The Mission

The Mission is set in 18th century South America and is a deeply moving and powerful portrayal of the duality of human nature, with love and ruthless greed coming face to face in stark contrast. Jeremy Irons is a Jesuit priest, Fr. Gabriel, who successfully integrates with some native Indians and converts them to Christianity. In doing so he sets up a mission, taking the Indians out of the jungle and placing them in what would be described as a more civilised community. Robert De Niro plays a former mercenary and slave trader who, after a powerful experience of repentance and forgiveness, joins the mission community as a Jesuit priest and grows to love the people who he once killed and traded off. Set against this story of personal redemption are the political struggles of the Portuguese and Spanish to gain permission of the Church, represented by a Cardinal, to take over the land that belongs to the native Indians, which includes the mission. Conflict between colonial greed and native defiance becomes inevitable, and this causes tension between Rodrigo, a man of the sword, and Fr. Gabriel, who would be a modern day pacifist, as they disagree as to how they should meet their fate: with a violent resistance or a prayerful acceptance. The Mission is based on true events and this makes the blood thirsty greed of the colonial powers and the weakness and corruptibility of the Church even more chilling to the bone. Robert Bolt’s screenplay is deft and thought provoking, and provides ample dialogue and story for actors of the calibre of Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro to sink their teeth into. Both are excellent and this is probably one of my favourite De Niro films and performances. It is also refreshing to see priests and Christian faith being portrayed in a positive light, De Niro in ‘Sleepers’ is another example. But when most people think of The Mission it is the musical score by Ennio Morricone that immediately comes to mind. His beautiful, evocative soundtrack really adds another dimension to the film and tugs at the heartstrings. It is not surprising that the Italian composer was nominated for an Academy award for his efforts. The film was nominated for several Oscars but only won one for the cinematography of Chris Menges. The climax to the film is both gripping and heartbreaking, and shows man at his best and at his worst. One of the best films of the 1980s. 9/10