Amazing!

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2005)

Me and the Pope agree on this one: "The Mission" is my favorite film of all time. It's been nineteen years since this film was first released and it still continues to set the standard for serious historical dramas. It not only touched upon one of the most important issues of the 1980s (the debate over liberation theology that was currently taking place in Latin America), but also provided important historical context and raised haunting questions about war, pacifism and the power of forgiveness for the human soul. It's still hard to watch this film without tears. Irons is great and DeNiro gives perhaps the greatest performance of his stellar career. It's hard to believe that such a milestone in film-making has continued to be somewhat overlooked in discussions of the greatest films of all time. Yet, among true film fans "The Mission," will continue to inspire and generate discussions long after so many other critical darlings have gathered dust on the shelf.