The Mission

An unforgettable expedition of penitence to the rain forests of South America that very soon turns into a clash of opinions involving politics, faith and freedom. Let’s sum up the main plus points of The Mission. You can’t find many better performances by Robert De Niro than this, plus this is Jeremy Irons’ role of a lifetime and the rest of the actors do a great job too in their supporting roles. Their manage to act their way through the first half and at the very end without the use of words, just using facial expressions... Absolutely indescribable. An intelligent screenplay based on real events that doesn’t underestimate the viewer and pleasant spiritual perspective that is maintained without the movie plunging into religious agitation. Powerful scenes galore. For instance, the famous moments with Mendoza feeling the weight of his burden or Irons walking at the head of a mass of unarmed Indians. Sumptuous production design, Oscar-winning camerawork that captures wonderful locations, all under the umbrella of the perfect compositions from the genius Ennio Morricone. The only downside of The Mission is the directing of the battle scenes that lack juice. But luckily there is a minimum of them and not until the end. And the result? One of the best pictures of the eighties. (01/31/2007)

Nobody makes films like this these days. The Mission is perfect in every aspect, the story itself is very strong and is underscored by the beautiful scenery and cinematography, the amazing performances and of course the unforgettable music. Only Ennio Morricone can compose a melody that so perfectly portrays the elements of the earth, nature and the very nature of man. His music, like the landscape of South America, is harmonious, peaceful, but also unbridled and treacherous. Underneath its sound, all that cruelty seems unnecessary and absurd. Don't delay in watching this film as long as I did, you won't be disappointed. (09/16/2016)

The diametric difference between the two halves shatters the overall result into even smaller pieces. The first is perfect. The utterly captivating depiction of one person's transformation under the weight of their conscience and Christian teachings, further supported by the masterful acting performance of "Senor" Robert De Niro, is breathtaking. Especially when you factor in the excellent contrast between the Native Americans and the European settlers. However, the second half radically changes the point of view. The political struggle of colonial powers in South America, Spain, and Portugal, with the involvement of the Roman Catholic Church, goes completely against the flow of the previous narrative, and the whole story starts losing its persuasiveness and momentum and becomes rather unpleasantly dull. Moreover, everything starts to lead to a surprising final battle, which, despite having "something to it," cannot deny its own self-indulgence. Unfortunately, even the beautiful images of the South American jungle bordering on kitsch are lacking here, but Morricone's impressive music partially makes up for it. But to just close your eyes and listen? Given the first half, I'm sorry for my rating, but considering the second half, unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it. (09/30/2005)

When in a captivating story of unfortunate fate from a not-so-good time, the amazingly playing De Niro and Irons come together, the camera captures perfect scenery and in addition, the titan Morricone's music is playing, it is enough for even just average direction by Joffé, to create a unique film. The outcome is not as clear-cut as it may seem at first glance and the layered story leaves many ideological questions open. (08/14/2007)

Let's think of this film as a very ordinary puzzle where one piece features amazing actors, another features Ennio Morricone's haunting music, and another features the spectacular and magical South American setting where the story takes place. They are all a joy to look at, but they are not easy to put together. Roland Joffé has taken great care, however, and The Mission is a well-thought-out and hugely impressive whole that slowly works its way into the viewer's mind and ultimately gets as deeply under the skin as the human wickedness it depicts deserves. For some, it may be too worn out and self-indulgent, but in fact everything in this film makes sense, and in its effort to make the viewer think and learn, The Mission has my endless admiration, even if it may never be one of my top films. (06/08/2012)