The Mission

DVD Features:

Audio:

• Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
• Dolby Surround - French

Additional Release Material:

• Audio Commentary - 1. Roland Joffe - Director
• Featurette - 1. Making of THE MISSION

Text Galleries:

• Film Highlights - 1. Robert DeNiro - Star
                         2. Jeremy Irons - Star
                         3. Liam Neeson - Star
                         4. Roland Joffe - Star
                         5. Aidan Quinn - Star
                         6. Robert Bolt - Screenwriter

Major Awards:

Cannes - Palme d'Or (1986)

Academy Awards - Best Cinematography (1986)

Product Description:

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.

Plot Synopsis:

In Roland Joffé's THE MISSION, a swordsman and a priest, both Jesuit missionaries, defy the colonial forces of Spain and Portugal to save an Indian tribe in 18th-century South America.

Plot Keywords:

Adventure | Drama | Epic | Indians | Period Piece | Race Relations | Recommended | Theatrical Release | Tragedy

Production Notes:

• Theatrical release: November 1986.
• Filmed on location over a 16-week period in Colombia and at the waterfalls of Cataratas del Iguazú on the border of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil.
• Estimated budget: $23 million.
• THE MISSION is based on a true story.
• Two of the missionaries in the film are played by real-life Jesuit clergymen, Daniel Berrigan and Tony Lawn. They also served as technical advisers on the film.
• The film features one of Aidan Quinn's first screen appearances.
• The National Board of Review named THE MISSION one of the 10 Best English-language films of 1986.
• THE MISSION won the Golden Palm at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
• Chris Menges received the Best Cinematography award from the Los Angeles Film Critics. His opening shot of a crucified man going over a waterfall is one of the most memorable scenes in film history.

Cast and Crew: