At Play in the Fields of the Lord by Stephen Farber The pleasure of seeing a solid story well told is best illustrated by the impressive film version of Peter Matthiessen's At Play in the Fields of the Lord. One feared that the movie might be no more than an ethnographic document, a modish protest against the defoliation of the rain forest and of Indian cultures in danger of extinction. What makes the film compelling is not these unobjectionable ideas but the rousing story that Matthiessen created. The movie isn't simply right-minded; it's also a good yarn, chock-full of thrilling incidents and centering on a strong tragic hero. Aidan Quinn gives a splendid performance as the Graham Greene-like character, a missionary with a genuine sense of idealism who leaves disaster in his wake. In its treatment of the fictional Niaruna tribe, At Play in the Fields of the Lord is fortunately closer to Black Robe than to Dances With Wolves. The Indians aren't endearing and noble; they're frequently savage, but they have their own frightening grandeur. Breathtakingly photographed, the film has the virtues of a David Lean movie, which is not something I would have expected from Hector Babenco's previous work. Like The Bridge on the River Kwai, At Play is an epic adventure story and also an unrelentingly bleak contemplation of human folly. Such a dark movie has no chance of finding a large audience today, but those who do see it will find themselves engrossed by the kind of authoritative, fluent storytelling that has gone out of fashion. What did you think of this movie? Sound off in the Movie Forum.