[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/220px-The_mission_1336.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:220:That is a long way down]]
''The Mission'' is a 1986 British drama film about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America. The film was written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffé. It stars RobertDeNiro, Creator/JeremyIrons, Ray [=McAnally=], Aidan Quinn, Cherie Lunghi and LiamNeeson. It won the Palme d'Or and the AcademyAward for Best Cinematography. In April 2007, it was ranked number 1 on the ''Church Times'' Top 50 Religious Films list. The music, scored by Italian composer Ennio Morricone, was listed at #23 on AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores.

!!Tropes from ''The Mission'':
* ActualPacifist: Father Gabriel refuses to fight back physically against the Spanish and Portuguese, unlike Mendoza.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Gabriel, Mendoza, Fielding, and most of the Guaraní are killed by the European strike force]]. However, the ending quote suggests all is not lost.
-->''"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:5''
* GoodShepherd: Father Gabriel is about as saintly as they come.
* HeelFaceTurn: Rodrigo Mendoza is a slaver who undergoes penance and eventually dies protecting those he had hurt in the past.
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Cabeza and Hontar, the Spanish and Portuguese governors, try to justify their actions this way. Cardinal Altamirano [[spoiler:(who is clearly guilt ridden after condemning the missionaries)]] doesn't buy it.
* InevitableWaterfall: The most famous shot from the movie is of a priest being tied to a cross and being sent downriver to Iquazu Falls.
* TheAtoner: Mendoza.
* ToBeLawfulOrGood: The Cardinal has a choice between pulling support for the Guaraní, dooming them, or letting the Catholic Church be condemned. He chooses [[spoiler:the former.]]
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