Ennio Morricone
The Mission

A dramatic film of an incredible beauty and depth, the performances by two highly talented actors, Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, showcase impeccable professionalism and natural artistic immersion, and the soundtrack is one of the best presented by the award-winning Ennio Morricone, a name synonymous with undeniable mastery in creating majestic works and musical poetry that always almost reached the Oscars. A choral and musical fusion with the jungle's nature that leads to the creation of a masterpiece of skill between composer and screenplay. The orchestra is everything: drums, oboe, guitars, violins, cellos, percussion, trumpets, flutes, and voices are reflected in the environmental photography and the unfolding plot, moving, touching, wonderful emotional surges with layers of unease and fear.

In a region of South America governed by Spaniards and Portuguese, the missionary Father Gabriel (Irons) ascends the river to make contact with a tribe of indigenous people, joined by a mercenary and slave trader (De Niro) who killed his brother out of jealousy. Filled with remorse and repenting the deed, he decides to change his life by becoming a friar. Their attempt will be to create a mission where indigenous people can live without being exploited by Spaniards and Portuguese, but they will have to fight once more, for reasons different from before, and unfortunately, the drama awaits the ex-mercenary now turned friar.

The images take you to another dimension, where human struggle is countered with Mother Nature, the music follows scenes sometimes raw but real and sometimes harmonious, relaxing, and devout, and the track "Ave Maria" seems to have been placed to calibrate and underline the two divergent lines of the theme in an attempt to unite them in an extreme gesture.

"On Earth As It Is In Heaven" - a track that sends shivers beyond any limit, celestial choirs, drums, and flutes twirl around each other embracing in a haunting and penetrating vortex. God exists, and you can feel Him - "Falls" an enchanted forest, the untouched peace, the paradise of nature explodes in a wingspan where it's impossible not to cry - "Gabriel's Oboe" drums, harpsichord, and oboe break the heart, offering a resurrection of hope and joy, now time can flow without fear - "Ave Maria Guarani" describing this track is almost impossible, it's a sort of transition between life and death, it's the same feeling you get in a cemetery walking between tombstones, time stops and your gaze falls between a photo and the birth and death dates confirming that death has no age - "Brothers" violins, cellos, flutes, oboe, and guitars take you by the hand, allowing you to travel a long road leading you to that small bright dot in the distance - "Carlotta" the notes of guitars and violins are dark and painful, making you feel lost in your pain - "Vita Nostra" sweet and graceful flutes and rhythmic percussion flutter in the enchanted forest surrounded by crystalline and imperial choirs - "Climb" the sad thoughts are always ready to invade memories of dearly missed people infinitely touchable if only with thought - "Remorse" death is always lurking and you want to escape, the instruments hold an extraordinary somberness - "Penance" but then the sun rises, the storm moves away, and the leaves are full of dew drops - "The Mission" night has fallen, darkness is penetrating, impressive and invisible noises take the heart pounding wildly, fear grips, there is no light then, Fiat Lux I pray! - "River" violins and cellos dance in the awakening of a new day, so clear, so delicate - "Gabriel's Oboe" here again the refrain where imposing drums dominate majestically - "Te Deum Guarani" a gentle caress brushes your face in the enchantment of a clarinet accompanying gestures - "Refusal" bless all this, my Lord, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen - "Asuncion" disturbing notes, suffocating, death always chasing its victim in the darkest woods, it's the darkness of fear of the soul but trumpet, trombone, and cellos emerge like savior sprites - "Alone" harp, drums, and oboe sing an unsettling sustained march - "Guarani" shivers of fear echo in the forest - "The Sword" the desperate run through the trees and then the salvation - "Miserere" worthy closure, the white voice of an angel lets you touch God with a simple gesture, that of an upward liberating glance towards the Almighty Omnipotent.

"The Mission", Ennio Morricone, the most complete artistic expression.