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Movies / On DVD / The Mission
The Mission

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The Mission (1986)

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67 %
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Reviews Counted: 18

Fresh: 12

Rotten:6

Average Rating: 6.3/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: A visually stunning epic, THE MISSION recounts the true story of two men--a man of the sword (Robert De Niro) and a man of the cloth (Jeremy Irons)--both Jesuit missionaries who defied the colonial... A visually stunning epic, THE MISSION recounts the true story of two men--a man of the sword (Robert De Niro) and a man of the cloth (Jeremy Irons)--both Jesuit missionaries who defied the colonial forces of mighty Spain and Portugal to save an Indian tribe from slavery in mid-18th-century South America. Mendoza (De Niro) is a slave trader and colonial imperialist who murdered his own brother (Aidan Quinn) and seeks penance for his sins by becomining a missionary at Father Gabriel's (Irons) mountaintop mission; Gabriel is a devout and idealistic man who extols nonviolence and peaceful interaction with the natives and colonialists. Despite their differences, the two men must unite to save the mission when Spain, Portugal, and the Catholic church begin negotiating their boundaries in the area--negotiations that will affect both the freedom of the natives and the well-being of the Jesuit missionaries who have set up safe havens for them. Director Roland Joffé's sweeping masterpiece is a haunting account of the unjust treatment of the Guarani Indians of South America and the men who fought desperately, in very different ways, to save them. The film features a mezmerizing musical score by Ennio Morricone that weaves a stunning combination of church choirs and native Indian panpipes into the lush images of the Brazilian rainforest. [More]

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, Ray McAnally

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, Ray McAnally

Director: Roland Joffé

Director: Roland Joffé
Composer: Ennio Morricone
Screenwriter: Robert Bolt

[See More Credits]

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Release:

May 13, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Mission

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
06/30/09
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Anachronistic and self-indulgent, Joffe's pseudo-epic about slave trading and missionaries in South America is attractive to look at but distorted, one of the weakest films to ever win the Cannes festival's top prize.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
01/07/09
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/29/08
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

A near-masterpiece. De Niro is excellent.

comment Comment
09/05/08
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Atmospheric, fascinating drama set in deep jungle with strong De Niro and Irons.

comment Comment
02/17/08
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/22/06
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
06/13/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
05/27/04
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Simultaneously slick and sloppy....For all of The Mission's back-to-nature trappings, it's actually a perfect film for the Reagan-and-Thatcher era that produced it.

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment 1 Comment
05/02/04
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

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Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
03/16/04
Mike Bracken
ToxicUniverse.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/03
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
07/17/03
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views

Boring statement about the human condition. DeNiro's a bad guy. Deal with it. And missions are barbaric. Get over it.

comment 1 Comment
07/14/03
Fred Topel
About.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
New York Times
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No review available.

comment Comment
02/10/03
Shannon J. Harvey
Sunday Times (Australia)

Long, ponderous, but De Niro and Irons always are interesting to watch.

comment Comment
12/19/02
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Deeply moving film that reminds us of the vitality of love, the miracle of grace, and the transforming power of acts of conscience.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
09/01/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
 
 
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Latest News for The Mission

May 29, 2008: Scardapane Dredging Up Ancient History, Remaking The Mission Opens in new window
Dario Scardapane has been hired by DreamWorks to turn around Lorenzo di Bonaventura's long-in-development prison thriller Ancient History -- and brought on board by Universal to... More...

February 12, 2007: Early Work Starting Up for "Harry Potter 6"
The fifth Harry Potter flick is still a few months away, but that won't stop the buzz from churning on the sixth Harry Potter flick. Yes, we have some news on "Harry Potter... More...

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