The Mission (1986)

• Year: 1986
• Released: 31 Oct 1986
• Country: United Kingdom, France
• Adwords: Won 1 Oscar. 15 wins & 27 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_mission
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-mission
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Guarani, Spanish, Latin
• MPA Rating: PG
• Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
• Runtime: 125 min
• Writer: Robert Bolt
• Director: Roland Joffé
• Cast: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally
• Keywords: jungle, lgbt interest, 18th century, christianity, mission,

	7.4/10
	55/100

The Mission Storyline

It’s the mid-eighteenth century. Unlike his predecessor who was murdered and crucified for his efforts by the people in question, Father Gabriel, a Jesuit priest, is able to gain the trust of the Guaraní to build a mission in their region, above the falls in the border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, so that he can bring the word of a Christian god to the Guaraní. Father Gabriel’s predecessor’s fate was not only because of the Guaraní ‘s mistrust of him, but their mistrust of the white man in general, they who had previously pilfered many native South American tribes for slaves. Someone who unexpectedly joins Father Gabriel’s order in building the mission is Rodrigo Mendoza, a mercenary and slave trader, who is trying to pay penance and repent for some past actions, most specifically an incident involving his half-brother. Father Gabriel’s work and the lives of the Guaraní are threatened with the arrival into the area of Cardinal Altamirano, who must decide on the fate of the mission based on the fact that the land on which the mission sits has been ceded by the Spanish to the Portuguese, who are open to enslaving the indigenous peoples as opposed to the Spanish who officially banned the practice despite the former work of people like Mendoza. Cardinal Altamirano will factor into the equation of his decision that the Portuguese may take action against the church as a whole if this one mission is not closed. Father Gabriel and the order have to decide how to proceed, with the possibility that he and Mendoza will end up on different sides of the fence. Mendoza has vowed obedience to Father Gabriel in becoming a priest but may have definite and extreme views based on previously being a mercenary and slave trader. Meanwhile, Father Gabriel wants to protect the Guaraní under the name of God, they who have converted and who are in this position largely because of him.

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The Mission Movie Reviews

Viewers will find the film providing a good starting point for discussion…

The Jesuits were to be teachers, educators in philosophy and religion… They became the intellectual elite of the Catholic Church, adviser to the kings and queens of Europe, and involved with the forest Indians…

In Roland Joffe’s motion picture, their purpose is to convert and to civilize the untamed population… But while the Spanish sees the Guarani Indians as a potential converts for Christianity, the Portuguese considers them as nothing more than slave labor… Tension immediately arises among the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the Church, the Jesuits, and the Guarani…

The film examines the events surrounding the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, when Spain ceded part of South America to Portugal… As you may know, Portugal, eventually built a trading empire so dynamic that it would eventually push out into the Atlantic and set the stage for Spain’s historic expeditions of conquest… By the Treaty, the Jesuits were to leave the New World… But neither the priests nor their flock wished to leave…

There is nothing great in politics, no matter how it is delivered, and for the noble natives, the consequences are no less dramatic… The collision of cultures had it enormous consequences… And the film is no simple account of heroes and villains, or victors and victims… It is simply a dramatic, sweeping tale of the complex blending two peoples into one…

Cardinal Altamirano (Ray McAnally) is the papal legate in charge of the Catholic activities of the South American territories… He faces a political dilemma: If the Catholic Church leaves the Jesuits as defenders of the Indians in South America, the Vatican might be at odds with the crowns of Europe, and the Catholic states might begin to resist the power of the Pope…

Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) is a conqueror without sword against brutality and oppression… He converts the native peoples to Christianity, and defends their rights and beliefs against the European powers… His dream is to see a community in which Christian natives living in peace with the Spanish and Portuguese…

Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro), is an ex-slaver turned Jesuit priest, who wants to defend the Indians by guns against the merciless cruelties and butcheries of the slave dealers, and ward off the ravages of the Portuguese…

A little slow, but also sad and moving.

“The Mission” is based on real events–though the ending is highly fictionalized. When the story begins, a lone Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), treks through the jungle in South America to try to establish a mission where one had previously failed. However, he is very successful and soon the place is filled with eager native Christians. Additionally, Father Gabriel recruits a vicious slave trader, Mendoza (Robert De Niro) to join him at the mission–and soon Mendoza is converted and becomes a member of the order. All seems great…until a treaty is suggested which will move this mission from Spanish to Portuguese territory–and the Portuguese plan of dismantling the Missions. What’s next? See this film.

The film is extremely beautiful and was filmed in the jungles of South America using Colombian indigenous peoples. The music, though sometimes a bit repetitive, is also quite beautiful. The only complaint I had with this very compelling film was the ending. It made it appear as if the priests stayed behind and died with the Indians when they ultimately attacked, though they didn’t. They were pretty much abandoned to their fate. Very sad, very thought-provoking and well worth seeing. Just be aware that the film (especially near the beginning) is very slow and if you are looking for a nice, happy ending then you should keep looking!

While with its flaws, still packs a very powerful punch

The Mission had a lot of talent on display(Jeremy Irons, Robert DeNiro, Ennio Morricone) and fortunately doesn’t waste that talent. Could it have been better than it was? Yes. Is it a good film still? Yes it is, with its best components being absolutely outstanding.

What stuck out as particularly outstanding were the production values and especially Ennio Morricone’s music score. The Mission’s cinematography looks gorgeous and the scenery and period detail are nothing short of magnificent. It does have to be one of the best-looking films of the late-80s. Words cannot describe how truly amazing Morricone’s score is here, easily ranking among his best and containing at least two of his most memorable themes. The Gabriel’s Oboe theme is the most well-known theme, and justifiably, it is hauntingly beautiful, and The Falls is also justifiably famous. For me however, it was the To Earth As It Is In Heaven track that really sends shivers down the spine.

In terms of writing, The Mission is a long way from flawless, but nevertheless a good deal of the script is very thoughtfully written and evokes thought and emotion for a while after. The story is mostly compelling and deeply moving emotionally, with an especially powerful final act. The subject matter is devastating enough as it is, and The Mission deals with it intelligently and movingly, while the well-meaning message resonates on an emotional level and without being too preachy. The characters, while on the whole not the well-developed in the world, are still interesting and carry the film well, none of them feeling pointless. Cardinal Altamirano is particularly well-realised. The direction acquits itself fine and The Mission is generally strongly acted.

The two best performances came from Jeremy Irons and Ray McAnally. Irons brings huge amounts of heart and great sincerity, he is particularly good at the end. There his acting is heart-breaking, and even with saying little to nothing at all. McAnally is advantaged by having the most interesting character in the film, and he plays with real authority and ruthless abandon, while succeeding in giving some dimension and light and shade. Look out also for a young Liam Neeson, whose appearance read as a promising one.

On the other hand, The Mission does contain some flabby pacing. This is especially true in the middle act, where it does get talky and bogged down in some heavy-handed politics. For personal tastes, too, Robert DeNiro’s performance is uneven. He does have some wonderful moments, with the character’s torment and emotional turmoil being very heartfelt-ly portrayed. At other points however he seemed detached to the drama and somewhat out of place, especially in some of his line delivery, which bordered on aggressive and being more at home in a Scorsese film(one line and his delivery of it reminded me of Taxi Driver and it takes one out of the period setting). Aidan Quinn also doesn’t fare too badly in the acting stakes but jars a little in the setting.

All in all, could have been better, but the production values, Irons, McAnally and especially the music score are enough to make the film well worth seeing; they are superb and as a result the film for all its flaws still packs a very powerful punch. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox