A mention of the 1986 film The Mission often evokes appraisals about its breathtaking soundtrack written by Ennio Morricone.
The legendary Italian composer’s music score won at the BAFTA Film Awards and the Golden Globe Awards while earning an Academy Award nomination with the Oscar controversially going to Herbie Hancock for Round Midnight. Overall, the film was nominated for seven Oscars but that year only won Best Cinematography.
Music was also used as a prop in The Mission as seen in the above clip where Jesuit priest Father Gabriel, played by Jeremy Irons, connects with Guaraní men through playing the oboe.
To watch the clip just click the play button at the left of the feature image above.
Directed by British director Roland Joffé, The Mission won the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes but failed to be a box office success and only just made its budget back. Joffé had a hit two years before with The Killing Fields about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970s.
The Mission also starred Robert De Niro (pictured below) as Captain Rodrigo Mendoza and a fresh-faced Liam Neeson (pictured just behind De Niro’s character) in a supporting role as another priest.
Based on history
The Mission was based on historical events from the 18th century in a region which is now part of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. From 1610 to 1768 the Jesuit order had in total 30 communal missions for the Guaraní.
Under the Jesuits, the missions were a sanctuary but pressure from slavers ended up with the missions establishing militias.
In time some of these missions not only fought slavers but the Portuguese on behalf of the Spanish King until political winds changed and they also fought Spanish forces.
The Jesuits missions finally collapsed in 1768 when they were banished from Latin America by both the Portuguese and Spanish.
Watch the trailer for The Mission below.