The Mission
The Mission was released on 31 October 1986. Featuring Jeremy Irons, Robert de Niro, and Liam Neeson.
The British film was written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffe. Filming mainly took place at locations in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The movie starts with the following prologue:
“The historical events represented in this story are true, and occurred around the borderlands of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil in the year 1750.”
The film grossed $17.2 million at the box office on a budget of 16.5 million pounds ($25 million at the time). Considered a financial failure.
The Movie
The movie is set in mid-18th century South America. A group of monks tries to establish a mission and eventually ends up defending the locals. It is based on events surrounding the Treaty of Madrid, with Spain ceding part of Jesuit Paraguay to Portugal.
The Cast
- Robert De Niro as Captain Rodrigo Mendoza
- Jeremy Irons as Father Gabriel
- Ray McAnally as Cardinal Altamirano
- Aidan Quinn as Felipe Mendoza
- Cherie Lunghi as Carlotta
- Ronald Pickup as Hontar
- Chuck Low as Don Cabeza
- Fred Melamed provides Don Cabeza’s voice
- Liam Neeson as Father John Fielding
- Bercelio Moya as Indian Boy
- Sigifredo Ismare as Witch Doctor
- Asuncion Ontiveros as Indian Chief
- Alejandrino Moya as Chief’s Lieutenant
- Daniel Berrigan as Sebastian
- Rolf Gray as Father Ralph
- Álvaro Guerrero as Jesuit
Conclusion
It was nominated for no less than 7 Academy Awards and won only one for Best Cinematography. The film was deemed a commercial flop.
The Mission is a theatrical masterpiece and a cinematic highlight of the eighties. Despite being trashed by critics. The music score composed by the late Ennio Morricone is simply sublime. Definitely one of the highlights of the decade.