The Mission (1986) is composed by Ennio Morricone and uses music as an integral part of the narrative narration. From the opening, the score rushes into a beautiful, epic orchestral melody that blends with the sounds of the film's entire score - from the tribal drums to the liturgical choir. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayIn the first sequence, the music played by Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons) is very beautiful. Unlike the oboe used for the character Sonia the Duck from Disney's Peter and the Wolf, whose oboe theme had an almost nasal timbre to imitate a duck quack, Father Gabriel's tone was soft and mellow. The Guarani are intrigued by his playing. At first they are offensive, but become more curious and let their guard down as they inspect the oboe and its music. In the second sequence, Vita Nostra plays as the priests enter the village. This song is incredibly beautiful, especially the version on the Spotify playlist. As noted in the guide, the drums and flutes are reminiscent of a "tribal" sound, and when the sound opens up as the rest of the symphony enters, it is very reminiscent of something from The Prince of Egypt. Both are about a tribe trying to preserve its own culture and overcome an oppressive slave society. When Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro) refuses to kill the pig, it is an important moment in character development because the audience has seen him kill his brother, but now he chooses not to kill an animal, this shows so he tries to live a more ethical life. The Ave Maria theme is interesting to contrast with the Vita Nostra song due to its Christian origin, while the Vita Nostra theme has a tribal sound. These represent the two societies in the film and how they interact with each other. The third sequence continues to mix themes as the Jesuits help the Guarani. It maintains a balance between the tribal sounds of Nostra Vita and the liturgical sounds of the Ave Maria choir, similar to that of many Guarani who converted to Christianity but still practice their tribal culture. Father Gabriel shows the scars on the Guarani's back to prove how he was treated when he was enslaved on a plantation rather than working for the community plantation. When the Chief questions Father Gabriel, he essentially asks what gives the emissary ethical and legal authority, which is essentially the fight of the Protestant movement of the time. The fourth sequence is very sad and powerful because all the Guarani and the priests trying to protect them are murdered. It's interesting to see the difference between how Father Gabriel and Mendoza fight the Catholics, with Father Gabriel being a pacifist and walking with the Guarani away from the burning village while getting shot without fighting back. Meanwhile, Mendoza leads the Guarani warriors to fight against the armies and manages to kill some of the oppressors and (temporarily) save other members of the tribe. Either way, it's a losing battle. Both men die and the Guarani who are not killed are likely enslaved. The film does not advocate either pacifism or fighting back as being better or more effective than the other because they both suffer the same fate, but it does show the differences in thinking to open up a debate. In an article from Sciannameo, it is highlighted that Morricone was attached to this project and very thoughtful in his musical choices. I mentioned above that.