The Mission (1986)

Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields) directs this fuzzy effort at a David Lean-like epic without David Lean's sense of emotional proportion. Lean's most important screenwriting collaborator, Robert Bolt, in fact wrote The Mission, which concerns a Jesuit missionary (Jeremy Irons) who establishes a church in the hostile jungles of Brazil and then finds his work threatened by greed and political forces among his superiors. Robert De Niro is briefly effective as a callous soldier who kills his own brother and then turns to Irons's character to oversee his penance and conversion to the clergy. The narrative and dramatic forces at work in this movie should be more stirring and powerful than they are--the problem being that Joffé is too removed from them to allow us in. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

DeNiro & Iron's Mission

I first saw this thought-provoking film on the big screen in 70mm and believed it to be one of the best films of the 80's. Unfortunately the film opened to disappointing business in the U.S. but did much better in Europe (It received a Golden Palm at Cannes). DeNiro and Irons each give excellent performances of 2 men caught in conflict over the problems of church vs state in the colonization of the tribes in the Americas. Many people thought this to be a religious film but it is far more than that. Rather to divulge a lot about the plot, I would rather imply that this film is a triumph in the sense that it is action filled spectacle that makes us think rather than just entertain us. It's too bad that director Roland Joffe has descended nowadays to doing a slasher film with an American actress (Elisha Cuthbert). Anyway do see this film for the direction, the stars and of course, the evocative score by Ennio Morricone who should've won the Oscar that year. June 30, 2008

My thoughts on The Mission

I had to watch this moving in a spanish class I took in college. I believe the movie has a powerful story of showing how the Spainards and Porgues conquored the indians of Brazil. I think it can relate to England and other European countries conquoring the new world. This moving did make me tear up at the end when they massacured tribes. May 9, 2008

The Mission 1986 - Post review

This movie was compelling & full of breathtaking scenery in Columbia which was based upon the Indian tribes in the upper regions high above cascading waterfalls, to be converted by Christianity. Robert De Niro & Jeremy Irons were the leading characters of this beautiful movie which encapsulated the heart in a spellbound though dramatic conclusion. I found that these actors put more emphasis on the culture of the tribes people and their way of life which was combined to give the audience a sense of warm embrace towards the suffering and cruelty acts which occurred between the late 1700's to the early 1800 year period. A MUST HAVE for any serious Movie Buff who wishes to transcend back in time to a civilization rich & full of culture. 5 Star rating applicable.***** March 6, 2008

The reviewer's got it wrong!

Tom Keogh's editorial review got it wrong. This is a magnificent movie. The background is historically accurate. The music, much of which was written by South American composers during the 17th century, is flawlessly performed. The story is gripping, and one comes away with an accurate picture of what was going on at the time. It's one of the best movies I've seen in many years.

It seems that not many customer reviews agree with Tom Keogh. February 18, 2008

Bravo for "The Mission"

I loved seeing this film again and now having it in my permanent collection. It puts light on a neglected subject - the exploitation and decimation of thousands of Indians in Latin America and the herosim of the Jesuits who tried to save them. I like the extra disk - especially the segment on how the casting of the Guarani was accomplished. De Niro and Irons are outstanding! February 15, 2008

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