There is tension in the area because the mission lies on territory that is being fought over by Spain and Portugal. Since the Portuguese are pro-slavery, the Jesuits are fighting to convince a Papal emissary that they should be protected by the Church. Robert DeNiro, who stars as a mercenary and slave trader, hunts the native peoples and brings them back to be sold onto plantations as slaves. It’s a great example of how Jesus taught that God is love and through humility and fraternity any community can thrive. It also shows the evil of men, even men of God, and although the Church is capable of error and wrongdoing, it is the words and actions of those who call themselves the Church that decide it’s path.
The Mission won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe and was nominated for numerous others. The visuals are amazing of the enormous Iguazu Falls and the surrounding jungle. The film definitely keeps the viewers attention throughout and there are no dry or slow-moving parts. I would give this film a 4 out of 5 and I recommend it to all my visitors. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, so you’ll have to visit your local video store or library, or:
Purchase “The Mission” on Blu-Ray or DVD on Amazon.com