The Mission

The Mission has music that represents both the "natives" and the missions. To start off, the first scene has "pipe/flute" music that has a native theme to it. The instrument sound is heard many times throughout the movie, especially around the natives. For example, during the last scene, the "pipe" instrument is heard when the young natives travel down the stream. The pipes are also present during some of the scenes when the mission is being attacked. During one of the forest fight scenes, it is heard, and also heard when the mission church is on fire and they are still carrying on mass. The "pipe" is not used with the same song. The underscoring still fights the mood of the scenes, but the "pipe" instrument is heard over/in conjunction with the music to give it a more native feel. There are a few leitmotifs however, used. There are two leitmotifs that i specifically could recognize. One seemed to have a hopeful, religious feel to it. For example, the theme is heard when Father Gabriel is successful in climbing the falls to get to the natives. It is inspirational and powerful and represents the "presence" of God. The theme is also heard when his Eminence visits the mission of San Miguel and sees the natives. The theme helps represent the powerful feeling his Eminence gets when he sees the beauty and power of the mission and the natives. The other leitmotif is also has a spiritual feel. For example, it is used when Father Gabriel tells his Eminence that he is going to stay with the natives.

Diagetic music is also used throughout the movie. The diagetic music is usually the natives singing. They sing "Ave Maria" several times. They sing it when his eminence comes to visit San Carlos missionary. They also sing "Ave Maria" when they are still preforming Mass during the fight. The natives are also heard singing many songs in their native lanugage a few times in the movie. For example, the little native boys sings in his native lanuage in front of his eminence and the court.