History Film / BlackRobe

* FluffyCloudHeaven: The natives have a hard time grasping the Christian concept of heaven. Daniel asks why their version of the afterlife is any more believable than people sitting on clouds gazing at God.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: It's implied (and he does so in the book) that [=LaForgue=] masturbates while [[ThePeepingTom watching from hiding]] Daniel and Annuka having sex. Once he realises what he just did, he disrobes and self-flagellates himself with a tree branch. Keep in mind masturbation is considered a sinful act, doubly so for a Catholic priest.

* DiesWideOpen: father Duval was murdered by one of the Hurons, most likely with a hatchet to his face. He never had a chance to close his eyes. Meanwhile, [[spoiler:when one morning [=LaForgue=] finds father Gerome dead in his bed, the old man's eyes are still open, suggesting he ''wasn't'' asleep when he passed away]].

* ADateWithRosiePalms: It's implied that [=LaForgue=] masturbates while [[ThePeepingTom watching from hiding]] Daniel and Annuka having sex. Once he realises what he just did, he disrobes and self-flagellates himself with a tree branch. Keep in mind masturbation is considered a sinful act, doubly so for a Catholic priest.

* TheDungAges: The French carpenters who aren't Daniel all have rotten teeth.

* BigLittleMan: Father [=LaForgue=] is harangued by the shaman Mestigoit, who is filmed close to the camera -- it's only when he comes face-to-face with [=LaForgue=] (who is sitting down) that we realise how short he is.
* {{Bishonen}}: Daniel is young, pretty and quite effeminate.

* TheMissionary: ZigZagged. The Jesuits obviously want to convert the natives, but due to the severe CultureClash the Algonquins assume "black robes" must be demons, as they act weirdly, have even stranger customs and never have sex. [=LaForgue=] himself is a doubtful and somewhat self-righteous man, yet in the same time he really wants nothing but the salvation of those people within the frame of his own religion.

* WorkingThroughTheCold: In the novel, [=LaForgue=] has a severe ear infection even when still in Quebec, rendering him half-deaf and in constant pain. When he starts to doubt the point of his expedition and his own conviction, it suddenly goes away, which he takes as a sign from God. His mood also greatly improves, obviously.

* DeadpanSnarker: The film version of [=LaForgue=] snarks at his fellow Frenchmen all the time, quite viciously at that. Alternatively, he has a ''truly'' morbid sense of humour.

* ButIReadABookAboutIt: In the novel, [=LaForgue=] ends up stranded and alone. After a moment of panic, his first course of action is grabbing a quasi-manual written by one of the prominent missionaries in the region, containing all sorts of survival tips. Following it allows him to get by long enough for the Algonquin party to return.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Everyone insists that [=LaForgue=] should go to the remote mission right here and now, he himself included. All despite the winter being almost there and the book explicitly mentioning it's too late to go anyway. Nobody seems to notice or care it would be better to wait out until spring in relative safety of Quebec. Predictably, the expedition suffers additional hurdles once the snow starts to fall.

* HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier:
** Attempted, with rather sour results, in the book. Father Paul is suffering from an ear infection and thus can barely hear on the affected ear. The Algonquin assume instead he can barely understand their language. Whenever [=LaForgue=] actually hears them, he's perfectly aware of all the things they say about him and their increasing doubts about the whole expedition, but is powerless to do anything about it.
** And whenever he argues with Daniel and switches to French, it instantly makes the presented Algonquin irritated, because they know ''something'' is said behind their backs. Annuka always demands translation or at least explanation.

* IGaveMyWord: Several of Chomina's companions want to abandon or kill [=LaForgue=] and Daniel, but Chomina promised Champlain they'd be protected. Notably, the book version ''claims'' to be doing it due to given word, but narration makes it clear it's purely opportunistic attempt to gain good graces from the French.

* InsistentTerminology: In the book, the natives refer to French as "Normans", and variety of their goods are under "Norman" adjective, too.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey: [=LaForgue=] is significantly better person - and [[GoodShepherd better priest]] - than all the other Jesuits. He still has his pitfalls and human weaknesses, but in the same time doesn't employ any ruthless tactics nor lies. Most importantly, while the book is very critical of missionary work as such, father [=LaForgue=] is the only person in the story that wants the Huron to ''understand'' the religion he preaches, rather than simply score a tally of baptised people.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane:
** In the book, when [=LaForgue=] finally reaches the remote, disease-ridden mission, people that are against him start to get sick, while Catholic converts are the only ones that get back to health. He himself has mixed feelings about it, not sure if it's divine providence or just dumb luck, and the narration maintains the ambiguity.
** Chomina's dream can be interpreted both ways. [[spoiler: And his final vision of She-Manitou could be either real or just a DyingDream]].

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Played for drama. In the book, after splitting their party, Annuka does her very best to protect Daniel the only way she can think of: posing him as a native. She makes him wear buckskin, braids his hair and covers his face with paint - all to conceal his real identity from Hurons. When they eventually reach the mission and [=LaForgue=] sees Daniel, he assumes the boy went mad out of lust for Annuka and [[GoingNative went fully native]].

* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Particularly prominent in the book, where the Hurons are split among converts and traditionalists - and it's detrimental to their basic survival.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler: All that [=LaForgue=] achieves in the end - ''[[AmbiguousEnding if]]'' [[AmbiguousEnding he achieves anything]] - will lead to the undoing of Hurons and their complete destruction by the Iroquois]].

* NobleSavage: Subverted, if not outright defied. All the different aspects of native life, customs and warfare are shown in their unglamorous, mundane and brutal form.

* RiverOfInsanity: [[spoiler: Both Chomina and [=LaForgue=] get more and more anxious as they travel up-river, while members of their expedition get less and less loyal. In the same time, the missionary is slowly, if surely {{going native}}, at least as far as his moral compass goes. And this is portrayed as a ''[[DeliberateValuesDissonance good thing]]'']].

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler: [=LaForgue=] reaches the remote mission and starts to work there. Some of the Hurons accept Christianity... which leads to tribal fractionalism, which weakens the already barely holding confederacy and eventually leads to the brutal conquest and massacres by the Iroquois just fifteen years later. Oh, and the Jesuits missions in the area were disbanded or abandoned soon after that. The final card really doesn't beat the bush about any of it]].
* ShootTheShaggyDog

* SkewedPriorities:
** In the book, when to Iroquois party is capturing Daniel, [=LaForgue=], who was so far well-hidden and in no direct danger, emerges from his hideout and walks ''straight into the thick of fight''. That despite he knows he will be captured and killed, probably by torture. Why? Because he wants to give Daniel a chance to have a confession before ''he'' will be killed.
** In the film, he does something very similar, only to ''forcefully baptise Chomina's dying wife'', to complete bewilderment of everyone around him.

* TranslationConvention: Since there is subtitled (for the most part) Algonquin and Mohawk spoken extensively by various characters, English spoken instead of French really stands out. Meanwhile, the dialogues in the novel are all obviously written in English, while the narration points out the moments when the language is switched to another.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We never learn what happened to [[spoiler: the rest of the party. And in the film, the ultimate fate of Daniel and Annuka also remains unresolved]].

* RiddleForTheAges: What did [=LaForgue=] confess?

* AnachronismStew: Joan of Arc wasn't made a saint until 1920.
* AnnoyingArrows: Averted in cringe-inducing detail.

* BlatantLies: Daniel claims he wants to accompany [=LaForgue=] in his mission "for the greater glory of God", but he's only there for Annuka. The Jesuits still take him along, full aware that he's lying, because they need every little help they can get.
* BlingOfWar: As part of the not so different message, right in the opening both de Champlain and Chomina prepare themselves for negotiations by slowly putting on more and more elaborate elements of their formal attire. All while otherwise being very pragmatic men wearing even more pragmatic clothes.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: While the film is very graphic and full of violence, it is still toned down when compared with the source material. And more importantly, the dialogues aren't overflowing with profanities, which the Algonquin are particularly fond off in the book. Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, since as a result, at least there ''are'' some dialogues, rather than endless stream of crude jokes and teasing of [=LaForgue=].

* CultColony: Invoked, discussed, played with and ultimately subverted, as inspecting this trope is one of the main points of the story. The French settlers mockingly refer to the amount of clergy and missionaries they get, instead of women, merchants and craftsmen to provide any future for their colony, all while other countries provide exactly that to their settlers. [[spoiler: The missions themselves are utter failure in their current operation, while the eventual success it still rendered into a pointless exercise in futility by outside factors]]. However, the religious devotion is still one of the main driving forces for the colonisation, while the Jesuits go into effort that makes even other colonist already in Quebec look like lacking conviction into their endevours.
* CultureClash: All the freaking time. Sometimes downright scary, like when like [=LaForgue=] tries to explain what writing is and gets taken for a demon when Daniel reads his note without any oral passage of information.
* CunningLinguist: Subverted. It is noted even by [=LaForgue=] himself that his Algonquin is awful and each time a new group or a tribe meets him, they instantly pick up how strange his speech patterns are. He still does his best to speak to them in their own language rather than French though.
* ADateWithRosiePalms: At least in the book. In a moment of weakness, [=LaForgue=] masturbates, while [[ThePeepingTom watching from hiding]] Daniel and Annuka having sex. Once he realises what he just did, he disrobes and self-flagellates himself with a tree branch. Keep in mind masturbation is considered a sinful act, doubly so for a Catholic priest.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Forceful baptism of a dying person is strongly frowned upon in the modern Catholic Church - the consent is outright demanded.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: In both the book and the adaptation, everyone insists that [=LaForgue=] should go to the remote mission right here and now, he himself included. All despite the winter being almost there and the book explicitly mentioning it's too late to go anyway. Nobody seems to notice or care it would be better to wait out until spring in relative safety of Quebec. Predictably, the expedition suffers additional hurdles once the snow starts to fall.

* DiesWideOpen: In the film, [[spoiler: father Duval was murdered by one of the Hurons, most likely with a hatchet to his face. He never had a chance to close his eyes. Meanwhile, when one morning [=LaForgue=] finds father Gerome dead in his bed, the old man's eyes are still open, suggesting he ''wasn't'' asleep when he passed away]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: [[ForegoneConclusion Considering the historical events]], the story couldn't really end well. Even if [=LaForgue=] eventually manages to reach the mission and ''probably'' convert the local Hurons, the final card flat-out admits he will at best play the role of UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom for them]].
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: [[spoiler: As usual, quite prophetic. Chomina wishes he had acted upon them much sooner]].

* DwindlingParty: PlayedWith. [[spoiler: Only Chomina's closest kin travel with him back to retrieve the priest and all of them, excepting Annuka, die. In the film, [=LaForgue=] eventually asks Daniel to stay with her and leave him alone, to fulfill the prophetic dream Chomina had where the priest travels alone]].
* EasyEvangelism: Subverting this trope is one of the main reasons behind the book being written at all. The Jesuits struggle for decades and despite their monumental effort, [[TruthInTelevision the end results are almost non-existent]], due to hefty dose of CultureClash and simple indifference. Also, unlike the film adaptation, the book spends considerable time on pointing out how the fruitless work eventually wears down even the most eager and zealous of the missionaries, making them indifferent and thus even less efficient.
* EasyLogistics: Also subverted. Since the only transport is via Saint Lawrence River on tiny boats, only the bare minimum of essentials can be carried around. Before leaving Quebec, [=LaForgue=] is explicitly and carefully prepared with as little gear as it is possible to take, with further list of most important of those to be taken in case of DwindlingParty or even being the sole survivor of his expedition.

* EvilJesuit: A few of the Jesuits are shown as pretty unscrupulous — notably, one lies [[spoiler: to the Huron and tells them that baptism will cure their fever]] — and the film is certainly critical of the Jesuits' missions as a whole. In the same time though [=LaForgue=] is a genuinely good guy, who honestly believes he is helping people. His Algonquin guides, however, are pretty wary of him, since he wears the eponymous [[BlackCloak black robe]], sleeps separately from everyone else, and refuses to have sex with the women.
** Then again, the lying Jesuit firmly believes the Hurons' accepting baptism means they will be saved, even though they didn't understand what they are doing by acceptig it. This puts him in WellIntentionedExtremist territory.
* FakeFaithHealer: Father Gerome has no qualms whatsoever to claim that baptism and Christianity is going to heal the sick Hurons. This is particularly prominent in the book, much to [=LaForgue=] disgust.

** The priest preparing [=LaForgue=] back in France lacks several fingers, too, along with other mutilations.

* FluffyCloudHeaven: The main reason why the Jesuits have such a hard time converting natives is because this is how they describe Heaven and Paradise to them. The natives find the concept ''immensely'' unappealing.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Through the [[spoiler: above-mentioned dreams]].

* HidingBehindTheLanguageBarrier: Attempted, with rather sour results, in the book. Father Paul is suffering from an ear infection and thus can barely hear on the affected ear. The Algonquin assume instead he can barely understand their language. Whenever [=LaForgue=] actually hears them, he's perfectly aware of all the things they say about him and their increasing doubts about the whole expedition, but is powerless to do anything about it.

* GoingNative: Daniel seems to be going down this road, but after the horrific encounter with the Iroquois Chomina asks him:
--> You want to be like us? What do you think now?
** [[spoiler: Of course, at the end, he does go off with Annuka. And that's where the Metis come from]].
** [[spoiler: [=LaForgue=] has this as his HeelRealization - he eventually accepts it's him who has to adjust to locals, not them to his faith]].

* IJustWantToBeSpecial: After arriving to the New World, Daniel is thoroughly bored with the settlement, because, rather than adventuring and stuff, he's doing the same carpentry job he was doing back in France. So he openly yearns to leave Quebec.
* IndianMaiden: Kind of. Annuka is TheChiefsDaughter who falls in love with a white man. However, she actively defies the DamselInDistress stereotype and is much more hot-headed and impatient than her father.
* InsistentTerminology: The natives refer to French as "Normans", and variety of their goods are under "Norman" adjective, too.

* InjunCountry: Played more realistically, without the usual cliches.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey: [=LaForgue=], particularly in the novel, is significantly better person - and [[GoodShepherd better priest]] - than all the other Jesuits. He still has his pitfalls and human weaknesses, but in the same time doesn't employ any ruthless tactics nor lies. Most importantly, while the book is very critical of missionary work as such, father [=LaForgue=] is the only person in the story that wants the Huron to ''understand'' the religion he preaches, rather than simply score a tally of baptised people.

* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: While Daniel is no slouch on his own, he is still a sensitive {{Bishonen}} and has hard time in the wilderness, while Annuka is tough, ''extremely'' pragmatic and the dominant in their relationship.

* MightyWhitey: Averted.
** The settlers are in general helplessly dependant on the natives, their help and guidance. Especially so once the expedition departs from Quebec and both Father [=LaForgue=] and Daniel have a hard time to even keep up with their guides, never impressing them with anything and always remaining outsiders that have to be taken care for.
** The whole character arc of [=LaForgue=] is his ongoing realisation that if he wants to convert the Huron to Christianity, he needs to treat them like equals and not the superstitious children they're often treated as and adjust to them, not the other way around.

* MightyWhitey: Averted ''hard''.

** The priest preparing [=LaForgue=] back in France lacks several fingers, too, along with [[BodyHorror other mutilations]].

* BodyHorror: The priest [=LaForgue=] met back in France to help him prepare for the New World was maimed and disfigured by the natives purposefully... and yet he still wants to to go back and try to proselytize some more.
-->'''Maimed Priest''' We must convert them. What more glorious task than that?

* ADateWithRosiePalms: At least in the book. In a moment of weakness, [=LaForgue=] masturbates, while [[ThePeepingTom watching from hiding]] Daniel and Annuka having sex. Once he realises what he just did, he disrobes and self-flagellates himself with a tree branch.

* BlingOfWar: As part of the NotSoDifferent message, right in the opening both de Champlain and Chomina prepare themselves for negotiations by slowly putting on more and more elaborate elements of their formal attire. All while otherwise being very pragmatic men wearing even more pragmatic clothes.

* NotSoDifferent: On a cultural level. Moore compares the superstition of the natives with the Catholic beliefs of the missionaries. In the film Daniel suggests this point to [=LaForgue=]. Visual juxtaposition to this effect is all over the place, one right in the opening scene.

* NotWhatItLooksLike: Played for drama. In the book, after splitting their party, Annuka does her very best to protect Daniel the only way she can think of: posing him as a native. She makes him wear buckskin, braids his hair and covers his face with paint - all to conceal his real identity from Hurons. When they eventually reach the mission and [=LaForgue=] sees Daniel, he assumes the boy went mad out of lust for Annuka and [[GoingNative went native]].

* TranslationConvention: Since there is subtitled (for the most part) Algonquin and Mohawk spoken extensively by various characters, English spoken instead of French really stands out.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey: [=LaForgue=], particularly in the novel, is significantly better person - and [[GoodShepherd better priest]] - than all the other Jesuits. He still has his pitfalls and human weaknesses, but in the same time doesn't employ any ruthless tactics nor lies. Most importantly, while the book is very critical of missionary work as such, Father [=LaForgue=] is the only person in the story that wants the Huron to ''understand'' the religion he preaches, rather than simply score a tally of baptised people.

* IGaveMyWord: Several of Chomina's companions want to abandon or kill [=LaForgue=] and Daniel, but Chomina promised Champlain they'd be protected.

* AdaptedOut: The two fur traders, first present in Quebec and [[spoiler: later saving the remnants of [=LaForgue=] expedition]], are respectively replaced by two smug asshole merchants in the opening and not present at all in the final part.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Chomina's dream can be interpreted both ways. [[spoiler: And his final vision of She-Manitou could be either real or just a DyingDream]].