Hide Article Text (OCR)
‘Killing Fields ’ director creates another semi-epic“The Mission”, directed by Roland Jaffe. Screenplay by Robert Bolt. Cast: Jeremy Irons, Robert DeNiro, Ray McAnaly. Rated PG. Exclusive engagement at the Uptown Theater, Queen Anne Hill.After several weeks spent examining the bleak and relatively unpleasant nature of certain recent films, I’m willing to admit that I awaited “The Mission” with considerable anticipation. Eager to experience a “major” film dealing with issues of the kind rarely observed in Hollywood’s relentless stream of mind pollution, I attended the preview screening wanting to like this film.Critic’s Corner• *•yJeff ShannonAfter all, the director of “The Mission,”Roland Joffe, earned a great deal of acclaim for his debut effort “The Killing Fields”, which despite a tinge of heavy-handedness was eaily one of the best films of 1984.Built up by loads of advance publicity—in addition to winning the grand prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival—“The Mission” is the kind of prestige film for which critics wait all year.Was the wait worthwhile? Allowing for some of the same simplification that partially marred “The Killing Fields”, I’d say it was definitely worth the wait. “The Mission” is entirely well-meaning and meaningful, filled with thematic and technical virtues, and achieves its goals enough to overcome its shortcomings. For those who believe movies should do more than merely entertain, this is in many respects the most impressive film of the year.Set in 1750s South America, the mission of the title is a remote Jesuit outpost overseen by the passionately spiritual Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), whose own mission is to introduce Christianity to the local Guarani Indian tribe. Gabriel soon encounters Mendoza (Robert DeNiro), a ruthless mercenary who captures the Guaranifor slave trade.After murdering his brother, Mendoza becomes a silent recluse doomed to self-imposed condemnation. Gabriel offers Jesuit training to Mendoza, beginning with a torturous climb amongst the perilous waterfall that leads to the mission and serves as the film’s physical centerpiece. Dragging behind him the burdensome artifacts of his past, Mendoza reaches the mission and is accepted by the Guarani, whose forgiveness reflects their faith in Father Gabriel.Due to an inevitable shift of boundaries agreed upon by Spanish and Portugese governments, the mission and the Indians are endangered by slavery and attack from Spanish armies. A Catholic papal emissary (Ray Me Anally) proves ineffectual in his attempts to prevent violence. Thus the Jesuits must choose to protect themselves and their Guarani flock or concede to the church’s decision and face annihilation.From this point on, “The Mission” becomes an academic exercise. The main characters are already established in depth, so their paths of action are appropriate and entirely expected. As a result, we must simply sit back and wait for an unsurprising conclusion — a conclusion which bears direct relation to a moral dilemma raging on even today. Namely, does civilization reserve the right to alter the world in its favor at the expense of less developed cultures?To relate his morality tale, Joffe chose broad strokes in favor of a more precise intellectual ap-Top: Stimpson (John Cleese) and Laura (SharonMaiden) encountermany Norwich. Bottom:obstacles on theirjourney to Norwicn. bottom: Stimpson (John Cleese) urgently needs to make a phone call but the booths are out of order.proach, to the extent that a youngster of average intelligence could follow the story and understand the film's blatant symbolism. Some characters might well be wearing message T-shirts; Irons’ would say “Faith, Love, Peace”, while DeNiro’s would read “Justice, Action, Survival.” Granted, Joffe lacks subtlety — he summed up “The Killing Fields” with John Lennon’s “Imagine” — but his choices yield a dramatic and emotional charge.If Joffe has chosen an approach that sacrifices complexity in hopes of appealing to a larger audience with a readily apparent message, screenwriter Robert Bolt has clearly followed suit. Bolt, who penned such broad, epic morality tales as “Doctor Zhivago”, “Lawrence of Arabia” and “A Man for All Seasons”, has here written a film that relies largely on visual impact. Words are saved for crucial moments, and then used sparingly. The result is a film which may disappoint more demanding viewers, but one which survives on the strength of its cumulative effect.In terms of production values, “The Mission” is without flaw. The cinematography by “Killing Fields” Oscar-winner Chris Menges is stunningly beautiful, all the more impressive when you see some of the treacherous camera angles. The production design is rich in detail and used to good effect. Performances range from good to superb; Irons achieves a purity of character and emotional passion that’s never overdone but always involving. And while DeNiro fans may lament a lack of the actor’s past intensity, his work here is still studied and focused. Those who watch him closely will see a great actor in the process of exploring the subtlety of his craft.“The Mission” is not a total success, but its shortcomings are forgivable. It’s easy to expect too much from a film of such ambition, but if equally lofty standards were applied to other less-accomplished films, “The Mission” would prove all the more praiseworthy by comparison.“Clockwise”, directed by Christopher Morahan. Screenplay by Michael Frayn. Cast: John Cleese, Sharon Maiden, Alison Steadman. Rated PG-13. Seven Gables Theater, Seattle.Have you ever had a day when the universe seems to conspire against you? That’s what happens to former Monty Python trouper John Cleese in “Clockwise”, a very enjoyable lightweight British comedy released last week. Cleese plays a proud school headmaster whose obsessive punctuality is hilariously torn asunder en route to an important headmaster’s conference, where he is due to give an important address.Recruiting a young female student to drive him across the British countryside — he’s missed the train and his wife has the car — Cleese encounters a host of odd charcters and uproarious situations which further delay his tightly-timed arrival. Before long he’s pursued by his suspicious wife, the girl’s worried parents and some overzealous cops. Driven to frustrated extremes, he temporarily lands in a monastery, loses his clothes and begins to lose his mind. He’ll do anything to get to his conference on time, and gets into quite a bit of trouble trying to.Essentially a one-joke movie, “Clockwise” plays out that joke to its fullest with admirable success. Cleese is probably the only one who could pull off the wackiness required for his role. His lanky build and broad range of expressions are perfect, and he’s as good here as he ever was with Monty Python (which is to say, a riot!).Ably supported by a cast of crazies and a tight plot, Cleese and company make “Clockwise” a worthwhile comedy that’s clean, inventive and greater than the sum of its parts.UNFORGETTABLE!Steaks • SeafoodsSaladsGRAND OPENING SPECIAL!Buy Any Entree And Get Second Of Equal Or Lesser Value ABSOLUTELY FREE With CouponTHE ALL NEWKiviem Steak Mouse(formerly The Lynnwood Raintree)4301 200th SW • LYNNWOODNIGHTLYLOUNGE SPECIALS• Mon All Night Happy Hour• Tues. Tequila Night• Wed. Dance Contest Cash Prizes• Thur Lip Sync Cash Prizes• FRF.E Hors d'oeuvres7*mmThru Saturday775-9481
Newspaper Details
Edmonds Enterprise
Edmonds, Washington, US
Wed, Nov 26, 1986
Page 25
Full Page
Clipped by
Jon C.
NJ, USA 15 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Edmonds, Washington
Edmonds Enterprise
