#1 ·
South America, back in the 18th century. You have two massive colonial powers, Spain and Portugal, locked in a struggle for dominance over the Native Americans. Their imperialist drive makes them see nothing but opportunities for slave trading and stripping the land of its natural resources, while on the other hand, Jesuit missionaries are trying to establish their own religion and culture. Mendoza (Robert De Niro) carries the soul of a conqueror within him, but after he kills his younger brother Philip in a fit of passion over a woman, he flees to a mission. There, he is taken in by Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons), hoping that through service to the mission, he might somehow atone for his sins and find redemption for his crime. Over time, however, Mendoza begins to recognize the inherent beauty in the Native American way of life; he accepts them, eventually becoming a defender of their rights. The missionaries dream of a society where converted Native Americans live in harmony with the Spaniards and the Portuguese, but the colonial leaders view such a possibility as a threat. They demand total subjugation and move to dismantle the mission entirely...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091530/