One of three big budget films brought down Goldcrest, the company that was once the white hope of the British film industry: the others were Absolute Beginners and Revolution. Of the three, this was easily the best regarded, both at the time and in posterity (Absolute Beginners has a bit of a cult; no one seems to like Revolution). Few film scores are more iconic that Enrico Morricone’s beautiful tunes; the image of the priest being attached to the cross and being washed down Iguazu Falls is also deservedly famous. Visuals and music are the best thing about this – it looks incredible, whether it’s Jeremy Irons clambering up rocks, Robert de Niro blowing away Indians, Indians emerging from the jungle, the local township, the final battle, the mission, etc. The film is a triumph of logistics, costuming and production design.
There's a lot of intelligence on display here - I loved the set up (Ray McAnally's opening speech), it's an interesting period of history not commonly taught in English speaking schools, the first hour really powers along: the priest being killed, Irons going out to them, de Niro being evil then having a crisis and becoming a priest. Then the international politics stuff kicks in and matters get taken out of our character's hands - like it did at the end of Lawrence of Arabia, but that happened at the end of that film and here it's more like the half way point. We do have Ray McAnally's wonderful performance as a torn cardinal, but he's basically passive too - matters are out of his hands. And you become aware how the natives are depicted as children - naughty at first but wonderful when tamed; they are given no real humanity or complexity, they are just poor little victims of evil westerners who need good westerners to save them (it's a form of left-wing racism).
Jeremy Irons and Robert de Niro's characters are shaky foundations for an epic too. Irons is soulful and determined and de Niro tormented and determined but that's it, really; they're not helped by having beards, making it hard for them to be expressive, and they lack then warmth provided by McAnally in his performance. The film is determinedly pro-Jesuit (they are clearly a good influence, cleaning up the natives, teaching them songs and helping them establish co-op plantations) and anti-plantation owners, who move in and cause the depressing last half hour, shooting women, children, natives who've surrendered and priests. You wait for de Niro to kick some butt but he never does, and by the end credits you just feel lousy. (It's like Avatar if Sam Worthington didn't lead a fight back.) By all means make films with goodie Jesuits and baddie Spaniards, but how about giving the Indians (and the leads) a bit of personality?
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