The Mission, directed by Roland Joffe, featuring Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson (Columbia, 1986), Amazon Prime.
From the opening, haunting words, “Your Holiness, the little matter that brought me here to the furthest edge of your light on earth is now settled, and the Indians are now once more free to be enslaved by the Spanish and Portuguese settlers…” to the concluding image of little children picking their way, deeper into the jungle, The Mission delivers a both haunting and damning tale of the fight between the Old and New World. Filmed in 1986, The Mission was met with great acclaim, winning the prestigious Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The Mission highlights the tension between the “church on the ground” in the New World, the Church in Rome, and the privateers seeking to have their way with the natives and their land.
The Treaty of Madrid, signed in 1750, forms the historical backdrop for The Mission. Before the Treaty of Madrid, two other treaties dictated Spain and Portugal’s exploration and development in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay: the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) and the Treaty of Zaragoza (1529). The two empires redrew the lines as the years passed, and Spain and Portugal discovered more land west of the demarcation line for the Treaty of Tordesillas. The Pope was initially involved in this decision-making, but by the Treaty of Madrid, his input was no longer sought after, pointing to the lessening power of the Pope in the New World. The Treaty of Madrid granted Spanish Jesuit land and missions to Portugal, thus allowing the Portuguese to enslave the native Guarani Indians.
Father Gabriel, one of two heroes in The Mission, is a Jesuit priest who dedicates his life to reaching the Guarani Indians. His determination to reach the Guarani is impressive as he scales the harrowing cliffs of Iguazu Falls. Father Gabriel is unsure where to find the Guarani, as the jungle is thick, and he is alone. Sitting down amongst the foliage, he plays a haunting melody upon his oboe, Gabriel’s Oboe, a tune that will emerge over and over throughout the movie. After his acceptance by the Guarani, Gabriel is determined to return to them and establish a Christian community.
Upon returning to the town, Father Gabriel encounters a slave trader and mercenary named Mendoza. He illegally enslaves the Guarani and sells them to the highest bidder, whether they are Spanish or Portuguese; he also possesses a hot temper. Mendoza suspects his brother, Felipe, of a liaison with Mendoza’s fiancée, Carlotta. She acknowledges her love for Felipe, sending Mendoza into a blind rage which ends when he kills Felipe in a dual. Because of Mendoza’s stature in the town and his connections with the plantation owners, he is not put to death. However, guilt drives him into a deep depression, and Father Gabriel is called upon to minister to Mendoza in his grief. Mendoza, the mercenary, is now a weakened, pathetic figure, drowning in remorse for his actions but not repentant. Father Gabriel knows for Mendoza to heal, he must be repentant, so he offers Mendoza a chance to pay penance for his sin against Felipe and his sin against the Guarani.
Loaded down of his own accord with a massive net filled with armor and swords, representing his mercenary life, Mendoza joins Father Gabriel and the other Jesuit priests as they ascend the Falls. The load is heavy, and the dejected man stumbles under its weight, bogging himself and the others down in their journey. The rich symbolism evokes a connection with Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress as he journeys along, carrying his sin on his back. At times the Jesuit priests become infuriated with Mendoza and his self-inflicted burden, for he is slowing them down. One even cuts it from his back, but Mendoza goes after it, tying it back together and trudging ahead. Finally, at the top of the Falls, the Guarani greet Father Gabriel and his fellow priests but are shocked to see Mendoza. Mendoza knows they have every right to kill him and knows they can. He falls before them, weeping, as one of the leaders holds a knife to his throat and then quickly cuts the burden from his back, sending it plunging thousands of feet down the Falls. Mendoza’s penitence has led to rich, genuine repentance.
Over time, Mendoza takes the vows of a Jesuit and grows in his Christian faith, helping the Guarani and teaching them. He befriends a young boy, perhaps the child is reminiscent of the young brother he murdered, and Mendoza protects him. Over time the mission of San Carlos becomes caught in the crosshairs of the Treaty of Madrid, and Father Gabriel accompanies Cardinal Altamirano, a former Jesuit himself, to see the various Spanish Jesuit missions. Altamirano is the representative of the Vatican and is tasked with deciding what will become of the Spanish Jesuit missions in that part of upper Paraguay. The Portuguese can claim the missions thanks to the Treaty of Madrid, but Altamirano has the final word. He first appears on screen as a bloated, unhealthy man, but his travels throughout this new land almost make him young again, and he is dramatically impressed with the missions the Jesuits have created with the Guarani. Perhaps the most impressive mission is that of San Miguel. The Guarani voices, raised in song, accompanied by more Guarani playing instruments of their handiwork, greet Altamirano, and his shock is evident. These natives have not only learned the music of Europe but have also surpassed them in the beauty of sound and sincerity.
Altamirano visits the missions from oldest to newest, traveling up the Falls to the mission of San Carlos. There, he is greeted by the joyful voices of the Guarani and experiences their warmth and devotion to the Catholic faith. Father Gabriel and Mendoza are convinced Altamirano will side with the Spanish Jesuit missions, but that is not his plan. He is caught in a terrible trap. If he sides with the Portuguese to allow them the mission lands, they will kidnap and sell the Guarani into slavery. If he sides with the missions, he risks fracturing the Spanish/Portuguese Catholic church. The New World versus the Old World and Altamirano chooses the Old World, leaving the Guarani in the hands of the merciless Portuguese.
The movie’s end sees Mendoza and Father Gabriel losing their lives alongside the Guarani as they attempt to protect the Guarani and the mission of San Carlos. The lone survivors are little children, confused, bewildered, and frightened, seeking security deep within the jungle. Earlier, Father Gabriel tries to explain to the Guarani why they must flee into the wilderness to preserve their lives because it is God’s will, and one of the leaders comments that he thought it was God’s will to create the mission and teach them about God.
The Mission brings to the screen the real-life tension that developed in the New World due to conflicts of interest and avarice. One senses the struggle which Altamirano faces, yet the disappointment in his weak decision-making is infuriating. What a horrible message to send to the Guarani, a people the Jesuits have worked long and hard with to convert to Christianity. Perhaps the clue lies in the fact that Altamirano was himself a Jesuit before he advanced up the rungs of the Catholic church and is now so out of touch with reality and swayed by corrupt power that he is too weak to choose correctly. Father Gabriel is the bridge between the Old and New World, a bridge destroyed through empire building. Professors and teachers of history would do well to include The Mission in their lesson plans. Students will feel the push-pull effect of the Spanish and Portuguese officials as they make decisions regarding lives they know nothing of. The story, accompanied by lush scenery and exquisite musical score, stretches across the centuries, reminding us that our priorities must be God’s.
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