The Mission (1986/Region
Four/4/PAL Import/Umbrella DVD Set)
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD set can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Four/4 PAL
format software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment
at the website address provided at the end of the review.
Roland
Joffé followed his success with The
Killing Fields with The Mission,
boasting the last feature length screenplay of the great Robert Bolt (Lawrence Of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, A Man For
All Seasons) and set in the 1750s. A
Spanish Jesuit priest (Jeremy Irons) and slaver (Robert De Niro) intend to
“help” a tribe as they try to convert them, but they are not told of a deal
between Spain and a Portugal that likens slavery over Jesuit missions, so the
men team up to fight back.
Made before De Niro became too involved in broad
commercial films, the film sports a fine cast, including Aidan Quinn, Liam
Neeson and Ray McAnally among others and has its some good moments. However, at 124 minutes, it seems a bit
overlong and does not always make all the great points it could. Still, there is enough here to see it at
least once, but I recommend you do not watch it if you are the least bit tired
as it takes patience and attention to get out of it what it does have to offer.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is much softer
than a film shot in 35mm and likely blown-up to 70mm prints should be, with
poor definition, color issues and other problems. The result is again not what Director of
Photography Chris Menges intended. This
was shot in the underrated anamorphic 35mm format J-D-C Scope and is one of the
reasons why it has the reputation for looking as good as it does. The
Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is a little better than the 2.0 Stereo mix, but if this
was blown up to 70mm as it seems it was, it would have a 4.1 Dolby magnetic
soundmaster and not just be a Dolby analog A-type film. Ennio Morricone’s fine score does not sound bad
here, but could sound better. Extras
include a feature length audio commentary with Joffé on DVD 1, while DVD 2 adds a making of
documentary from the BBC.
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import set exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
