Brown_C The Mission Analysis 1
Bolt, Robert.
The Mission. Film. Directed by Roland Joffe. Produced by Goldcrest Films. Columbia-
Cannon-Warner Distributors, 1986.
Film Summary
Set in 1750s South America, the movie The Mission follows the Jesuit missions attempt
to not only convert the Guaraní people while resisting the colonial control of Spain and Portugal.
Early encounter with the Guaraní is not successful until Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) captivates
them with his oboe and allow him to return to their village with them. While there, Father
Gabriel encounters Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro), a mercenary and slave trader. Despite
Spanish law disavowing slavery, Mendoza regular captures and kidnaps Guaraní and sells them
to Spanish plantations. While at home, Mendoza inadvertently murders his brother during a duel
and sinks into a deep depression. Father Gabriel encourages Mendoza to complete penance by
returning with him to the mission above the falls.
Moved by the acceptance of the Guaraní people and his discovery of the word of God,
Mendoza eventually takes the vows to become a Jesuit. Under the protection of the Catholic
Church and Spanish Law, the Guaraní people living on the missions are free. However, the
Treaty of Madrid transfers the lands the mission occupies to the Portuguese who are deeply
involved in the Atlantic Slave trade. Cardinal Altamirano (Ray McAnally), a papal emissary is
sent to judge the work of the missions and decided which ones should be allowed to remain
under Portuguese rule. Political pressure forces the Cardinal to dissolve the missions and tell the
Guaraní to leave. The Guaraní refuse to believe the cardinals statement that “it is God’s will” that
they must leave and decide to stay and fight, if necessary, with the help of Mendoza and his
Brown_C The Mission Analysis 2
knowledge and skills. Father Gabriel does not wish to commit violence believing it a sin and
scolds Mendoza for encouraging and participating in it. When a joint Portuguese and Spanish
force arrives to remove the Guaraní, they are quickly and violently defeated. In the end, the
Cardinal laments over the unfortunate outcome, yet also recognizes the world that we live in
sometimes necessitates difficult and tragic events.
Historical Context
By 1750 Spain and Portugal had been embroiled in a constant struggle for political and
economic influence within the New World, specifically in Latin and South America. Constant
border disputes led to political turmoil as well as physical conflicts. In 1750, the Treaty of
Madrid clearly defined the Brazilian boarders. As such, land that once belonged to the Spanish in
what would be considered present day Paraguay and Argentina was ceded to the Portuguese as
part of Brazil. Within these lands, several Jesuit Missions had been established. These missions
provide the Guaraní with the opportunity for education, employment, protection, and the
opportunity to convert to Christianity. This secession of land established by the treaty created a
political and religious conflict that the Jesuit and Catholic church needed to treat with care.
The Jesuit orders were established in the mid-1500s by the catholic church and the Pope
as the New World began to offer opportunities to spread Christianity. Overtime the Jesuits
missions in Latin and South America came to be controversial. Missions oftentimes came to be
important refuges for native people. The protections offered were those of the church, conditions
that religious intertwined nations like Spain and Portugal were not willing to interfere with.
However, overtime it became clear that the missions were interfering with business enterprises as
well as political outcomes. This caused these nations to grow increasingly hostile toward the
Brown_C The Mission Analysis 3
Jesuits and attempting to find reasons and way to expel them to take the land and resources, as
well as the people.
The Jesuit-Guaraní missions were such a reason. If the Church refused to cede the land to
the Portuguese, they would have a valid reason to condemn the missions and the Jesuits for
impeding on their territory leading to a fracturing of the strong political and religious relationship
that existed between the two entities as well as one within the church itself. In declaring to leave
the missions, the Church condemned the natives to slavery. The following Guaraní War was the
collection of several missions and their people resisting colonial rule.
Historical Accuracy, Analysis, and Review
The film is broad historical narrative with regards to the real-life historical events. The
film appropriate portrays the presents of Jesuit missions within this region, however the
depiction of the Guaraní people’s relationship with them has been somewhat skewed. The
Guaraní people did not willingly and readily accept the Jesuit influence and in some cases started
physical revolts against them. The film also does not express the sentiment that many Guaraní
refused to participate in the mission and convert Christianity. In addition, the final battle depicts
many of the Jesuit priests fighting alongside the Guaraní, however much of the flighting and
conflict occurred after the Jesuits had ceded control of the missions to the Portuguese. The revolt
was carried out predominantly by the Guaraní people independent from the Jesuits.
The film briefly describes the conflicting goals of four distinct groups. Rome sought to
maintain its position of influence without burning the bridges with the monarchs and empires
that prioritized Christianity and the Church. The Spanish and Portuguese sought to maintain and
extend their economic influence and control over their colonial territories as well as compete for
Brown_C The Mission Analysis 4
dominance. The Jesuits sought to spread the word of God as well as extend a level of protection
to the native populations for willingly accepting Christianity. Finally, the Guaraní people sought
simply to maintain their autonomy, identity, and land.
At the center of the film is the difficult political as well as moral maneuvering that these
four different players must participate in. The film highlights the conflicting goals between
colonial government powers and the church as well as within the different spheres of influence in
the church itself. The goal of the Guaraní people weighs heavily over the church, while the
colonial powers government focuses on the economic benefit and exploitation of the land and the
people. While the film does depict these complicated relationships and goals, it was a somewhat
watered-down version that does not necessarily encompass the full scope of the intense and
contentious political environment South America existed in at this time historically.
Caroline Brown – HIWD 560 History of the Atlantic World; Liberty University
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
