert type wants to give this a bad rating. That's what they are paid for - to find fault in movies.

But everyone I know loved this film, well, maybe loved isn't the best word. It was at times painful, but it was very beautiful and very vivid and one of my favorite films.

I was surprised when I looked for this on Netflix and it wasn't available. With all the junk on DVD, this is a beautifly filled, intense movie with a real story. I don't know why it doesn't have more recognition.

A late adaptation of author-naturalist Peter Mathiessen's 1965 novel about missionaries in South America (Aidan Quinn and John Lithgow), their wives (Kathy Bates and Darryl Hannah, respectively) and their chance encounter with an American Indian (Tom Berenger) who is trying to exorcise the ghosts of his life on the reservation by joining a stone age tribe that the missionaries are trying to convert. This is a remarkable cast for a movie with such intense, personal themes, and each of the actors delivers an excellent performance. Berenger was perhaps an odd choice to play an American Indian, but he does the best that he can with the role.

Mathiessen is one of the great writers of the late twentieth century--an American answer to Graham Greene or Joseph Conrad, perhaps--whose literary canvas is literally almost the entire world. This is an appropriately challenging and demanding interpretation of his always challenging and demanding (though under-appreciated) work.

Far from the boundaries of the modern world, live a primitive people who have existed naturally for thousands of years undisturbed. However, beginning with the European invasion of the 15th century and continuing unabated to the present, their culture, their tribal beliefs and even their very existence have come under siege. From a healthy population of thousands, they have been wantonly slaughtered and decimated to a handful of survivors. This film is one of a few which has the courage to illuminate the culprits of destruction. The Movie is called " At Play in the Fields of the Lord. " The story is that of Martin and Hazel Quarrier (Aidan Quinn and Kathy Bates) and their son Billy (Niilo Kivirinta) who were convinced by Leslie Huben (John Lithgow) and his wife Andy (Daryl Hannah) to move to South America and run a missionary outpost in the Brazlian jungle. Although it's Mr. Huben who's the fervent evangelical and enthusiastic force behind the mission, Martin desires to emulate him despite his inner doubts and misgivings. Into this mix is Lewis Moon (Tom Berenger) a modern Cheyenne originally hired to destroy the indigenous tribesmen, changes his mind and embraces their jungle life. Although warned by Commandante Guzman (Jose Dumont) and resident Catholic priest, Father Xantes (Nelson Xavier) not to expect success, the missionaries insist on forcing the natives to accept religious imposition despite the cost to the established tribes. The notion of change is contrary to the established peoples, but insisted on by the invading missionaries and their soul seeking agenda. Added to their destructive presence are the foreign businesses seeking wealth at the cost of the forest. The movie is a revelation of what is transpiring even now. The destruction of an entire Eco-system, the Rain Forest and the disappearing tribes are at the heart of this movie. Questioning his faith, Martin re-evaluates his decision when his son is stricken and his wife goes insane. The scenery of the pristine jungle and the tribes as well as the top notch acting of the cast is a plus for this incredible film. In the addition, its a prime candidate to become a Classic, despite it's length. ****