On M List of Movie Reviews
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The Mission (1986)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
11/13, 7/20
11/13:
The Mission is a powerful film about the plight of the Guaraní people on the heels of Portuguese and Spanish
colonizers.
The reality is underscored by the loss of their homes because the Portuguese and Spanish viewed the land as an imperialistic
opportunity to expand their empire while harvesting it for resources, most especially gold. I thought the
Jesuit missionaries played a scurvy trick on the Guaraní by converting them into Christians for the state's hidden agenda,
but it's not the case in the film.
There's a display of concern by the Jesuits, wanting to save them from the predictable wipeout of their culture and habitat.
Now, we know how that went down. Naturally, the film demonstrates the reasons not to believe in religion and
whatever the precepts of the church are because it's all hypocritical.
Meanwhile, the performances are good. It's interesting to see Robert De Niro in this light. Jeremy Irons,
Liam Neeson, and Aidan Quinn lend their hand, and they'll be stars in their own way.
All in all, The Mission is a fine piece of work that reflects the reality of the period.
7/20:
Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, and Aidan Quinn star in The Mission, proffering a rare insight into what
it's like to be in South America during the 18th century.
It's also a powerful film about the Portuguese and Spanish's treatment of the Guaraní as heathens because of their skin color,
how they look, and their perceived lack of education. The location of the setting is along the border of Paraguay, Argentina
and Brazil. Wanting to protect the Guaraní from being enslaved by the colonizers, the Jesuit missionaries ultimately failed
and were then expelled from the Spanish empire in 1767.
I thought at first what the Jesuits had going in the Guaraní villages was perfectly fine, but the opposing forces didn't
see it that way, preferring to raze them and enslave these people in the shocking name of greed. The effect of the 1750's
Treaty of Madrid forced Spain to cede all of present-day Brazil to Portugal.
Oustanding are the performances. Even better is the cinematography which won an Academy Award for Chris Menges. The waterfall
in the background is the Iguazú Falls which is located in Columbia. Because of The Killing Fields, City of Joy,
Vatel, and The Mission, Roland Joffé is a fine director.
All in all, The Mission is a rare film.