This is a review on the movie “End of the Spear”, a popular gospel movie that depicts the life story of misionaries and tribal people.
Contents
A look into Christian Missionaries
This may be an unpopular opinion but there are hundreds and thousands of missionaries around the world, who believe in the notion that the scripture compels them to spread Christianity to the world.
But the real questions of where they come from, where they are going and why, still remain unanswered.
When we look back on the past, we often hear that Christian missionaries were sent from the West to evangelize people around the world particularly in Africa and Asia.
As per the reports given by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, there were 240,000 foreign Christian missionaries worldwide and the numbers have only grown since then.
In recent times, a debate has been going on, of how the Christian missionaries nowadays are distributing translated Bibles instead of preaching about their faiths and are more likely to participate only during humanitarian crisis.
Of course, humanitarian work has always been a part of the Christian mission teachings. But these activities are now taking over the work of preaching their Christian faith. And although Christians comes from diverse denominations such as; Mormons, Pentecostals, evangelicals, Baptists, and Catholics, they still perform mission works even if their methods of mission may differ. They are still driven by their same shared of faith and the wish to do good in the world with the common interest in serving a higher purpose.
Representation of Christianity in movies
As they say, the American film industry produces the kind of movies that gives a lasting impression. Thus, they can connect to its audiences for a number of cultural artifacts and of which, religion is included as well. If you trace back to the past about movies made on Christians and Christianity; we see that, in the first half of the 20th century; the movie Industry was dominated by movies featuring religious and biblical content at the box office.
Some of the films like, The Life of Moses (Vitagraph, 1909); The Deluge (Vitagraph, 1911); From the Manger to the Cross (Kalem, 1912); and Civilization (Triangle Film Corporation, 1916) were some of the most popular Christianity based movies.
Back then, it was not just because they performed well monetarily. But it was also because the movies successfully conveyed biblical messages to the Christian audiences through theological narrations. The movie, Thomas H. Ince’s Civilization (Triangle Film Corporation, 1916) was big hit in the United States at the time of its release. It used the portrayal of Christ to reach out to the audience with an anti-war message.
By the early 1920s, movies based on religious themes and biblical references and stories went on to receive more positive accolades and praises from the audiences and at the box office too.
The Ten Commandments (Paramount Pictures, 1923);The Sign of The Cross (Paramount Pictures, 1932); and The King of Kings (Paramount Pictures, 1927) by Cecil B. DeMille, is a biblical trilogy, that went on to dominate the American silver screen at the time of its release.
And this trilogy movie was praised not just for the techniques used in the depiction of the biblical stories; but also because, it acted like a spiritual awakening and strengthened the spiritual growth of the society.
End of Spear Movie Review: Based on True Story of Christian Missionaries
Casts:
- Chad Allen as Nate Saint and Steve Saint
- Louie Leonardo as Mincayani
- Jack Guzman as Kimo
- Christina Souza as Dayumae
- Chase Ellison as Young Steve Saint
- Cara Stoner as Marj Saint
- Sara Kathryn Bakker as Rachel Saint and
- Ocniel Barrigon as Nenkiwi
About the Movie
Directed by Jim Hanon, End of the Spear basically tells the story about Christian missionaries; who travelled all the way to Amazon jungle. They tried to end the cycle of violence among factions of the Waodani tribe. This film is a tribute to a story that boldly and courageously celebrates the act of non violence; as a core belief in the lives of Christians.
End of the Spear movie review portrays itself as “a true story of adventure, tragedy, and a new beginning”. The story in the film illustrates the murder of five American missionaries in the Ecuadorian jungles of the Amazon in January 1956.
Prior to shooting this film, writer and director Jim Hanon went to live among the Waodani. The tribe involved in the incident, and made a documentary about them titled ‘Beyond the Gates’. By doing that, it provided invaluable insights and background materials; that were of much importance; on the missionaries and the indigenous peoples they came in contact with. [s]
A brief story
In 1956, five missionary friends who journeyed towards the Amazon jungle; were speared to death in the Eastern rainforest of Ecuador by members belonging to the Waodani tribe. This group of tribes was regarded as the most violent society to ever made a documentary on; as told by the Anthropologists. The Waodani tribe lived by this policy called “Spear or be speared.”
The End of the Spear movie basically begins by showing the jungles of Ecuador review that is buried deep in the forest and located along the Amazon River basin. The Waodani Indians living there had tribal disputes; and for which, they started to murder each other to the point of near-extinction.
It was also mentioned how the tribal conflicts contributed to a staggering 60 percent mortality rate; thus, resulting in the average Waodani male to only live to be just over 30 years old. To make matters worse, the Ecuadorian government made plans to send in troops to stop the killings; by wiping out the Waodani community and claim their land.
The Waodani culture
The Amazonian jungle in which the Waodani people live seems like a different world, thanks to its spectacular natural beauty. However, they believe that their land is inhabited by spirits. The locals there are violent by nature and practices tribal revenge. Thus, the sons had to bear the responsibility for avenging the deaths of their speared fathers. And because of this tradition, it drove the tribe to the edge of extinction especially on the male population.
Mincayani & Nate Saint
The Waodani tribes have many leaders and one of which was called Mincayani. Mincayani was only a little boy when he witnessed his village being attacked by a rival tribe led by Moipa. He fled the land into the jungle with a young girl named Dayumae.
Few years later, Mincayani eventually grew up and became a warrior. He was ruthless and believes that violence keeps him strong. Moreover, the worst thing in the world is to appear weak and indecisive. He went on to avenge the deaths of his family; with a group of Waodani warriors to Moipa’s camp led by him.
Meanwhile, in a parallel world, the year is 1956; and Nate Saint, lives along the Amazon with his wife and young son Steve. An ardent Christian and a pilot by profession, he wants to find the mysterious Waodani tribe. Thus, pass them a message about non violence so that they can free themselves from the bondage of their practice of revenge.
And because of this increasing revenge tradition, he feared for the tribe’s survival and extinction. They were mercilessly murdering each other to satisfy their revengeful hearts.
On the other hand, the government instead of helping the tribes; threatened to bring in troops and wipe the Waodani tribe to complete extinction and claim their land.
And so, with all these events taking place, Nate Saint, along with his four other best friends namely; Jim Elliot, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming and Ed McCully sensed the urgency of this crisis. They were all young American Christian missionaries themselves, and set out to befriend the Waodani people.
The Approach
After making peaceful contact by air, the five men land on a tiny sand strip. Thus, they went on to discover the hideout of the Waodani tribes. Despite limited knowledge of the Waodani language; they started their mission to teach the Waodani people to free themselves from the prison of revenge and to live in peace. And since their initial conversations were not successful; they made great efforts and convinced them that their peaceful interactions will continue.
When Nate first spotted the Waodani camp, his son tells his dad out of fear for his safety; that he will use his gun to defend himself if attacked. However, Nate replies: “We can’t shoot the Waodani. They are not ready for Heaven. We are.”
The reply may not have given much consolation; but it totally speaks of the strength of his dad’s faith and his belief in nonviolence.
As Nate begins his mission doing regular flights around the Waodani village; Mincayani and his people were not sure of what to make of the large wood bee that they keep seeing in the sky.
Tragedy for the missionaries
The friends initially started their mission by offering gifts to the tribes in a bucket dropped from the plane. And when they landed on a sandbar in the river, the missionaries tried their best to appear friendly and interact with the locals. However, because of their limited knowledge of the language to communicate with them, leader Mincayani confuses them with cannibals. After which, he remembered the incident of when Dayumae disappeared.
Thus, he started having doubts and does not trust the men who came to save them all. Moreover, to make the matters worse, two members of his own tribe lie about what really happened to Dayumae. After which, leader Mincayani and his men, arrested the missionaries and spear them alive.
The Mission continues
As the time went by, Dayumae’s sister arrives on the other side searching for her, where the whites were settled. And as fate would have it, turns out that Dayumae was alive all this while. She was raised by little Steve’s aunt Rachel Saint who speaks Waodani. Dayumae and some of the missionary wives took brave decision and decided to make contact with the tribes. They wanted to live together as one, which was originally an idea put out by their slain husbands.
Mincayani was still convinced that Dayumae is a spirit and not a living person. However, one of his warriors Kimo, accepts the message of nonviolence brought by these women. They follow up with the carvings about a God who had a son who was speared. But, he didn’t spear back so that the people who speared him would live well.
However, the story of “End of the Spear” does not just end here. The movie of end of the spear buried deep within the missionaries who acted bravely upon their faith brings a positive impact and review.
The family of Nate Saint continues to still reach out to the Waodani even after the brutal murder of their husband and father. They eventually visited the tribe and lived with them.
The Change
Over a period of many years, through the efforts of these families and their sacrifices, the tribe began to accept a path that is filled with peace and faith. Mincayani, the tribal leader, also became a grandfather to the grandson of the man he once murdered. The tribe has since then made peace with their sworn enemy. And by the mid 1990’s, murders and killings, which was once a tradition among the Waodani tribes, decreased by 90%. It is said that, Nate Saint’s grandson, Steve Saint, moved to Ecuador with his family to live together with the Waodani Tribes.
End of the Spear Movie Review: The Final Verdict
For this particular movie, director Jim Hanon casts some relatively unknown actors to play the roles. End of the Spear movie beautifully captures the journey of the missionaries and had great feedback review from people. As they learn and travel to Ecuador to spread peace and non violence amongst the Waodani tribes. But sadly, were brutally murdering each other to the point of extinction all in the name of revenge tradition.
The missionaries were however, speared alive after false information reached the leader of the tribes who then killed them. The cinematography of Roger Driskell is beautifully done and perfectly depicts the impact of the film.
The script written by Bart Gavigan and Bill Ewing was simple yet very impactful. What makes this film a rollercoaster ride of emotions is the fact that, the events did happened in real life and it’s not just a movie that was taken out of fictions.
Although this film may not have been the most perfect movie to have ever been made on Christian missionaries. Nonetheless, it is still a gem of a cinema and the brave sacrifices made by the five missionaries will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of every Christians.
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