The Mission (1986)
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A Jesuit priest and a former mercenary find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict over the fate of a native tribe in 18th-century South America.
The story
In the 1750s, Jesuit priest Father Gabriel enters the eastern Paraguayan jungle to convert the Guaraní to Christianity. His mission becomes a place of sanctuary and education, but the political landscape shifts when the Treaty of Madrid reassigns land to the Portuguese, who view the natives as subjects for slavery. A Papal emissary is sent to decide the fate of the missions. Amidst this escalating tension, a former mercenary turned priest, Mendoza, must navigate the growing conflict between the spiritual goals of the Church and the violent realities of colonial expansion, as the two men find themselves divided on how to defend their people.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the 1750s, Father Gabriel establishes a mission for the Guaraní in the Paraguayan jungle. He meets Mendoza, a former mercenary and slave trader who, after a period of penance, joins the Jesuits. When the Treaty of Madrid transfers their land to the Portuguese—who intend to enslave the Guaraní—a Papal emissary, Cardinal Altamirano, is sent to decide the mission's fate. As the threat of enslavement looms, Gabriel and Mendoza are forced to defend the mission. They disagree on tactics: Gabriel refuses to use violence, while Mendoza trains the Guaraní in warfare. When Portuguese and Spanish forces attack, Mendoza leads a desperate defense. The conflict ends in a bloody confrontation where the clergy are killed in a religious procession and Mendoza is mortally wounded. In the aftermath, the survivors are scattered, but a small group of children escapes into the jungle.
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 125
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Roland Joffé
- Writers
- Robert Bolt · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert De Niro · Father Gabriel; Jeremy Irons · Mendoza; Ray McAnally; Aidan Quinn; Cherie Lunghi; Liam Neeson
- Genres
- historical drama
- Themes
- religious conflict; colonialism; faith vs. violence
- Tone and mood
- epic; somber
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; religious; war
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Lost Cities of Paraguay by Father C. J. McNaspy, S.J.
- Reception
- The Mission received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 6.4 · scale: 10 · review count: 30; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Production trivia
- The film was a commercial success in South Korea.; The soundtrack was composed by Ennio Morricone.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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