The Mission - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of The Mission or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to The Mission

[lynn]

The film cast includes two Oscar winners, Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, and one Oscar nominee, Liam Neeson.

[ray]

The movie featured an emerging movie star of Irish ancestry, Aidan Quinn, as well as veteran Irish actor Ray McAnally and Liam Neeson, who were both born in Ireland.

[kristen]

As compensation, Spain promised each mission 4,000 pesos, slightly less than one peso for each of the roughly 30,000 Guarani of the seven missions. The cultivated lands, livestock, and buildings were estimated to be worth 7 to 16 million pesos. Source- James Schofield Saeger (1995) "The Mission and Historical Missions: Film and the Writing of History." The Americas, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 393-415.

[tamara]

According to "Variety", the movie was shot over 16 weeks, mostly in Colombia, with three weeks at the Iguazu Falls.

[jesus]

Ennio Morricone's favorite among his own movie scores. Morricone expressed disappointment that his score for this film lost the 1987 Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score to 'Round Midnight (1986), which, as others pointed out, was not an entirely original score that included jazz standards. As of 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences requires nominated original scores to be at least 60% original, a minimum raised to 80% for sequels and franchise films.

[beth]

The character of Father Gabriel was loosely based on Jesuit and Paraguayan Saint Roque González de Santa Cruz.

[tom]

A short scene after the closing credits features a final clip of Cardinal Altamirano.

[sylvia]

Publicity for the film for the Cannes Film Festival stated, "The MIssion deals with the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of South America in the frame of the conflict between the temporal and the spiritual power. This film could not have been made without the whole-hearted support of the Indian communities of Togorama, Burajon, Papayo, and Pangala in the province of the Choco, Colombia, and particularly of members of the tiny Guarani community of Iguazu, Argentina."

[alyssa]

Ricky Tomlinson was offered a major role, but prior commitments to Brookside (1982) prevented him from accepting.

[sara]

Many posters for the film featured a long blurb that read: "Deep in the jungles of South America, two men bring civilization to a native tribe. Now, after years of struggle together, they find themselves on opposite sides in a dramatic fight for the natives' independence. One will trust in the power of prayer. One will believe in the might of the sword."

[wallace]

Chuck Low was dubbed by Fred Melamed. Low is a friend of Robert De Niro, and has played supporting roles in many of his films.

[michele]

In April 2007, this was voted #1 of the top 50 religious films in London's Anglican independent weekly newspaper "The Church Times"

[liam]

Many of the people who played the natives were indigenous South Americans who spoke little English. They were given free reign to say whatever lines they wanted. According to popular rumor, they are cursing up a storm in a few scenes.