The Mission (1986)

The Mission (1986) follows 18th-century Spanish Jesuits who build a peaceful mission among the Guaraní people high above a South American waterfall, only to see everything threatened when colonial politics hand the land to a pro‑slavery Portugal. Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) gently wins the trust of the Guaraní and creates a flourishing, faith‑based community. Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro), a brutal slave‑trader seeking penance, is transformed by Gabriel’s compassion and the tribe’s way of life — but his violent past and new convictions pull him toward a very different response when the mission is ordered closed. Watching the film, you’ll experience a slow, powerful unfolding of moral and political conflict: quiet moments of ritual and community life contrasted with sudden, painful reminders of violence and empire. Visually the movie is striking — lush jungle, misted waterfalls and grand wide shots — and Ennio Morricone’s haunting score amplifies the emotional weight. The heart of the film is the clash between conscience, obedience and resistance: intimate, wrenching performances drive a story about redemption, cultural survival and the cost of standing up to colonial power. Overall it’s a stirring, elegiac historical drama that combines spiritual reflection with intense human drama and memorable imagery.

Actors: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally

Director: Roland Joffé

Runtime: 125 min

Genres: Adventure, Drama, History

7.6 /10 55 /100 7.4 /10 6.8 /10