The Mission's Battle

Rating: 8/10 (4 December 2004)

The Mission was absolutely one of the best films I have seen and I regret not having the privilege of watching this beforehand. Robert De Niro excellently portrays Mendoza, a converted Jesuit, whose former life reflects the convictions of his enslavement against the South American Indians. It is this conviction that leads him to defend these same Indians from slavery by engaging in a battle against the Portugese oppressors. Father Gabriel, played by Jeremy Irons, represents the polar opposite of Mendoza. A kind and thoughtful man, he instead resorts to a peaceful method of fighting for the liberty of the Indians through a silent and non-combative battle---through hymns and worship as opposed to guns and bloodshed. The treatment of these simple but strong-willed and determined Indians through slavery and disdain not only creates a sense of sympathy, but a heart felt agony towards their situation and rising anger aimed at the cruel indifference of the Catholic leaders, who had the power to stop such a tragic event. Ultimately, neither side truly wins, leaving a battered nation and a lost cause.
What made this film even more impacting was the fact that it was based on true accounts. So the question arises: How could we as humans be so brutal towards others who have every right to freedom and happiness? A must see film that will open your eyes to the harsh reality of slavery and those who desperately fought for their rights. Though they lost the battle, their cry for equality lives within the chronicles of time. The actors played a wonderful role to tell the story of a torn civilization.