End of the Spear

End of the Spear
Director: Jim Hanon
Screenplay by Hanon, Bill Ewing, and Bart Gavigan, based on a true story.
Every Tribe Entertainment

I actually saw a documentary a couple of years ago called Beyond the Gates that covered this material. Hanon directed that, too. It looks like it finally got some sort of release last year.

The low-budget Christian-themed movie has likely seen a tremendous upswing since The Passion of the Christ. And while this film isn't a huge message movie, beating people over the heads with religious overtones, there's no doubt a film like this gets distribution in major chains because of the unprecedented support of The Passion. The number of films that have come out since has increased and have enjoyed tremendous success. Sure, every once in awhile, a Left Behind would sneak into theatres, get the religious community out to theatres for a couple of weeks, and then disappear. Now, the production values are getting better, and the acting is above late-night Cinemax caliber.

That's not to say that End of the Spear looks like a studio-polished film, but this time, it at least feels like one. It is the story of five missionaries, including Nate Saint (Chad Allen), who take a risk trying to talk to the Ecuadorian tribe of Waodani. The killing that goes on between the Waodani and a rival tribe has begun to push the government to the limits, and the missionaries want to spread their peaceful influence in the area. Unfortunately, the tribe, led by Mincayani (Louis Leonardo), reasons that they are violent foreigners based on a simple logic, and they kill them. This is bad news for the families, basically just wives and children left, including a boy, Steve Saint (Chase Ellison), who feel they need to finish the work for which the men were killed. With the help of a former Waodani, Dayumae (Christina Souza), and Nate's sister Rachel (Sara Kathryn Bakker), they too go on a dangerous mission.

There are some very powerful scenes in this movie, and it's a movie that takes more chances than most studio films. That's not to say a movie like this is for everyone, because some might be turned-off by the look of the film, the subject matter, and some stretches of static. But it's a rewarding experience. And all of the performances are up to par. I will say that the movie suffers from not having a true protagonist, but it's a minor trouble.