The reviews split almost evenly, with a slight lean towards approval, and they agree on what works before they disagree on whether it is enough. Nearly every critic singles out the Iguazu Falls and the opening image of the crucified missionary sent over the water; more than one says the location steals the film from its actors. Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro are praised for physical, largely wordless performances, and Variety finds Ray McAnally in the supporting cast the most enjoyable presence on screen. Joffé’s refusal to prettify the period is admired.
The reservations cluster on the script. Several critics call the film lumpy or structureless, arguing that it states its points about church, state and money without dramatising them, and the climactic battle is described as botched or disorganised by more than one. The spread is wide: the Los Angeles Times finds it passionate and haunting, while Time Out, reviewing decades later, finds it curiously uninvolving and lacking exactly that passion. The later reviews are no warmer than the originals.