In the first few scenes of The Mission, we are introduced to an Amazonian paradise, a lush expanse of leaf and stone and river. Waterfalls, massive sheets of white foam, cascade into gaping chasms.
It holds all the power and mystery and beauty of Eden.
And there, amidst it
all, is martyrdom and blood, as a man strapped to a cross floats down the river to
this death.
Robert Bolt, the screenwriter, had a
fascination with identity. His protagonists often exist in a crisis zone where
the basic texture of their lives comes under extreme strain. This happens in
both Lawrence of Arabia and A Man for All Seasons,
as it does in The Mission.
But instead of a single leading role, the story is balanced between Cardinal Altamirano (Ray MacAnally), Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), and Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro). While all three are interesting, this splintering of interest contributes to a lack of focus in the narrative, and produces three distinct acts.
But instead of a single leading role, the story is balanced between Cardinal Altamirano (Ray MacAnally), Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), and Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro). While all three are interesting, this splintering of interest contributes to a lack of focus in the narrative, and produces three distinct acts.
