The Mission

The Mission

by

Robert Bolt

Robert Bolt was born in 1924. He was teacher until his first novel Flowering Cherry, which was successfull came out. His greatest success was A man for all Seasons.

In 1961 he began the work with David Lean on Lawrence of Arabia. Their films together included the award winning Doc Zhivago and Ryan´s Daughter.

appeared his film State of Revolution After a long period of illness he began to work for the screen in 1984.The resulting film was 'the Bounty'.

Then he began to work at his latest work with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons:The Mission

The Mission plays in Paraguay. It is placed in the 18th century in Asuncion

Before I begin with the story, I want to introduce you to some important people:

Rodrigo Mendoza

He is the maincharacter of the story

He was born in 1710 in Cádiz. His mother died when he was four, and his father, in 1924 when Rodrigo was fourteen His father died in 1924, when Rodrigo was fourteen.

He has to keep his brother, a challenge for a fourteen year old boy. That forms his character. He get´s rough and ready for every challenge which would come.

Felipe Mendoza

He is the brother of Rodrigo. Felipe has  a good character and is well educated.

Carlotta

The daughter of Don Cabeza

who is an unscrupulous slave trader. This trade made him  great and influential.

Father Gabriel

Superior of the Mission San Miguel. born in Ireland. When he was eighteen he started a riot and killed a person, was arrested and then they let him free with the condition that he leaves Ireland.

Afterwards he started a new career with the Jesuits order, was sent to Asuncion and started 200 miles up the river a new Mission the mission of San Miguel.

Altamirano, Father Ribero

the heads of the Jesuits Order

Hontar

An important local politician

Gaspacho

A negro. The number one enemy of Mendoza

Tiberio and Victorio

slave traders they work together with Gaspacho

Guaranis

They´re living in the rain forest. Slave traders catch this natives to sell them as a special kind of servants called encomiendas to the influential people.

After the death of his father Rodrigo Mendoza sells his boat . He gets enough money to pay for the school of Felipe. Then Rodrigo works on a ship which is on a journey to Santa Fe

In Santa Fe a Senhor Palacio takes him for one Dinero for his work to Asuncion. he does´nt pay and disappears.

Rodrigo finds work as a slave trader. He works with Gaspacho, Tiberio and Victorio, who catch Guarani and sells them as encomiendas

Victorio who is the leader of the Expedition doesn´t pay. So Rodrigo kills him.

Nobody, except Gaspacho knows that he has done that. It is evident that Gaspacho is now dangerous for Rodrigo but Gaspacho disappears before Rodrigo  can do anything against him.

He is now the leader of the expeditions and  earns enough money to keep Felipe for the next years. He buys a villa and makes a few Expeditions for Don Cabeza. Years leave and Mendoza sends Felipe to Europe with a tutor.

Gabriel who leads the Mission of San Miguel discovers natives above the falls of Iguacu, which are 300 miles up the river from Asuncion and only 100 miles away from the mission

Gabriel begins to teach them . Only a few weeks later they build a church.

and he founds a new mission the mission Upper Paraná.

One months later comes Mendoza with conquistadors. He takes 5 Guarani with him.

Gabriel who wants to have them back consults

Father Ribero in Asuncion and the father signs a paper which says that the whole surroundings at the falls of Iguacu belongs to the Jesuits Order

In the meantime Mendoza in Asuncion falls in love with Carlotta.

Felipe returns from the journey.Carlotta soon likes Felipe more than Rodrigo and so the brothers have to fight for the love of Carlotta. Felipe, who does´nt know how to handle a weapon dies.

Rodrigo now thinks about his life and in his mourning he turns to the church. Gabriel takes him to the new mission and he finds an new sense of life. He becomes a lay brother and everybody in the mission likes him although he has catched five Guaranis

Meanwhile in Asuncion

Don Cabeza, and Hontar, the politician wants to occupy the land around the mission, thinking that there is gold in the missions

So they consult Altamirano the head of the church and Ribero.The greadiness for gold wins and so Altamirano who knows that he works against his own people

gives the Order to destroy the missions

Altamirano wants to save the life of Mendoza and Gabriel and orders them to come back to Asuncion, They refuse.

Don Cabeza sends an army of conquistadors to the missions. Among the conquistadors there is also Gaspacho the enemy of Mendoza. the conqu. destroy the mission of San Miguel and kill all the natives.

Afterwards the conquistadors march to the mission Upper Paraná. The Guaranis want fight and so Mendoza who has vowed that he will never fight  must teach them how to handle a weapon

The following battle ends into a massacre.While the battle goes on Mendoza faces Gaspacho but before they can fight somebody shoots him in his back. Gabriel seeing this runs towards him and was killed by Gaspacho

Weeks later the search for gold begins, ending one week later, everything is over. The search has ended. Nothing has been found.