User reviews

Jim Hanon's new film, "End of the Spear" comes to us in a new tradition started by David Cunningham's "To End All Wars". Over the past 2 years a growing number of films have begun to appear with a believable spiritual connection. I'm happy to say this is another one that hits a home run when it comes to telling a great story without stripping out real life spirituality-- something that is integral to most people's life.

The film brings us the important story of Christian missionaries killed during their first efforts to meet an isolated band of Ecuadoran native people embroiled in a cycle of violence. "End of the Spear" tells the story from the perspective of a tribal leader and the child of one of the missionaries that died.

I think if you keep in mind this is an independent film shot on a restricted budget, you'll be pleased with most technical aspects-- cinematography, sound etc.

You'll also love the actors that were just great. Louie Leonardo does a wonderful job portraying Waodani tribesman Mincayani in the lead role. You also have to give credit to young Chase Ellison in his role as young Steve Saint, whose pilot father died.

The role of religions in transforming culture is a hot button issue these days. This film doesn't take that head on, but presents a balanced realistic view, and perhaps an alternative aspect that most critics generally don't acknowledge.

There were weaknesses in the film also, but none that distracted much from the story. There were a few bits that might have been served by further character and story development-- the son's issues in particular.

All in all, this is a wonderful film with a great message of reconciliation. I hope we see more like this.

End of the Spear

First, let me say that the Christian aspect of this story is simply a small part of the story. At no time did I feel that there was a Christian agenda or that this story was anything other than the telling of a true story. What do people expect, that a story about a group of Christian missionaries not expose their faith? Furthermore, if I am not mistaken, I am fairly certain, that the name Jesus was never uttered, nor did it appear in the captions.

Secondly, I must confess that Christina Souza (Dayumae) starred in a film I produced in 2003 entitled, "I Love You Came Too Late," and we all fell in love with her then. So, I was ready to be treated to an excellent performance.

That being said, I truly enjoyed this film. I saw it last night with my girlfriend. She had no idea what the story was about and she had never met Christina. So she went in with a completely open mind, but she had been moved to tears by the end of the film. Throughout the film, she reacted to every battle scene, as well as, the tense or tender moments in the exact manner that the writer and director had intended.

Louie Leonardo (Mincayani) gave an outstanding performance. His solid good looks and frequently exposed physique are definitely a treat for the ladies. I suspect that this performance will bring him the kind of attention that he deserves and that we will be seeing more of him in the future.

Finally, this is a well-written, directed and acted film with beautiful cinematography that treats the viewer to the wonder of the Amazon rain forest in Ecuador and the people who live with in it's jungle.

Bill Robertson President Truth Entertainment, LLC

In 1943 Amazon Basin, Ecuador, Mincayani as a boy survives a massacre in his village as the Waodani tribe live in a never-ending series of revenge killings. Dayumae is a native girl taken by outsiders. The spear is the preferred weapon. In 1956, a group of missionaries fly their plane and make contact with the help of Dayumae. There are misunderstandings and Mincayani's group kills the missionaries. Despite the murders, the dead missionaries' families continue the work.

This is a message movie and I love the message. Louie Leonardo is charismatic as Mincayani. The rest of the cast is filled with B-level actors. This is not a dramatic affair but a compelling story nevertheless. I choose to love this movie for its message and the quiet heroism that is more superhuman than any superhero movie.

End of the Spear is a beautifully crafted movie about one of the great missionary stories of the 20th century, but it is not a preachy kind of movie. The story is simply told and allowed to stand on its own. The story is one of those that would not be believable on the big screen if it were not true in all of its essential points. The beautiful jungle scenery (the movie was shot in Panama) is well worth the price of the ticket. But the story will make you think about how self-giving love is more powerful than violence. The story also shows that extraordinary risks taken for peace can pay dividends beyond imagination. This will be a movie that people will be talking about, and watching again and again, far into the future. You'll be sorry if you don't take the opportunity to see it on the big screen. You'll also wonder why an independent film company can make such a wonderful movie when Hollywood is making bad movies based on old TV shows.

Back in the early Nineties I took some more undergraduate courses at my alma mater and one of them I took was introductory Anthropology 101 which I'd missed in my younger days. The professor would have loved End Of The Spear for the careful and meticulous recreation of the hunting and gathering tribe the Waodani. They were at least a violent group of people who believe when you make contact with outsiders you murder them because they too are violent and their ideas may infect your culture.

This film is based on a true incident where five Christian missionaries in 1956 were murdered by the Waodani. As we learn from Star Trek first contact is most important. That usually sets a pattern in relations. What was unusual that with the subtitles we learn what the Waodani are thinking and why they attack the missionaries. The story made headlines back in the Fifties.

Chad Allen plays both one of the slain missionaries and his son who comes back to the area of the jungle region of inner Ecuador where this took place. Louie Leonardo plays Mincayani who believes he's defending his culture and who is to say he wasn't. What happens with Allen in both roles and Leonardo is as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story.

End Of The Spear was beautifully photographed in the actual location of the tragedy. The roles are well acted and the directing of some of the tribes people in their parts is an incredible triumph.

Because Chad Allen is openly gay, he got criticized for taking the role from some gay people and was attacked by the fundamentalists as well. But as this project and casting was approved by Steve Saint, son of the slain Nate Saint if he was OK with it, who's anyone else to say.

Professor Audrey Wilson of LIU this review is dedicated to you and I hope you saw the film.

I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and won the $50,000 Grand Prize in October of 2005. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."

The film, which is based on a true story, starts in 1956 in the Amazon basin in Ecuador. Five missionaries are savagely killed by a primitive tribe. But that is the beginning of the story and not the end of the story.

The missionaries' wives and children take on the work of their fathers and husbands. They and we, the audience, are forced to examine violence and how we react to violence and the possibility of forgiving the perpetrators of violence.

The missionaries and their families display incredible human traits. They display courage in the face of danger – they are willing to sacrifice a normal life to help others – they show respect and tolerance to primitive people. But most impressive of all, they retain their humility and do not look down on others.

The cinematography and music are stunning. The Amazon jungle becomes the third character along with the tribe and the missionaries. And all three characters relentlessly attempt to survive and prevail.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Crystal Heart winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

Absolutely amazing cinematography and storyline, and best of all the story isn't made up, its a true to life story shown from the tribe's point of view. The quality of the film is superb. The storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat in suspense through the entire movie. There are also some bonus "blooper" clips played during the credits of the movie. You would not know that director Jim Hanon was a first time director but rather you would think he had been in the business for years. This film will help inspire the way future films are shot and created. This also highlights and shows some insight into the burgeoning film industry coming out of Oklahoma City. This scene is set to take off and provide Hollywood with a new generation of film makers.

Reconciliation is the word that best describes this captivating film. Most people can forgive someone but they don't move on or exclude people from their lives. This true to life story gives a glimpse into Steve Saint's life. His father Nate Saint, was one of the 5 men brutally killed to death in 1956 by a Waodani tribesman. Today, he travels the world with the exact man that killed his father back then. In fact, he even considers him family and calls him "grandfather". To forgive someone is one thing, to show our violent society how to be completely reconciled with one another can rarely be said in today's world. Go see this true story and decide for yourself!!!

This movie was good.

It is interesting to see the events dramatized. However, I think most people would appreciate the documentary version of the story even more.

Check out Beyond the Gates of Splendor (www.beyondthegatesthemovie.com and www.imdb.com/title/tt0337868). In this documentary film you will hear Mincaya, Kimo, Dayuma, Steve Saint, Jesse Saint, the wives of the missionaries, and others tell their story first-hand.

The actors in End of the Spear did a good job. But seeing and hearing the real life people tell their own story is more powerful than seeing it acted out on screen.

Better yet, watch both versions.

This was just a horrible movie. There was just nothing good about it...the storyline jumps all over the place, the costumes were bad (their wigs looked like a cheap Halloween costume), the setting looked more like Wisconsin than Ecuador. Now...if you *knew* that this is a Christian movie before you go things might be different. I'm sure the bible thumpers found this movie great, just for the reason that the white people were 'saving' the indigenous tribe because they turned them into good wholesome Christians. They don't have to pay attention to how good the script is...or the costumes...or anything else...because, darn it, it's a Christian movie. That's the only way I can figure out that this movie has gotten any rating over a 4.

Could you truly love the people that killed your family members and friends? What if it was a gross misunderstanding (can anyone say Iraq War)? The kind of stuff more movies should be made of! I got to attend a screening here in NYC that apparently coincided with the 50th anniversary of this true event.

I'm not sure why or how this movie has escaped the attention of most major media. The movie websites says it's releasing in 1,200 theaters in a week. Maybe the media is biased because part of the story is about missionaries. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is the first movie I've been to in a while that is actually worth $9 for a ticket.

I think most people might think that loving your father's killer is a little sick, but when the movie unfolds and you understand the clash between the two cultures, it make sense.

If you like The Mission (Robert Dinero, Jeremy Irons), Chariots of Fire, or Last of the Mohicans, you will enjoy this movie!

When most people think of Christian films they think of low quality, low budget, and preachy movies. Surprisingly, "End of the Spear" is none of that. I was a bit skeptical going into it though, I really didn't know what to expect. Would it be boring? Or would it have downright, horrible acting. I was wrong for the most part.

"End of the Spear" is the true story of the Waodani tribe, known for their extreme violence, from the jungles of Ecuador. When five young missionaries are speared to death by the Waodani in 1956, a series of events unfold to change the lives of not only the slain missionaries' families, but also Mincayani (the violent leader of the tribe) and his people.

This film kept my attention throughout, it never had a slow scene. The complaints I do have were kind of expected since most reviewers already voiced it. The cinematography was mediocre; it was most likely filmed hand-held. In one scene there is a sweeping shot of the Ecuador jungle and you can see and hear the helicopter that filmed it. The scenery is beautiful though, especially since it was filmed on location. The music was good, except it seemed to play on a loop; it was king of like the composer only wrote one song then played it over and over. The editing was poorly done in some parts, and in other parts quite good. The acting, especially by Louie Leonardo as Mincayani, did a great job. Most of the time the actors just acted with their eyes, which I thought was very cool. This film was definitely better then I expected, but it could've been even better. Though it's nice to see a Christian film that is exciting, well acted, and for the most part well done. While not up to par with today's standards, the "End of the Spear" is definitely worth a look.

I give it 7 out of 10.

This film is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence.

I had a chance to view this film at the National Missionary Convention. All I have to say about it....IT ROCKS! A great film. Very inspiring. I will see it again and I will spend top dollar to see it. When it is available to purchase, I will be the first in line. The film was beautifully made, and was true to the actual story of the five missionaries who gained their lives by reaching the Waodani. I was moved, shocked, brought to tears as I viewed this realistic portrayal. I would not recommend allowing children under 10 to view. Nothing horrific, just some hard imagery to digest. Would open the door for 20 questions after they viewed the film. I am going to allow my 10 year to see it. Again...GREAT FILM!!! GREAT MESSAGE,

There is not much material to write about here. "The End of the Spear" is a beautiful looking but limited, timid, and repetitious film without much specificity of plot or character development (though "based on fact"), about a group of Christian missionaries who take it upon themselves to save a certain Amazonian forest tribe in Ecuador, the Waodani, who back in the Fifties when the story begins are said to be wiping each other out in a cultural pattern of violence and revenge.

A group of five male Christian missionaries arrive in a small plane. They take one of the natives up in the plane for a ride but later the natives become suspicious and spear them all -- including their plane. Eventually relatives and associates of the missionaries come back, and partly because they are mainly women and therefore not worth killing, they are allowed to stay. The Christians cure the tribe of a bout of polio (brought by the whites?) and this seems to convince the Waodani that their visitors are benign -- and their Christian message valid, at least, so we are told. Years later, the son of the original leader of the group of Christian missionaries (Chad Allen, who plays both roles) is persuaded to come and live among the Waodani, where his father died many years before.

A shocking element of the story is that when the small group of white men arrives and is wiped out, they come with essentially no preparation: though some of them know a few words of the Waodani language, the natives "speak too fast" and they can't communicate with them. Anyone really fluent in the language has been left at home. Given this complete lack of readiness for the task, it's not surprising that their visit was a failure. The naivete and sweetness of the missionaries are touching but rather pathetic -- and, when you gradually become aware of the smug assumption that the Waodani are simpleminded creatures who have nothing to lose and everything to gain by being Christianized and Europeanized, the missionary mindset as represented in the film becomes more deeply annoying.

Direction, acting, editing, etc., are on a crude-to-mediocre level and the main native characters are played by Americans of Latino descent (Louie Leonardo, Jack Guzman, Christina Souza) who do not in the least physically resemble Amazonian Indians. They are athletic hunks, not natives, and their behavior is cutesy and schematic rather than ethnographic. Action is underlined by crudely bombastic background music. The Christians are watered down too; there is little of a Christian message and little in the way of missionary talk among the missionaries, but it is nonetheless clear that missionaries is what they are.

Short on specific detail of event or character, the film is also singularly lacking in excitement and momentum. There is lush cinematography (the forest looks beautiful) and there are attractive-looking natives -- the latter perhaps a tad too clean: they look like they've just showered and had their hair done. But in the absence of a good script, it all falls flat. If you want a great Amazonian adventure story with larger implications about the invasions of the white man into the Amazonian forests, get a copy of John Boorman's thrilling "The Emerald Forest" (1985) and watch it.

If you come to "The End of the Spear" expecting a drama on the level of Boorman's film, you will be sorely disappointed. If you want a vague feel-good Christian theme and don't mind condescension toward "natives," this is the movie you've been waiting for.

This is a wonderful movie about the human spirit. It was beautifully and lovingly made by people who were truly moved by the story. We watched in a screening at the University I work at and the Producer came to speak about the project and how he got involved. I and 1300 others watched the movie, in folding chairs, yet we were not uncomfortable at all because the movie is so enrapturing that you just don't notice your surroundings at all. The majority of the audience was college aged students and I've never seen them so moved, and amazingly quiet, for such a long time. I believe that this movie will have a great impact on the lives of all who see it. I highly recommend it.

I found it an interesting perspective. However the film did nothing to show who commissioned the missionaries there in the first place. The oil industry after having found oil under the indigenous land sent missionaries to tame the indigenous. Sinse then the indigenous have had their water poisoned from oil spills and the dirty oil extractive process. As well as the influx of settlers on oil roads and disease that follow. The film is an example of one major tool of culturecide; religion. Religion is all too often used to pacify the indigenous while natural resources are extracted or otherwise conquered. (Remember the Spanish Inquisition?) The indigenous have found hardwood spears ineffective against oil companies like Texaco, CEPE, PetroEcuador, OPEC. It is a grave injustice to leave out the role of the oil industry in this film. In 1987 an earthquake ruptured the pipeline, out of the Napo Amazon region to the pacific ocean, spilling 16.8 million gallons of crude oil into a delicate web of water. Little of the mess was cleaned up. Exxon Valdex by comparison spilled 10.8 million gallons of crude. (Indians oil and Politics c2003, Allen Gerlach P. 57)

I got to see a sneak preview several weeks ago, and you really need to go and see if this changes your view of what movies can do!

The creators of this film were deeply moved when they learned of the original true-life event this film is based on, and they poured their all into making a film that would reach people on a more spiritual level than most Hollywood fare these days, without being preachy (thank heavens), and while maintaining the natural lure of an adventure story. See if you agree that they succeeded!

It really doesn't matter if you know the historical true life story or not -- your heart will be pounding, then broken, then softened, and finally strengthened as you emerge a different person.

I am a bit of a movie snob, so I'm not going to rave about this movie, but I do think the story itself is amazing. I read Through the Gates of Splendor and watched the documentary, so I knew the story going into the movie, however, my husband didn't know the story, so for him it was a bit confusing at first.

The director did not do a very good job of explaining who was who, what they were doing, etc. Some of the narration was a bit mumbled and hard to understand. So for someone unfamiliar with this missionary story, I thought it could be a bit confusing. My husband had to pause it a couple times to clarify what was going on (and hubby is no dumb bunny).

The acting was OK, not Oscar contenders by any means, but not cheesy soap-opera acting either. The fighting scenes, although not "Hollywoodized", were probably more real-to-life than most movies, in my opinion (although I admit to never witnessing a spearing in real life).

Overall, it was the story that made the movie. A story about grace, about forgiving the very people that murdered your husbands and father. A story about reaching out to a tribe filled with violence, and giving them hope and something more to live for. Although Jesus was never mentioned, it was a story about sharing the gospel of Jesus to those He died for.

Every Tribe Entertainment chose an amazing story to tell, then they dumbed it down, de-Christianized it by removing any references to Christ, Jesus, salvation, the Gospel, etc., and left audiences with a diluted shell.

Then, they promoted the movie to Christian churches everywhere in hopes of building a "Passion" like hype, but failed to warn those same churches that an activist homosexual was cast in the leading role(s). Christians everywhere felt slapped in the face as evidenced by the outpouring of negative sentiment in Christian blogs.

Had they simply told the story as it happened, this would have been an amazing movie. However, someone, somewhere at ETE must have decided that this movie would reach a broader audience and bring in more revenue if they removed those pesky Christian references.

What were they thinking? Movie makers need to decide early on what kind of movie they are going to make and what their target audience is. This is where ETE bungled, and this is why the movie will not do well.

Do today's audiences want Christian references in films? If those references are historically accurate, my guess is... yes.