The Mission (1986)

Synopsis of The Mission

Featuring a majestic score by Ennio Morricone and lush Oscar-winning cinematography by Chris Menges, Roland Joffé's The Mission examines the events surrounding the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, when Spain ceded part of South America to Portugal, and turns this episode into an allegory for the mid-'80s struggles of Latin America. Two European forces are on hand to win the South American natives over to imperialist ways. The plunderers want to extract riches and slaves from the New World. The missionaries, on the other hand, want to convert the Indians to Christianity and win over their souls. Mendoza (Robert De Niro) is an exploiter dabbling in the slave trade. But after he kills his brother Felipe (Aidan Quinn) in a fit of rage, he seeks redemption and calls upon the missionaries to assist him. After repeatedly climbing a cliff with a heavy weight as penance, Mendoza finds redemption and becomes a devout missionary at a settlement run by Gabriel (Jeremy Irons). The missionaries want to promote a new society in which the natives will live together in peace with the Spanish and the Portuguese. But this concept frightens the royal governors, who would rather enslave the natives than encourage peaceful coexistence between the Europeans and the Indians. They order the mission to be burned to the ground. But this event causes a rift between Gabriel, who wants to pray and pursue peaceful resistance, and Mendoza, who wants to take up arms and fight the Europeans. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Theatrical Feature Running Time:

125 mins

Director(s):

Roland Joffé

Writer(s):

Robert Bolt

Producer(s):

Fernando Ghia, David Puttnam

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

PG(Violence, Adult Language, Questionable for Children, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations)

• 1986 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Costume Design
• 1986 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Supporting Actor
• 1986 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Cinematography
• 1986 - Cannes Film Festival - Grand Technical Prize
• 1986 - Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or
• 1986 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Screenplay
• 1986 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Score
• 1985 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Cinematography

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