Reflection on themes and meaning in The Mission film

Thoughtful reflection on the film The Mission
This film portrays a society in the 1750s South American society as the Jesuit Missionaries were undertaking their mission ventures in this region. As they entered the land, they found the native Guarani Indians who had not been inhabited and their last contact was with slave traders that they resisted. Father Gabriel and Captain Mendoza who was a former slave trader but converted were instrumental in bringing Christianity to this region. They however met resistance and it was through long durations of endearment to the locals through their actions, music, philanthropy, communal work and the word of God that they came to win the locals’ hearts. More instrumental in this aspect is the fact that the missionaries chose to side with the locals in defending their land women from the intruding colonialists.
The suffering of the poor Guarani tribe in the remote South America is depicted through the high poverty rates depicted and the history of slavery. This suffering is further depicted in the wanton killing of the locals by colonialists even in churches where they had gone to seek refuge.
Solidarity and struggle for social justice is yet another theme that comes out clearly in the film. The Guarani tribe stays united together with the two priests in resisting the colonialists. They find no justification for subjecting their land to some foreign political entity and despite the heavy violence visited on them, they refuse to give in and as community fight off the colonialists.
It is also interesting to reflect on the theme of justified violence in liberation. The film writer pushes the viewer to look at the reason behind the two priests resorting to using violence and what the viewer could have done were they in the shoes of the priests. The film pushes Christians to view their theology in practical terms. Hitherto, the priests were living their simple and peaceful life with the locals, then they are faced by sudden violence, discrimination, injustice and racism. The two priests decide to lay their life and ultimately die for what they believe in.This depiction in the film is in line with the acclamation by Gutierrez that “I have always thought that as a priest, my work is basically
pastoral, which means to follow the life and the march of a people and try to proclaim the gospel from this accompaniment.” (Kristenson O., 2009:Pp 6). This he said while reacting to the political injustices that the people of Peru, where he came from, faced in the 1980s and 1990s.
The film also depicts the various natures of salvation. When they came to the Guarani people, the two priests preached about peace and love and unity as the principles of salvation. They taught them that one needed redemption or risk damnation. However, later on the circumstances changed and the two priests not only taught but also practiced that salvation also takes the form of liberation and enslavement is not salvation. They fought alongside the Guarani tribe against the colonialist to the death.
The film poses the situational dilemma through the life of the two priests. The depiction of the sue of violence as means to retaining freedom by the priests is an intriguing insight into the actualization of Christian faith in real life. The use of violence assured the freedom of the Guarani tribe. Indeed, it was through the violent resistance of the colonialists that Mendoza managed to help a number of children escape, he was killed protecting the future peaceful world in the children. Had Mendoza and the other fighters resorted to non-violence all the Guarani tribe could have lost their freedom to the colonialists. At least the violence helped some escape in the process of confrontation and the canoe carrying children away from the village is an indication of a possible future generation full of peace being established in another part of South America.


Reference
Kristenson O., (2009). Pastor in the Shadow of Violence. Retrieved May 01, 2018 from http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:273909/FULLTEXT01.pdf