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The Mission
Directed by Roland Joffé
Starring Jeremy Irons, Robert De Niro,
Ray McAnally
VCD, Rs. 199
Hidden under the well marketed pile of blockbusters and critically acclaimed hits, there is a body of cinematic work characterised by a potential for great things, but a failure to achieve them. One couldn't perhaps find a better example of such almost-but-not-quite-brilliant cinema, which will not find a place on the list of all-time greats but will always command a strong fan following, than Roland Joffé's The Mission.
Set in South America, this film from the well-respected team that created The Killing Fields chronicles one of the great struggles of the 18th Century — the tug-of-war between the church and state in all of Europe and its repercussions on colonies thousands of miles away.
The terrible crime
Mendoza (Robert De Niro) is a mercenary and slave trader who turns to God and the Church when he kills his brother in a fit of jealous anger. He is taken in and redeemed by a Jesuit named Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), who builds a mission to convert the Indians to Christianity, and thus carves out a small piece of paradise in the middle of the jungles. However, there are those among the powers-that-be that cannot stand such an action, and so enters Cardinal Altamirano (Ray McAnally).
The papal legate is faced with a heart-rending dilemma — to stand by his convictions and prevent the ceding of the missions to the slave-trading Portuguese or to sacrifice a piece of the Jesuit order in order to save the whole. He chooses the greater good in the end, and Mendoza and Gabriel must do what they can for the Indians, Mendoza with the sword and gun and Gabriel with song and prayer.
The primary difficulty of The Mission, and the one reason for which it can be condemned, is its lack of lucid understanding and involvement with the subject matter. Thus, the film is somewhat confused, which some viewers might find disconcerting. Without this coherence, moreover, the film proceeds at a slightly ponderous pace at times, and far too quickly at others. The final battle, in particular, is filmed much like a juggernaut that rolls by with a peculiar perspective and purpose of its own.
However, for those that can look past the partially hamstringed script, The Mission, has much to offer. Topping the list of reasons this film should be watched is composer Ennio Morricone (of Kill Bill, The Untouchables and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly fame).
For The Mission, this musical genius puts together a formidable, sweeping score overflowing with ecstatic choral crescendos — an aural pool of exuberant climaxes and meditative intervals that forms the driving force behind the film. Indeed, Morricone more than makes up for the absence of tight perspective by rendering into music emotions that the visuals and dialogue struggle to explore.
Another treat to look forward to is the interplay between the three lead actors. Despite lacking a satisfactory script, Irons, De Niro and McAnally feed wonderfully off each other to put forth performances that are textured and restrained and yet captivating enough. Indeed, Mendoza in particular naturally arrests one's attention, holding stage despite being the least of the three characters.
Topped off with a cinematographic style that adds little adornment or visual complexity to the intrinsic beauty of the subject, the result is a film with a sedate charm that's rarely found in most Hollywood fare nowadays. There are those that will argue that both cinematographer and director do too little to add to the story, but in a landscape of films that try too hard, The Mission achieves much by doing just enough.
Although it might not bring to the screen the fullness it initially promises — and that would have granted this film its place in history — The Mission certainly shows enough brilliance in individual parts to merit space in a serious film lover's collection.
RAKESH MEHAR
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