The mission is a 1986 film written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffe. The film got shot in Colombia, South America. It is a spiritual, powerful, and compelling film that won the best film award at the Cannes film festival in 1986. The film focuses on the conflicts between the Guarani Indians, the Jesuits, and the European settlers. This paper will aim at discussing a cause-effect essay in regards to the film.
In the film, Father Gabriel arrives in the South American jungle to teach Christianity to the native Indians who have just crucified a Jesuit priest. Father Gabriel gets inspired by the martyrdom of the Jesuit priest, and he sets out on a mission to reach the Guarani Indians. Gabriel intends to build a missionary for the Indians. After scaling the hazardous falls on his way to the Indians, the Indians prepare to kill him. Gabriel plays music through his oboe, and the Indians understand him as a man of peace (Roland). They welcome Gabriel into their midst after he wins their trust. Rodrigo Mendoza, a mercenary and slaver, gets shown below the falls where the European settlers are building a plantation economy. The European settlers kidnap the Indians and use them as slaves in their plantations. Rodrigo gets jealous when he catches his brother and fiancée and stabs him. He falls into deep depression, and the intervention of Gabriel helps him to avoid committing suicide. Rodrigo sets out asking for repentance from the Jesuit missionaries. He gets forgiven by the Indians whom he used to kidnap. Rodrigo takes vows of chastity, obedience and poverty to become a Jesuit priest under father Gabriel. Together with Gabriel and the Jesuit priests, Rodrigo helps in teaching the natives.
Trouble begins to loom over political developments in Spain and Portugal. The two countries agree to a treaty where Spain will hand over territories to Portugal for civilization and conquest by Portuguese colonialists. The Portuguese colonialists seek to enslave the native Indians. As the Jesuit missionaries represent places of sanctuary, this treaty appears to have an impediment. The pope in Rome sends an emissary, Altamirano, to decide on whether the missions will get protection from the church. Altamirano gets faced by conflicting decisions. He has to decide whether to vote in favor of the missions or colonialists (Roland). If he chooses for the colonialists, the natives will become enslaved. If he votes for the missions, the whole Jesuit order becomes outlawed by the Portuguese. Altamirano visits Gabriel to explain the consequence of his decision. Altamirano intends to save the whole Jesuit order and thus, Gabriel’s mission must get closed. Meanwhile, the colonists plan on raiding the mission. Gabriel and Rodrigo also go at loggerheads. Gabriel believes in God’s love and does not want to partake in violence as a way to protect the missions. Gabriel asks Rodrigo that they put trust in God. Rodrigo disagrees with his views and goes against Gabriel’s wishes. Rodrigo breaks his vows and retrieves his sword and teaches the natives on the art of war.
The colonists attack the mission. Rodrigo and the natives offer some resistance, which is no match to the gunpowder and fire arrows of the colonists (Roland). The colonists march towards the choir consisting of women and children, which got assembled by Father Gabriel. The attackers spray bullets onto them, massacring almost the entire congregation. A few manage to escape and move deeper into the jungle.
Conclusion
The film portrays the conflicts present in the world. Greed for power bears no mercy on the resulting casualties. The colonists end up massacring and enslaving the natives who rightfully belonged in their homeland.
Works Cited
The Mission. Dir. Roland Joffe. 1986.
