William Park (InsideCatholic.com) lists, in his judgment, “the fifty best Catholic movies of all time” .
Some readers, myself included, were surprised by the absence of The Mission . A magnificent cast (including Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson); a screenplay by Robert Bolt ( A Man for All Seasons ) — it has, in my estimation, one of the most powerful illustrations of penance and forgiveness depicted on film.
The Mission deservedly won seven Academy Awards, and made the top fifteen films under ‘Religion’ selected by the Vatican commemorating 100 years of cinema.
So why didn’t it make the list? Park doesn’t offer much of an explanation, save that “Bolt’s screenplay for The Mission looks at the Church from the point of view of Dostoevsky’s “Grand Inquisitor.” Steven D. Greydanus, however, explores the complexities and ambiguities of The Mission in a thoughtful review for DecentFilms.com.
