At Play in the Fields of the Lord

Director: Héctor Babenco
Year Released: 1991
Rating: 1.0

Christian missionaries (led by Aidan Quinn) try to 'convert' primitives but only botch things up in this lengthy film that looks like it was made to sweep the Oscars but nary got a nomination (Best Score - that's it). What sinks it is not simply the overbearing length but more so the difficulty in identifying with the missionaries - it is not easy to care much for people who are so clearly ignorant. Preachy and filled with nonstop religious rhetoric, it should be intolerable for those who are typically irritated by that type of discussion.