Review: The Missionary (1982) ★★½

I enjoy dry British humor and satire as much as anyone. Monty Python’s entire existence depends on it. However, like any good sketch comedy act, Monty Python mixes in slapstick and over-the-top antics to offset the wittier moments, and I genuinely believe this formula helped the group endure for so many years. While The Missionary (1982) is not a direct product of the British comedy troupe, it stars one of the founding members, Michael Palin (who also wrote the screenplay), and he uses the same kind of dry wit that will be very familiar to fans of Monty Python’s sketches and films.

The Missionary is a comedy film about the sordid life of Reverend Charles Fortescue (Michael Palin) of the Church of England. After serving as a missionary in Africa for nearly a decade, Reverence Fotrescue returns to England to receive a new assignment from the Church. While departing the ship, he has a chance meeting with an enchanting woman, Lady Isabel (Maggie Smith). 

Though Lady Isabel shows interest in Fortescue, he immediately returns to his bride-to-be, Deborah (Phoebe Nicholls). Deborah wishes to get married and have children as soon as possible, though she shows no interest in touching the reverend. Instead, she is entirely preoccupied with Fortescue’s impending assignment.

However, much to Deborah’s dismay, the Bishop of London (Denholm Elliott) does not assign Fortescue to a cushy position in the Church. Instead, Fortescue is charged with establishing a mission to turn London’s prostitutes away from sin. Fortescue accepts his new position with some reluctance, but Deborah refuses to give in without a fight.

In an effort to get Fortescue reassigned, Deborah writes to Lord Ames (Trevor Howard), the richest man in London. When Fortescue visits Lord Ames at his mansion, he discovers that Ames is married to Lady Isabel. She insists that Fortescue spend the night. After forcing herself on the reverend, Lady Isabel agrees to fund the mission.

Still determined to fulfill his duties to the church, Fortescue sets out to meet with the prostitutes of London and bring them to the Church. However, the first prostitute doubts his sincerity and insists that they have sex in order to prove that he doesn’t look down on her. Once other prostitutes hear about Fortescue’s unusual method of obtaining new followers, his mission becomes one of the most popular in the city, further complicating his relationship with Deborah, Lady Isabel, and the Church of England.

While The Missionary’s plot sounds funny on paper, Director Richard Loncraine pushes the satire of Palin’s screenplay to the extreme. This means that the movie plods along with the same intensity as a BBC melodrama. At times, the low-budget (combined with the slow pace) resemble a made-for-TV movie (though I have nothing against British made-for-TV movies). In any case, much of the comedy gets lost in the process, as we wait for something, anything of interest to happen. Palin does an admirable job as the bumbling, naive reverend, but this is not enough to make up for the dull pace and lackluster visuals.

When it comes down to it, The Missionary only has one joke (a Reverand has sex with a lot of women for the greater good of the Church of England), and while it’s certainly funny at times, it’s not enough to sustain an entire feature film. I think The Missionary would have been much better as a Monty Python sketch. That said, the film does have genuinely funny moments, though they are few and far between. 

From a political standpoint, one could argue that The Missionary functions as a legitimate critique of England’s class system and the hypocrisy within the Church’s establishment. Lord Ames has no concept of how London’s poor live in squalor, and virtually no interest in helping those in need. Meanwhile, the Bishop of London shows far more interest in preserving the Church’s image than actually helping any of the prostitutes in Fortescue’s care. Additionally, Lady Isabel reveals her own sordid past to Fortescue, closing the ostensible gap between the upper and lower classes. Nonetheless, The Missionary makes for a rather dull viewing experience, undermining the more affecting elements of Michael Palin’s script.

Rating: ★★½ out of 5

If you’d like to watch The Missionary (1982), the movie is available to rent or purchase via Amazon at this link.