The Mission (1986)

Eighteenth-century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.

Director:

Roland Joffé

Writer:

Robert Bolt (original story & screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Mendoza
Jeremy Irons	...	Gabriel
Ray McAnally	...	Altamirano
Aidan Quinn	...	Felipe
Cherie Lunghi	...	Carlotta
Ronald Pickup	...	Hontar
Chuck Low	...	Cabeza
Liam Neeson	...	Fielding
Bercelio Moya	...	Indian Boy
Sigifredo Ismare	...	Witch Doctor
Asuncion Ontiveros	...	Indian Chief
Alejandrino Moya	...	Chief's Lieutenant
Daniel Berrigan	...	Sebastian
Rolf Gray	...	Young Jesuit
Álvaro Guerrero	...	Jesuit

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

jesuit | mission | slave | spanish | jungle | 

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Taglines:

Deep in the jungles of South America two men bring civilization to a native tribe. Now, after years of struggle together, they find themselves on opposite sides in a dramatic fight for the natives' independence. One will trust in the power of prayer. One will believe in the might of the sword.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both of the film's lead actors have won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Jeremy Irons for Reversal of Fortune (1990) and Robert De Niro for Raging Bull (1980). De Niro also won a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for The Godfather: Part II (1974).

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Goofs

The movie uses the Spanish honorific "Don" as a translation of the English "Lord" or "Mister", and Cabeza is repeatedly addressed as "Don Cabeza". "Cabeza" is a surname, and "Don" is used only before a first name. The correct Spanish equivalent would be "Señor Cabeza".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Altamirano: Your Holiness, the little matter that brought me here to the furthest edge of your light on Earth is now settled. The Indians are once more free to be enslaved by the Spanish and Portuguese settlers. I don't think that's hitting the right note. Begin again... Your Holiness, I write to you in this year of Our Lord 1758 from the southern continent of the Americas, from the town of Asunción, in the Province of La Plata, two weeks march from the great mission of San Miguel. These ...

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Crazy Credits

At the film's very end, after the final credits, Altimarano gives the audience an ambiguous, almost accusing look, as if he were asking it, "Would you or would you not have done this?"

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Connections

Featured in The 59th Annual Academy Awards (1987)

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Soundtracks

Gabriel's Oboe
Composed by Ennio Morricone

User Reviews

Manifesto

A film as a coffee. Final taste is just important.Mixture of music, script, acting, images, crumbs of story, emotions as huge veil and memories as cinnamon pieces of a cake. It is a great film for the science of director to told a common tale. For the nuances of characters and profound message. For the connections with real facts from a past with color of present. For force of details and lost of Paradise. For the bleak evil and Christianity of goodness seed. For Robert de Niro in the skin of Dostoyevsky character and for Jeremy Irons as apostle for who people are instrument of God. For touching picture of faith as fight and for moral victories of every day. For exposure of pain and peace in a very subtle form, like a manifesto of revolution.

Details

Country:

UK France

Language:

English Guarani Spanish Latin

Release Date:

31 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Mission

Filming Locations:

Colombia

Box Office

Budget:

$24,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,366, 2 November 1986

Gross USA:

$17,218,023

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,502,499

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Goldcrest Films International, Kingsmere Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1