Years ago, my mom made me watch a VHS movie that I was actually loathe to see, and that you're probably surprised to see me review now, after such a long absence. (I apologize for the absence and will explain later, but this review is more important, if not years overdue.) It was The Mission , from 1986. As usual - my reviews are full of spoilers so - read on at your own peril. Cause this is just a total blow-by-blow...
After 125 minutes, openly weeping with throat-catching sobs, until the moment of the credit close when Ray McAnally who played His Eminence Altimirano simply stared at the camera for a full two minutes in silence with a baleful eye that seemed almost judgemental, as if to say - have you so changed the world today for the better? And again, I was crushed to tears beyond all bearing. This movie obviously moves me beyond the meaning of mere words. It disturbs me and wracks me somewhere deep inside, yet in a beautiful way, because it also shows the human capacity for love and perserverance and the drive to keep pushing to better ourselves and our surroundings.
I was on iTunes (don't take it as a plug, I owe them too much money, and I already have a 110" screen theater room upon which to watch movies), but I wanted something to watch before bed, and something intimate in order to help me fall asleep better. Nothing could've been further from the truth. I had forgotten the impact this movie had upon me. I downloaded the movie, uploaded it to my iTouch, and was immediately crying within about 15 minutes. Sometimes, a simple act of faith and martyrdom can do that to me, even though I am not a particularly religious person.
For those unfamiliar with the story, it's the tale of the Jesuits in South America in between two parcels of land held between Portugal and Spain. The Spanish Jesuits, who are under the protection of the Pope and the Church, both powerful positions back then, are trying to set up missions to civilize and bring to God the indigenous Guarani Indians. The Indians above the treacherous falls are especially suspicious of the priests who come to try to tell them of this "god" character, and there is a beautiful yet horrifying martyr sequence when they send one of the priests who has made the journey up the falls back down the falls - on a makeshift cross like he has told them about, and you see the poor man mumble his prayers as he can hear the roar of the falls come closer and closer and flies over in a moment of horrifying sacrifice for his beliefs.
The story mainly focuses upon two men, one - Fr. Gabriel, played to absolute sublime perfection by Jeremy Irons, and truthfully, this was the first time I had ever seen him, so I found it difficult to see him in villainous roles after this. The other main character is Robert DeNiro who is like what - the Laurence Olivier of our generation? He plays Rodrigo Mendoza, who at one time is a slave hunter, rounding up the indigenous Indians to sell to the Portuguese. That he does so on Spanish territory at times causes him little bother on his conscience, even after Fr. Gabriel tells him they're building a mission. Rodrigo merely shrugs. Business is booming.
After the many failures of his priests under his care falling to death and or being killed outright, Fr. Gabriel takes it upon himself to climb the treacherous rocks up the falls and make one last attempt to make contact with the elusive Guarani. Knowing he surely will either die from the climb itself or from the encounter with the Indians, Brother Fielding (Liam Neeson ) argues with him that it was his territory and he should be the one to go. Fr. Gabriel insists, and begins his climb, barefoot upon wet rock and with sheeting water the most dangerous climb to the top of the falls in what we now know as modern Brazil. In a particulary moving moment for me personally, Fielding asks if anyone can see him (Gabriel) on the falls climbing, and the esteemed Fr. Daniel Berrigan makes a cameo, his face serene yet showing the lines of his hard life, and he shakes his head; "No," he answers solemly. For some reason this makes me cry, knowing the hardship and the lengths this man went to for peace in his own life. (Side note: Fr. Berrigan served as a consultant for the Jesuits on this film. No better authority, in my opinion. The link opens a Wikipedia page to his life - you may find some interest there. He was quite the activist during the Vietnam War, despite being an ordained Jesuit.)
Gabriel, finally reaching the ascent, walks deep into the jungle, knowing - sensing he is being watched, and finds a rock in a small river to sit upon. The other Indians below the falls in the established Missions he has encountered have all been strangely and beautifully drawn to music. They make instruments that are played in the finest courts in all of Europe; they sing like angels gifted with voice - somehow this enclave in South America has an innate talent that seems to bring purity and clarity and ease of talent to God. So, sitting upon his rock in the river, Fr. Gabriel pulls out an oboe and begins to play. He is clearly frightened; he stops and starts a few times; the jungle thick and heavy around him, but he continues on until the tribe emerges; surrounds him, listening, enraptured.
An elder of the tribe, angered by this outsider's interloping, finally walks up and breaks the oboe over his knee and throws the halves in the water and stomps off chattering. Another younger leader brings the pieces back to Gabriel and tries to get him to put them back together. Fr. Gabriel shows he cannot, and the younger leader announces to the surrounding crowd something - we don't know what, but we assume it's that Father Gabriel has made a good enough impression to be brought back to the camp so he can fix his oboe, and maybe stay a while. Which he does, and begins with a few converts - not all, but his delightful, non-aggressive gentle nature wins over the village and he quickly finds a home and is allowed to build a church and a life with the tribe.
But Mendoza makes an appearance, snagging some of the younger boys out hunting. The Indians, perhaps hoping Fr. Gabriel can intercede on their behalf, bring him to the spot where the Spaniard has the struggling young men trussed up in a net with help from a neighboring warring tribe. Fr. Gabriel, fearless, cries out "So you're hunting above the falls now, Captain Mendoza. We're building a Mission here. These people are to be protected." Supposedly, when a Mission is built, the people are to be protected by the power of the Church and Papacy. Mendoza is not impressed. "So say you for now."
Mendoza returns home to the small dusty town where he sells his wares to the local Portugese Representative and plantation owner, and he informs him of Father Gabriel's plans. This man, Don Cabeza, is angered at the power of the Jesuits, but hints that there may be a change in the wind.
Meanwhile, Mendoza returns home to his fiancee, Carlotta, and his beloved younger brother, Felipe Mendoza (Adian Quinn). What he does not realize is that while he has been away, his brother and his woman have become lovers. For a moment he seems as though, despite his pride, he can accept this change of things, but as the evening goes on he begins to believe people laugh at him behind his back, think him a cuckold, a fool - and he becomes enraged. He calls out his brother, and his brother begs him not to do it, but hastily pulls a sword from a stranger's scabbard in an attempt to save himself - but it is too late. Carlotta runs through the street, barely dressed, obviously running from the bed she and Felipe had just shared; the back of her dress still unlaced and hair in disarray - a woman of station would normally never allow herself to be seen so, but such is her grief. She screams, throwing herself on Felipe and the elder Mendoza realizes he has just killed his own brother whom he loved dearly. You can see the harsh realization set in.
Cut to a while later and Fr. Gabriel has been called to a local monastery in the township where Rodrigo Mendoza has taken up sanctuary. A Brother informs Fr. Gabriel that he won't eat, he won't take care of himself; he has given up; it seems he wants to die. The supposition is that Fr. Gabriel, kind and caring man that he is, will spout some words of wisdom that will heal all, and life will go on. Not so. He enters Rodrigo's filthy cell and pretty much tells it like it is, baldly and with no cushioning of the facts. "So, you've killed your brother. It was a duel, so the law can't touch you. But now you can't live with the pain of what you've done and you want to die." A back and forth of those who have been enemies but Fr. Gabriel - always respectful of his vows (no one is beyond salvation) ensues and ends with Rodrigo's almost angry statement "For me there is no absolution." And Fr. Gabriel, always with patience and with love yet forceful and with his faith urging him on powerfully, taunts "But do you dare try it?"
And for me comes the most poignant part of the movie, or one of the most poignant - I cry so many times it's hard to pick one moment that stands taller than another. Fr. Gabriel, Brother Fielding, Brother Rolf are all traveling to the village above the falls. As mentioned before, the trip is - to say the least - arduous. Accompanying them is Rodrigo. Rodrigo has a rope tied around one shoulder attached to a netted bag carrying all his previous weapons of war: metal breastplate, metal greaves, metal leg protectors, shield, swords - in short, a hell of a lot of metal. This is no light burden he pulls behind him. And he pulls it up the trail to the enclave above the falls. And it is a mean task - the falls, he falls, the rain makes his task even harder - he reaches the summit of one hill only to slide back down to the bottom in the mud. And he does not complain, he does not speak, he never gives a sigh of "shit, gotta do that all over again"; he just sighs the sigh of a man determined to accomplish a nearly impossible task.
At one point, Brother Fielding says to Fr. Gabriel, "The others and I have spoken and, well, we think it's enough." And Fr. Gabriel watches Rodrigo struggle with the rain and the mud and the metal a little ways away, and says contemplatively, "But does he think it's enough? Until he does..." And he shrugs. And you can see a kind of pity, or angry mercy come over the others, and at one point, Brother Fielding almost furiously uses his sword to cut away the rope of Rodrigo's baggage/penance. The heavy parcel slides down a hill and Rodrigo, without a sound, without missing a beat, simply turns and goes back down the hill and ties a knot in the heavy rope and begins the climb again. Thus we see the depth of his pain and commitment to this penance - this is no empty act for him; it has meaning and hangs heavy on his soul and he somehow feels he is bearing his sins up the hill to the very people he has enslaved, not knowing of the greeting he will receive there. He is unshaven, his clothes are filthy and torn, and yet he toils, through mud and rain and heavy forest, and up the treacherous falls and will accept no assistance. Has heavier penance ever been carried?
Once the party reaches the tribe, there is a general rejoicing of friends meeting again, Fielding, Rolf, Fr. Gabriel are all welcomed as beloved friends and perhaps extended members. Then the extra member of the party is noticed. A quick question is asked in Guarani to Fr. Gabriel. He answers something - we don't know what, but people approach and Rodrigo sits silently, his burden still tied to him, and waits whatever fate delivers him. The younger leader of the tribe cuts away his burden and sends it down the river, dismissing it, and Rodrigo begins to cry. It's the symbolic release of all his weapons of slavery and death and war, and the very people he has wronged so greatly have relased him of this huge weight. He cries giant rolling tears. The Guarani seem to find this humorous, and through his sadness at having his penance cut away, he cries and laughs at their forgiveness and acceptance. These, it seems, have become a loving people at the hand of Fr. Gabriel. They pull at his beard (they have no body hair other than on their heads) and tug at his face and he allows their touch as though each hand heals him in some way. Rodrigo's soul is on it's way to becoming whole once more.
After a while of living with the tribe and helping to build a church and being adopted by a young boy with no front teeth who follows him everywhere and thinks him special, Rodrigo seems to have found a measure of peace and stillness, and approaches Fr. Gabriel and says he would like a way to thank him and the Guarani. Fr. Gabriel hands him a small book and says, "If you'd like to thank them, why not read this." Such follows a montage of life in the village, children playing in the lush river, mothers washing their babies, Rolf teaching classes, Fielding putting in foundations for a building, all while Rodrigo reads passages from the small book - don't quote me, but I seem to recall them as Bible verses but I am a bad lapsed Catholic, but they are among the more beautiful verses. Surprisingly, this leads to Rodrigo asking to become a Jesuit. Even more surprisingly, after a bit of stern questioning, Fr. Gabriel and the Church agree. And we witness Brother Rodrigo take his vows and be welcomed with hugs and kisses by Rolf, Fielding and Gabriel. An important note - Rodrigo has had to promise to follow Gabriel's orders in all things, and Rodrigo has willingly and wholeheartedly done so.
Cut to the township, where the Papal Emissary, the aforementioned Altimirano makes his entrance into the picture - so to speak. What is at stake is the sale of the provinces from Spain, protecting the Missions and the Jesuits with the Church, to Portugal who does not recognize the authority of the Church nor the Jesuits and fully supports slavery, and whether or not the protected areas of the Church - read: Jesuits - will remain so protected. Altimirano has come to view the Missions and the workings done and to see what shall be the ultimate decision of the Church with regard to the protected areas. It is a delicate time, and everyone is aware of the stakes.
Fr. Gabriel, Rodrigo, Fielding, Rolf, and the child who follows Rodrgo around have all come down for the hearings, as well as the local Jesuits who run the other Missions in nearby areas. There is a typical European-style court hearing where Rodrigo gets in trouble for standing up and calling the local Portuguese Representative a liar - which was true, but not a wise move. It gets the Jesuits into hot water, and Gabriel is furious with Rodrigo, reminding him that he had promised to obey him. Rodrigo protests that he was telling the truth, the man was a liar, and Gabriel says it very well may be true but Rodrigo took a vow of obedience and he is either to apologize or he is no longer a Jesuit. Rodrigo, never one to just let things go, apologizes to Don Cabesa, who grudgingly accepts. He then apologizes to all those assembled. He then goes on to apologize to the small child for insulting him (in a "I'm just gonna give it to everyone cause you're just not that special, Don Cabesa" kind of way) and the child chatters back at him in Guarani, and Altimirano calls on him that it's quite enough. Beautiful - cracked me up. He obeyed. To. The. Letter.
There is a private political discussion between Altimirano and the Spanish representative, pretty much telling him that the Spaniards have entered into a treaty with the Portuguese, and all lands will be ceded to the Portuguese. Altimirano's task is all that more difficult, then: he must decide if the Missions are to remain or to "prune such a... beautiful and vibrant limb" "in order that the whole may be saved". The Jesuit Order in Europe is already under a very sharp eye, with many thinking it has too much power entirely, and should be disbanded. It is the time of the Jesuit Reductions . Altimirano is acutely aware of the thin line he walks. Fr. Gabriel walks up a street lit by the candles of hundreds of waiting prayers, parishioners, missionaries and Guarani, who all stand silently, holding their candlelight as he makes his way up the dusty street to the beautiful cathedral at the end where Altimirano is at prayer, wrestling with his decision. Gabriel pleads with him to - before he makes his decision - come see his mission, come see the one above the falls. Altimirano agrees, although one suspects he has already made his decision.
We next see Altimirano and the Jesuits of the tribe and tribe members in makeshift canoes being paddled up a river, make-shift leaf canopies over their heads to protect them from the sun. Altimirano, as part of the Papal hierarchy, likely has never been out of his element in marble halls or in the wildness of God's great beauty that is the Guarani region. His eyes are wide and glad, and I think he is - at least for a moment - enjoying himself and the journey. Although, I do think for a moment, if they can get there by river, why the hell do they do that dangerous climb up the falls? Passing note. But as they get closer, the villagers line the banks of the river with giant leaves to herald them, and line a bridge to welcome them, and catch the canoes from the swift-moving waters. Altimirano is brought into the village, his hand held by the king of the tribe, an honor I suspect he does not realize, but the man is proud and you cannot mistake his bearing; his face still painted in traditional Guarani tradition. Altimirano's face is full of wonder and awe, and I don't believe he's ever seen such beauty in any Cathedral ever constructed in Europe. He turns a corner, and there is the entire tribe, standing in front of the church that has been built, and the villagers break into song: a hymn that may not have the words just right, but is pitch perfect and matches any choir in the world, and you see the burning pain and perhaps a tear in his eyes as he realizes what he has to do here; what his position is forcing him to destroy.
The next scene is of Altimirano seated at one end of a table, Gabriel in the center, and the king and his representatives at the other. Altimirano is passing down the news that the mission must be abandoned. Fr. Gabriel looks at him with - what, disbelief? Altimirano tells him sternly to translate. Fr. Gabriel does and there is a rumbling of dissent and unhappiness in the assembly on the other side of the room. Fr. Gabriel says to Altimirano, "They want to know why they must leave the Mission. Why must they leave their home." Altimirano says because The Pope and God, King Almighty, demands it must be so. Fr. Gabriel again looks at Altimirano in disbelief. "Tell them!" Altimirano demands. Fr. Gabriel does in abashed tones,, and you can tell his heart is anguished with each word he says in Guarani. The leader of the tribe makes a long statement in his native tongue, clearly unhappy and dissenting, and exits the hut. Altimirano asks Gabriel what was said, and Gabriel says simply, "He also is a king, and he will not leave his home."
Altimirano makes it very clear that the Portuguese will begin dismatling the Missions and the Jesuits must not be seen in any way to be working against this decision of Papal decree. The entire Jesuit order is on the precipice, and any disobedience here could have disastrous results back in Europe. Fr. Gabriel believes in love, and God's love, and will not fight, but neither will he leave his people nor his mission. Altimirano leaves, and we begin to see the Portuguese soldiers advance on the missions below the falls, taking the residents there as captives and slaves. It is a bloody, brutal confrontation with no mercy, and my tears begin to roll. The churches are set ablaze, babies are set apart from their families in the street in the pouring rain, naked and crying, left to who knows what fate.
Meanwhile, above the falls, a very different type of confrontation is taking place. The young boy who follows Rodrigo around goes diving at the bottom of the falls and finds one of Rodrigo's swords from the rope-knotted bag. Alone in the forest, he cleans and sharpens the sword, and when it it is ready, he presents it to Rodrigo. Rodrigo's initial reaction is shock - he has sworn never to hold an instrument of death again. He shakes his head violently. The boy persists. Rodrigo realizes the boy is asking him to save his life. Slowly he reaches for the pommel of the sword. We see him in the forest, practicing his forms; he has lost none of his skill. He makes a momentous decision, and approaches Gabriel. "Father, I am here to renounce my vows of obedience..." Gabriel looks at him and quietly says "Get out." Rodrigo stands silently. "Is it just you?" Gabriel asks? "No, it's Rolf, and Fielding, and a few others..." Rodrigo then asks for absolution. Gabriel refuses. "If you're right, then God will forgive you, and if you're wrong, then my words won't help."
Thus begin the fortifications of the village. Lots of back and forth and reinforcing of walls and bridges and hidden explosives and a midnight trip down the falls where a stealthy tribal party comes upon a Portuguese soldiers nest sleeping before attempting the falls the next morning. They steal powder and guns and at one point, a guard awakens and almost sounds an alarm - and Rodrigo takes his first life since leaving that murderous life behind. You can see the consternation cross his face, but the determination that he does this for one reason only - to protect those he loves who have no other way to protect themselves with inferior weapons and inferior warlike techniques - two things Rodrigo knows intimately. It is a bitter pill he swallows, but there is no hesitation. They are not discovered, and they slip back above the falls and continue to fortify the village. In the morning, the killed guard is discovered and the missing munitions noticed as well. The soldiers move on, moving cannon and large guns up the falls with pulleys and counterweights. The fight is inevitable.
Fielding and several other tribesmen hide themselves in canoes up the river, knowing the enemy will try to flank them from all sides. Rodrigo directs all fighting on the ground in the village, including one final failsafe - a gun pointed at a powder-keg aimed to blow up a bridge to the village with a long rope attached so he can pull from a safe distance. As he said he would not, Fr. Gabriel will have nothing to do with the fighting, and instead holds Mass. He holds it outside, perhaps to show the soldiers that this is a holy place, that what they do is sacrilege.