Politics and religion are like oil and water; they should never mix.

Rating: 6/10 (25 April 2005)

It is always very interesting how people react to movies and I was very surprised at my reaction to "The Mission". After the movie ended, I was more angry and exasperated than moved.
I had no problems with the production. The breathtaking opening scenes alone had me hooked. It was beautifully filmed by director Roland Joffé and Oscar-winning cinematographer Chris Menges. Two years earlier, they worked on the very moving drama "The Killing Fields".
I've listened to sections of Ennio Morricone's musical score performed live by various choral groups and had a chance to listen to his full score on CD a few months ago. It is probably one of Morricone's best works. Even after 19 years, I'm still very shocked that he did not win an Oscar for that work. (This not to say that Herbie Hancock, the eventual winner for "'Round Midnight" did not deserve the award. Usually the Academy chooses traditional, epic-size scores like Morricone's. Go figure.)
My major problem with the film was Robert Bolt's script. To me, the story should have been about the South American Indian chief and his tribe and not about the Jesuit priests (which included Jeremy Irons and, in one of his earliest roles, Liam Neeson) trying to convert them to Christianity.
I also had a major problem with the character played by Robert De Niro. Was this character added to the story as an afterthought? I don't believe the character of the slave trader/mercenary/monk was necessary. It was more of a plot contrivance. It also did not help that De Niro was poorly miscast. Ironically, Spainard Antonio Banderas might have been a better choice. (I would have said Javier Bardem but he was 17 years old when the movie was released.)
The late Ray McAnally easily gave the best performance as Cardinal Altamirano. Despite being enamored of the work of the Jesuits and having many natives becoming Christian, his decisions would eventually set in motion the fate of everyone. Is Altamirano an evil man? Did he do God's will? Were the decisions made to exert the power of the church? The character was very complex and McAnally should have gotten a Supporting Oscar nomination for his outstanding performance.
There's a lot to admire but, overall, "The Mission" was a bit of a disappointment. It should have been better.