the mission movie essay

The Mission

“The Mission” feels exactly like one of those movies where you’d rather see the documentary about how the movie was made. You’d like to know why so many talented people went to such incredible lengths to make a difficult and beautiful movie – without any of them, on the basis of the available evidence, having the slightest notion of what the movie was about. There isn’t a moment in “The Mission” that is not watchable, but the moments don’t add up to a coherent narrative. At the end, we can sort of piece things together, but the movie has never really made us care.

The action takes place in South America in the 18th century. Two great colonial forces are competing for the hearts and minds of the native Indians. On the one hand, there are the imperialist plunderers, who want to establish a trade in riches and slaves. On the other hand, there are the missionaries, who want to convert the Indians to Christ.

The central figure in the movie is Mendoza ( Robert De Niro ), who begins as the first kind of imperialist and ends as the second. Early in the film, he is a slave trader, a man of the flesh. But after he kills his brother in a flash of anger, he yearns for redemption, and he gets it from the missionaries who assign him an agonizing penance: He must climb a cliff near a steep waterfall, dragging behind him a net filled with a heavy weight of armor. Again and again, De Niro strives to scale the dangerous height, until finally all of the anger and sin is drained from him and he becomes a missionary at a settlement run by Gabriel ( Jeremy Irons ).

The movie now develops its story through the device of letters that explain what happened to the mission settlement. The missionaries dream of a society in which Christian natives will live in harmony with the Spanish and Portuguese. But the colonial governors find this vision dangerous; they would rather enslave the Indians than convert them, and they issue orders for the mission to be destroyed. Irons and De Niro disagree on how to meet this threat: Irons believes in prayer and passive resistance, and De Niro believes in armed rebellion.

In the end, neither approach is effective, and the movie concludes in a confusing series of scenes in which badly choreographed battle sequences are intercut with Irons’ final religious services. It is a measure of the film’s disorganization that at the end, when it is crucial that we understand who the Indians are fighting and how the battle is going, mere chaos takes over the screen and the actors stagger out of clouds of smoke as if they’re looking for directions.

“The Mission” was produced by David Puttnam and directed by Roland Joffe , the same team that made the great film “ The Killing Fields .” That film was fired by a pure, burning anger against a great injustice, and it had a dramatic center in the life and saga of Dith Pran, the Cambodian who survived the occupation of his land and eventually lived to find freedom. Pran’s story was a magnet that pulled us through the film. “The Mission” has no similar pull. Indeed, it hardly seems to have a center and feels like a massive, expensive film production that, once set in motion, kept going under its own momentum even though nobody involved had a clear idea of its final direction.

I suggested that no single shot in the movie is without interest.

That is probably true. The locations are spectacular – especially a waterfall that supplies the great opening image of a crucified missionary floating to his doom. The actors are effective in their individual scenes. The mysterious atmosphere of the forest seeps into the story and lends it a certain mysticism. All that was needed to pull these elements together was a structure that would clearly define who the characters were, what they stood for and why we should care about them. Unfortunately, that is all that is missing.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Jeremy Irons as Gabriel
• Robert De Niro as Mendoza
• Cherie Lunghi as Carlotta
• Ronald Pickup as Hontar
• Ray McAnally as Altamirano
• Aidan Quinn as Felipe

Photographed by

• Chris Menges

Produced by

• David Puttnam
• Fernando Ghia
• Ennio Morricone

Screenplay by

• Robert Bolt

Directed by

• Roland Joffe

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The mission film guide.

June 1, 2013

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Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé Essay

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In “The Mission” (1986), the director aims to narrate a story of Jesuit missionaries in eighteen century South America in parallel with a description of the fight of Judaic religious communities and Jesus’s story.

Concerning the Essenes, it is not complicated to define them in the movie as one of the main movie characters, Father Gabriel, is supposed to belong to the Essen order. As well as the Essenes, the Guarani live far away from people, above the fall, forming their community. As the ancient Essenes can be considered as the ascetics, the Guarani-Essenes are also satisfied with little – they produce all the necessary things by themselves: they build houses and boats from wood, fish, and grow fruits and vegetables. After the Guarani’s transformation inspired by Father Gabriel, they wear only the white sackcloth as the Essenes did. Moreover, the fact that they have a taste for music presents the Guarani to some extent as the Innocents. The Guarani treat each other and all the people around with love and respect – however, when it comes to the displacement of the mission, they turn out to be much more than innocent lambs while preparing to defend their new home with deadly force. Thus, the features of the radical Zealots appear in the Guarani. Regarding Father Gabriel himself, he might be seen as a Jesus-like figure, according to the Gospel of Matthew – the forceful and merciful leader that does not admit any other power except the power of love. The young priest, John, can be considered as John the Baptist.

In the movie, it is also easy to reveal the Sadducees, as this party opposing to the Essenes is introduced as a group of arch villains aiming to destroy the Guarani mission. First of all, the local aristocrats Dons Cabeza and Hontar seem to belong to the Sadducees, as, historically, this religious group consisted of the great families. The local aristocracy influences Altamirano significantly, which can be considered as the reflection of the relationship between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Moreover, it is possible to draw a parallel between the Sadducees and the local aristocracy in the movie based on their relation to “the dissidents.” As the Sadducees persecuted the Jewish people for the slightest violations of Mosaic Law, Cabeza and Hontar treated the Guarani as the savages and aimed to banish them from their land.

Regarding the Pharisees, Altamirano can be considered as the most prominent Pharisee in “The Mission.” The Pharisees were extremely popular with the Jewish people and were treated with respect. Altamirano, who represents the Roman Vatican, also has the folk’s admiration and trust. Undoubtedly, it is possible to relate the politician Altamirano to the Pharisees as the members of this Judaic community were remarkably savvy about political games. Besides, the Pharisees were said to be in alliance with the Sadducees. Apparently, the relationship between Altamirano and the local aristocracy significantly reminds such an association.

Obviously, it is possible to describe Rodrigo Mendoza as one of the most ambivalent characters of “The Mission.” At first, he belonged to the Sadducees, but after the atonement he made a decision to join the Essenes. Nevertheless, when the threat of the Guarani’s expulsion appeared, Mendoza already seemed to be much more a Zealot than an Essen. In fact, after deciding to protect their rights by weapon, all the Guarani transformed from the Essenes into the Zealots. In the same manner, as the Zealots were ready to go to any lengths to defeat the Romans, the Guarani fought fiercely against the government’s soldiers. Furthermore, as the movement of Zealots evolved from Pharisaism, the Guarani up to a point were closely connected with Altamirano. Concerning the hidden meaning of Mendoza’s figure, it is possible to suggest that he might be seen as Paul the Apostle, one of Jesus’ closest associates.

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IvyPanda. (2022, January 17). Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé. https://ivypanda.com/essays/religion-in-the-mission-film-by-roland-joff/

"Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé." IvyPanda , 17 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/religion-in-the-mission-film-by-roland-joff/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé'. 17 January.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/religion-in-the-mission-film-by-roland-joff/.

1. IvyPanda . "Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/religion-in-the-mission-film-by-roland-joff/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Religion in “The Mission” Film by Roland Joffé." January 17, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/religion-in-the-mission-film-by-roland-joff/.

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The Mission

• Eighteenth-century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.
• Jeremy Irons plays a Spanish Jesuit who goes into the South American wilderness to build a mission in the hope of converting the Indians of the region. Robert De Niro plays a slave hunter who is converted and joins the Jesuit in his mission. When Spain sells the colony to Portugal, they are forced to defend all they have built against the Portuguese aggressors. — mattbballman17
• 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. — Huggo
• Jesuit priest Father Gabriel enters the Guarani lands in South America with the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity. He soon builds a mission, where he is joined by Rodrigo Mendoza, a reformed slave trader seeking redemption. When a treaty transfers the land from Spain to Portugal, the Portuguese government wants to capture the natives for slave labor. Mendoza and Gabriel resolve to defend the mission, but disagree on how to accomplish the task. — Jwelch5742
• Father Gabriel ascends the mountains of Brazil to bring christianity to the natives. He is successful and brings about a golden age among them. Mendoza, a slaver, kills his brother in a fit of rage, and only Fr. Gabriel's guidance prevents his suicide. Gabriel brings Mendoza to work at his mission with the natives, and Mendoza finds peace and asks to become a priest. The church, under pressure, cedes the land to the Portuguese which will allow slavers in again. Mendoza breaks his vows and organizes the natives to resist while Gabriel warns him to help them as a priest. — John Vogel <[email protected]>
• The film is set during the Jesuit Reductions, a program by which Jesuit missionaries set up missions independent of the Spanish state to teach Christianity to the natives. It tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), who enters the South American jungle to build a mission and convert a community of Guaraní Indians to Christianity. In the opening scene, a Jesuit missionary is lashed to a cross by the Guarani Indians who live above the spectacular Iguazu Falls. The missionary is then sent over the falls, cross and all, while praying fervently to God. His martyrdom inspires the gentle Father Gabriel to scale the hazardous falls and try to reach out to the tribe. Initially, the Guarani warriors prepare to kill him, but after Gabriel plays an unforgettable solo on his oboe, they allow him to live and he gradually wins their trust. Mercenary and slaver Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro) makes his living kidnapping natives and selling them to nearby plantations, including the plantation of the Spanish Governor Cabeza (Chuck Low). Mendoza subsequently finds his fiancee (Cherie Lunghi) and his younger half-brother Felipe (Aidan Quinn) in bed together. He kills Felipe in a duel. Although he is acquitted of the killing by Cabeza, Mendoza spirals into depression. Father Gabriel visits and challenges Mendoza to undertake a suitable penance. Mendoza accompanies the Jesuits on their return journey, dragging a heavy bundle containing his armor and sword. After initially tense moments upon reaching the outskirts of the natives' territory, though they recognize him, the natives embrace a tearful Mendoza and cut away his heavy bundle. Father Gabriel's mission is depicted as a place of sanctuary and education for the Guaraní. Moved by the Guaraní's acceptance, Mendoza wishes to help at the mission and Father Gabriel gives him a Bible. In time, Mendoza takes vows and becomes a Jesuit under Father Gabriel and his colleague Father Fielding (Liam Neeson). The Jesuit missions were safe, because they were protected under Spanish law. The Treaty of Madrid (in the year 1750) reapportions the land in South America. The land on which the Jesuit missions were located was transferred to the Portuguese, and Portuguese law allows slavery. The Portuguese colonials seek to enslave the natives, and as the independent Jesuit missions might impede this, Papal emissary Cardinal Altamirano (Ray McAnally), a former Jesuit priest himself, is sent from the Vatican to survey the missions and decide which, if any, should be allowed to remain. Under pressure from both Cabeza and Portuguese Governor, Don Hontar (Ronald Pickup), Cardinal Altamirano is forced to choose between two evils. If he rules in favor of the colonists, the indigenous peoples will become enslaved; if he rules in favour of the missions, the entire Jesuit Order may be condemned by the Portuguese and the European Catholic Church could fracture. Altamirano visits the missions and is amazed at their industry and success, both in converting the Indians and, in some cases, economically. At Father Gabriel's mission of San Carlos he tries to explain the reasons behind closing the mission and instructs the Guaraní that they must leave. The Guaraní question his authority, and Father Gabriel and Mendoza, under threat of excommunication, state their intention to defend the mission should the plantation owners and colonists attack. They are, however, divided on how to do this, and they debate how to respond to the impending military attack. Father Gabriel believes that violence is a direct crime against God. Mendoza, however, decides to break his vows to militarily defend the Mission. Against Father Gabriel's wishes, he teaches the natives the European art of war and once more takes up his sword. When a joint Portuguese and Spanish force of soldiers attack, the mission is initially defended by Mendoza, Fielding and the Guaraní. They are no match for the military force and Mendoza is shot and fatally wounded. When soldiers enter the mission village, they are slowed by the singing of Father Gabriel and the Guaraní women and children who march in the procession. The soldiers are reluctant to fire at a Mass. In spite of this, the Portuguese commander orders the attack and Father Gabriel, the rest of the priests and most of the Guaraní, including women and children, are gunned down. Only a handful escape into the jungle. Fielding sacrifices himself by killing the Portuguese commander and a few more soldiers before he himself is killed. In a final exchange between Cardinal Altamirano and Don Hontar, Hontar laments that what happened was unfortunate but inevitable because "we must work in the world; the world is thus." Altamirano replies, "No, thus have we made the world. Thus have I made it." Days later, a canoe of young children return to the scene of the Mission massacre and salvage a few belongings. They set off up the river, going deeper into the jungle, with the thought that the events will remain in their memories. A final title declares that Jesuits and others continue to fight for the rights of indigenous people. The text of John 1:5 is displayed: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

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Saoirse Ronan is a mother on a mission in the first trailer for Steve McQueen's Blitz

The Apple Originals film hits theaters Nov. 1.

Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly , where he covers breaking news, all things Real Housewives , and a rich cornucopia of popular culture. Formerly a senior editor at Out magazine, his work has appeared on NewNowNext , Queerty , Rolling Stone , and The New Yorker . He was also the first author signed to Phoebe Robinson's Tiny Reparations imprint. He met Oprah once.

Oscar-winner Steve McQueen ( 12 Years a Slave ) has teamed up with four-time Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan ( Greta Gerwig 's Little Women ) for November's Apple Originals film Blitz .

Written and directed by McQueen, the film follows follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother, Rita (Ronan), sends him to safety in the English countryside.

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George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.

The cast also includes Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Leigh Gill, Mica Ricketts, CJ Beckford, Alex Jennings, Joshua McGuire, Hayley Squires, Erin Kellyman, and Sally Messham.

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Blitz marks McQueen's first feature narrative film since 2018's Widows , though he's kept busy with acclaimed limited series 2020's Small Axe and 2021's Uprising , as well as the 2023 documentary Occupied City .

Meanwhile, Ronan garnered her fourth Oscar nomination for 2019's Little Women , and has recently appeared in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch in 2021, alongside Sam Rockwell in 2022's See How They Run , opposite Paul Mescal in 2023's Foe , and this year she starred in The Outrun , based on Amy Liptrot's memoir of the same name.

Blitz premieres in select theaters on Nov. 1 before bowing on Apple TV+ on Nov. 22. Check out the trailer below.

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See also the list of Commissioners-designate and their portfolios, reflecting the ambitions set out in the Political Guidelines.  

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