• A visually stunning epic, THE MISSION recounts the true story of two men--a man of the sword (Robert De Niro) and a man of the cloth (Jeremy Irons)--both Jesuit missionaries who defied the colonial forces of mighty Spain and Portugal to save an Indian tribe from slavery in mid-18th-century South America. Mendoza (De Niro) is a slave trader and colonial imperialist who murdered his own brother (Aidan Quinn) and seeks penance for his sins by becomining a missionary at Father Gabriel's (Irons) mountaintop mission; Gabriel is a devout and idealistic man who extols nonviolence and peaceful interaction with the natives and colonialists. Despite their differences, the two men must unite to save the mission when Spain, Portugal, and the Catholic church begin negotiating their boundaries in the area--negotiations that will affect both the freedom of the natives and the well-being of the Jesuit missionaries who have set up safe havens for them. Director Roland Joffé's sweeping masterpiece is a haunting account of the unjust treatment of the Guarani Indians of South America and the men who fought desperately, in very different ways, to save them. The film features a mezmerizing musical score by Ennio Morricone that weaves a stunning combination of church choirs and native Indian panpipes into the lush images of the Brazilian rainforest.

The Mission is a 1986 film which tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest who goes into the South American jungle to convert the

Native Americans, who must defend his charges against the cruelty of Portuguese colonials. It stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Aidan Quinn, Cherie Lunghi and Liam Neeson.

The movie was written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffé.

It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and was nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration,

Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score and Best Picture.

The film won the 1986 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Categories: 1986 films