The Mission (1986)
 

The Mission


Starring:Robert DeNiro,Jeremy Irons,Aidan Quinn
Genre.Drama
Directed by:Roland Joffe


I think "The Mission" is better than Joffé's "The killing fields". The background-story is about political power between Spain and Portugal in 1750 and a Cardinal sent by Rome. But above all it tells of two men. Jeremy Irons is Jesuit Gabriel who builds a mission in South American jungles. He has got a deep human character and believes in peace and love. Robert DeNiro is more interesting. After killing his brother in a duel, he changes from brutal slave-trader to an expiating Jesuit. One of the best sequences is when native Indians recognize DeNiro. It looks first as if an Indian would kill him with a knife, but then he cuts the rope with that DeNiro carried a heavy ballast of weapons and armings. DeNiro cries and laughs simultaneously because he is redeemed. This goes right through your heart. Chris Menges cinematography is wonderful. Ennio Morricone wrote one of the most remarkable scores of film history. Don't leave the cinema while cast and credits are running over the screen at the end! You would miss the last sequence! ;)

The Mission (1986) is a good and beautiful movie, though I don't agree with your assessment that it is better than Joffé's The Killing Fields (1984) - it isn't. And among movies with similar themes I'll take Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) and Fitzcarraldo (1982) and even Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast (released the same year as The Mission) over Roland's film. As far as the other movies DeNiro starred in during the 1980s, I'd have to slot it behind Raging Bull, Once Upon A Time in America, The King of Comedy and Midnight Run (and Parker's Angel Heart and Gilliam's Brazil, for that matter). Which isn't to say The Mission isn't good and very much worth seeing, I'm just putting some perspective on its quality.

Jeremy Irons is excellent as Father Gabriel, the Spanish Jesuit who ventures into the South American jungle to convert the natives - even with the knowledge that his predecessor in the post was killed (in the celebrated and memorable opening sequence). Aidan Quinn too is quite good in one of his first big screen roles. But it is DeNiro who has the much flashier role as Mendoza, a slave trader who finds God but then returns to his warlike ways to defend the Mission. That scene you describe above when he collapses as he is accepted is definitely a powerful one. Morricone's score is surely one of his best from the second half of his career, and Chris Menges rightly won the Oscar for cinematography that year. It's truly a breathtaking film projected on the cinema screen.


GRADE: B





*and I can hardly wait until you get around to reviewing The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Bloody Mama and Showtime on your Robert DeNiro hit parade.

What the f*ck is wrong with you man?

Look if you don't know me i'll tell a little something about me
"I don't like motherf*ckers" got what iam saying?

What is your frippin' malfunction, Kid?

What does "frippin' malfunction" means ? jackass

Did you even bother to try and read my first post in this thread? What in the Hell are you going off about anyway?



*CUCKOO**CUCKOO*

you know what i'm talkin' about. read your private messages

Oh, you mean after I put almost word-for-word what appears at the bottom of my first post in this thread (wrapped in POSITIVE rep points, by the by) you then responded with a private message to me that reads...

Then despite that stupidity I added an actual thoughtful reply to this thread on The Mission where I discussed the film in some detail, to which your only response is "What the f*ck is wrong with you man? Look if you don't know me i'll tell a little something about me "I don't like motherf*ckers" got what iam saying?".


Like I said, what's your frippin' malfunction, Kid? :indifferent:

I don't think there was such a need for you to suddenly lash out at Pike like that...

Iam Really sorry man i mean i know it looks strange but i didn't post
this stuff it's was my brother and iam so sorry for everything .

He is a very crazy kid iam going to kill him man! he did some freaky **** to my messenger friends too.:( SORRY AGAIN

Uh, yeah. Sure.

Lol

Yoo arre a jerkkoff. briNg mee sum toona fisH.

Oh, jeepers: I am so sorry. I just realized I left my computer logged on, and my kitty kat, Mr. Tinkles, must have posted that last message. Please disregard everything he may have said.

I respected him more before the apology, I didnt really agree with him but at least he stuck to his guns. Course all things considered, Mr Tinkles does get into a lot of trouble.

Yeah, well at least I got him to stop pissing on the couch. Apparently this was the tradeoff: he'll begrudgingly urinate in the litterbox, but he also gets to surf the net.

Wasn't this a sandwhich In A Stephen King Novel? Oh wait no that was tooter fish nm.

Holden look man i didn't make that up .

And i'm really sorry man !

Do you know that little crap cost me a great friend in the internet
and iam gonna bust his ass :mad:

and by the way he's sorry too. :rolleyes:

That was a great review .

you have a great way for making a review Bobby D :cool:

I thought when I clicked on this thread I was going to read some interesting views on The Mission… which is what the first two posts were… but after that, it was all down hill… (that is until Mr. Tinkles came on the scene… )

Anyway, little Bobby, if your brother did post in your stead, you need to make sure you change your password and change your account so that you have to log on each time you visit. Otherwise, your brother is going to get you banned….