Ennio Morricone's 10 Greatest Film Soundtracks

10. The Mission

Set in an often underrepresented part of the world, The Mission follows Jesuit priest Father Gabriel as he looks to spread the Christian faith around Argentina and Paraguay.

Coming into contact with indigenous tribes, a desperate conflict ensues. Thanks to the work of Roland Joffé and the production team, the film earned high praise, most notably winning a Palme d'Or and Academy Award. Of course a lot of the film's success can be traced to Ennio Morricone's work on the music, a key part of the story that unfolds.

Working to capture many different cultures in a single score, Morricone brilliantly realises the setting of South America. It begins with the main theme, a delicate and beautiful piece that makes full use of its orchestra to pull the audience in. From here the piece blends between Spanish and native Guarani themes, brilliantly displaying the differences between the two sides.

Totalling just under 50 minutes of music, the soundtrack was originally released in 1986 and was remastered in 2002. The Mission's soundtrack proved so popular that it ranked number one on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Classic 100 Music in the Movies list. It remains a memorable part of Morricone's long list of compositions.