Robert De Niro is Rodrigo Mendoza, a wealthy adventurer who makes a fortune as a mid-eighteenth-century slave trader, capturing Guarani Indians in Paraguay and selling them for a huge profit to the local governor. Mendoza's life takes a turn for the worse, however, when he learns that the woman he loves, Carlotta (Cherie Lunghi), has fallen in love with his younger brother, Felipe (Aidan Quinn). And when he discovers them in bed together, he loses control and kills his brother in a swordfight. Afterwards, however, Mendoza is consumed with extreme guilt and he becomes a Jesuit postulant after meeting Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons). But Father Gabriel, who has always cared for the natives and resented the slave traders, is at first unsure if Mendoza's desire to do penance and achieve redemption is sincere. Mendoza fianlly completes his penance after suffering many hardships, and he helps Gabriel teach the Indians about Christianity. As the years pass, Mendoza and Gabriel become close if somewhat wary companions, running the isolated mission above Iguacu Falls together while allowing each other plenty of personal space.Everything changes, though, when in 1750 Spain and Portugal sign the Treaty of Madrid, which redefines their territorial borders in the Americas. The end result of the treaty is that Spain (which has forsaken slavery) delivers the Indian land to Portugal (where slavery remains legal). To avoid the Jesuit order being expulled from Portugal, all Jesuit missions in South America are ordered closed by the Pope, which means the Indians living there will be abandoned to the slave traders. The Guarani Indians are determined to stay and fight for the mission they've come to love, and this deeply troubles Mendoza. Despite his Jesuit vow of practicing nonviolence, he knows that with his past fighting skills as a mercenary he's the only one who can teach the Guaranis to defend themselves. Gabriel also stays, but for a different reason. The end result of the inevitable battle is predictable but nevertheless is devastating to watch.
"The Mission" is without a doubt one of the most breathtaking masterpieces I've ever seen. It is simply stunning, both in a visual and spiritual way that few films can achieve. Robert De Niro, although boldy cast against type, gave one of his finest performances and certainly deserved an oscar. Jeremy Irons was also outstanding, and the supporting cast (including Aidan Quinn and Liam Neeson) was wonderful. The scenery was incredible, as was the cinematography. And who can forget the beautiful music by one of the greatest composers of all time, Ennio Morricone? In short, to call this one of the greatest movies of all time is an understatement. The dvd has an awesome picture and sound quality that even improve the viewing experience, and the in-depth making-of documentary was very informative and entertaining. If you enjoy watching movies at all, then do yourself a favor and add this treasure to your collection!
DeNiro is powerful in role of changed mercenary/slavetrader who jumps sides, while Irons is just superb in role of spiritual giant with magic oboe who leads this people against all odds only to be overran -or were they?
The storyline develops slowly yet beautifully in this magnificent landscape of South America. What makes it all one moving drama is a great soundtrack by Ennio Morricone."The Mission" is a heartbreaking tale of redemption, survival and tragedy told in the mountains of Argentina and Brazil. It stars Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons and focuses on Britain's involvement in colonizing the tribal indians and then, destroying their homeland. Not to be missed, this 1986 Cannes Film Festival winner is perhaps both DeNiro and Iron's finest hours on film and the moving, Oscar-winning score will make your skin crawl.
Warner Home Video has done a fantastic job on the DVD transfer. Though color and black levels are still a little weak, the picture is, for the most part, nicely balanced, with rich textured hues, excellent contrast levels and incredible detail, even in the remotest background information. Pixelization is non-existant. Aliasing and shimmering of fine details is extremely rare. There was only one instance where edge enhancement was detected and this, for less than 30 sec. of screen time. The audio is 5.1 remixed and has a nice expanse in the musical score and effects track. Voices do tend to sound front and center rather than spread across all three channels but, then again, this is a movie from 1986, with all the inherant shortcomings of a soundtrack from that decade factored in. Background hiss is non-existant.
Extras: An audio commentary, theatrical trailer and the absolutely brilliant documentary that revisits the actual sites used in the making-of "The Mission".
BOTTOM LINE: Warner deserves the highest marks for this 2 disc set. Long the leaders in DVD excellence, "The Mission" is just another reason why more people should be writing in to the studio to specially thank them for their mastering efforts. They are, bar none, the best in the business.
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This is a true story and it is a very sad one in the history of the west and of the church.Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson and many more take us through the history of slavers in South America. Irons, who plays a Spanish Jesuit Priest, goes into the wilderness to build a mission, to convert the Indians. DeNiro plays a slaver who eventually joins Irons' mission and serves the native peoples.
The main question in this film is that of ownership, and the right to make slaves. The mission begins in Spanish territory that is sold to the Portuguese. The Portuguese do not want to accept that the natives are humans but at best trained monkeys and that their Christianity does not protect them from becoming slaves. The Cardinal who came to oversee the decision came with a decision already made, and his inner turmoil, as the narrator, draws the viewer into the political side of the decision and the political side of the church's role in the decision, at that time, in a way that few other films ever have.
The film is a cinematographic masterpiece. While watching the movie, pay close attention to light and darkness, the music, and the angles used in filming. This movie is great and a must see because of the story it tells and the way it tells it. It is truly a film and not just a movie.
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The Mission stars Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro, but also includes brief performances from Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn. The movie is set in the jungles of South America during the late 1700s.Jeremy Irons is a Jesuit priest trying to convert and protect the indigenous people. DeNiro is excellent in his portrayal of a hot-blooded slave-trader who has a change of heart. Together, they will struggle to save the people from takeover by the commercial exploits of the Spanish and Portuguese.
The story moves very well, and the scenery is gorgeous. I believe this film won an Oscar for its cinematography. The musical score is hauntingly beautiful. The message is still powerful today. I would recommend seeing this.
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