Compassion Surpasses Culture

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2017)

It's rare to see a movie treat reverence with, well, reverence.
This film treats viewers to one man's journey from being engaged with a crew of slavers to finally giving up his mercenary lifestyle and reaching out to members of a tribe of natives in order that he can fortify both his own life, and theirs. Mutual understanding is the goal of De Niro's character, Mendoza, but the tribe have been mistreated in the past, and they are distrustful of the initial hand of friendship he extends. This is partly because Mendoza has former ties to the slavers, and partly because he now represents an authoritative religion in the Jesuits.
Though the Jesuits' (and the protagonist's) credo is beneficent, he must consistently work to earn their trust in the hopes that both groups of people will finally be able to engage with one another symbiotically. He brings them a view of the world that is rigid in some ways, but with enough humility from his travails and enough compassion to compromise when necessary.
All is not well, however, because though Mendoza and his mentor, Father Gabriel eventually earn the trust of the Guarani, elements within the governments backing the two peoples are pushing for a sectarian approach to the land, and its people.
Mendoza and his mentor eventually decide that what motivates them is a love for the people, rather than a rigid adherence to the institutions that caused the situation to spiral out of control. Their efforts and the fate of the people caught under the governmental territory dispute come to light only as the movie progresses.
The performances of all actors and especially the soundtrack to this movie help make it a stunning period piece in the history of rapid religious and imperial expansion, and provide a somber look at how one man can, with diligence, empathy, and sincerity, build bridges that unify, and that send a message of hope for the future.