Movie Review: End of the Spear
Published January 24, 2006
If the movie had been about an anthropologist, if God had been taken out of it, the reception from critics would have been more welcoming. True the music and the acting might have come under fire, but the message of non-violence would have been touted as making the film worth renting, at least.
It's a difficult line to walk. On one hand, I can understand the anger and frustration directed toward "fundamentalists". I grew up in and around them and the day I voted for a Democrat, it was as if the body of Christ hit the fan. Like my husband's friend, I too am one of eight homeschooled children and I grew-up with children who are the reason many intelligent people reject homeschooling as a viable educational option. And I struggle as a person to live my life above reproach because I know one false step and I'm a hypocrite. One slip into humanity and I'm a judgmental fundamentalist. But I don't resent this; I think this is a trap of Christianity's own making. Our bar is the life of Christ and everyone watches us fall so desperately short in politics and in television. So it's a small wonder that a mediocre movie with an interesting story, would be shunned, not because it's a mediocre movie with an interesting story - I can name several of those movies that have even won Oscars - but because it hits on our rawest sense, our sense of who God is and what he does. So maybe, just maybe, this may be some of the reason for the ire behind the reviews.
So see the movie, or don't see the movie. But really, think about why you reject it and why you may like it. It's true, many Christian's reject movies like Brokeback Mountain or Fahrenheit 9/11 without seeing them, but let's not fall into the same trap we accuse others of, rejecting something based on it's "message." And to the Christians who think the movie's rejection is based upon the anti-Christian climate and persecution, think about Narnia. That movie got good reviews because it was good. In the end, End of the Spear is a mediocre movie with an interesting story and sometimes those movies get raised to stardom (War of the Worlds) but more often than not, they get pushed aside. Let's stop complaining about a conspiracy (even if there is one, the ones we label "the liberals" can legitimately make the same case against us) and make movies of quality.
- Movie Review: End of the Spear
- Published: January 24, 2006
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Culture: Religion, Video: Documentary, Video: Drama
- Writer: Lyz Baranowski
- Lyz Baranowski's BC Writer page
- Lyz Baranowski's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
1. The events depicted in the movie took place in 1955 and if I'm not mistaken WWII ended in 1945, a full decade before.
2. It is a fallacy to point out that it was specifically "christians" killing in WWII because there were more than just "christians" killing.
3. The hourorani or waodani (whichever is acceptable, the tribe had a hand in the film and accepted that spelling, so I'm sure it's fine) state that no matter what the reason for their killings they were wrong and senseless. Much like columbine, which when the waodani people of today heard about colombine they encouraged the makers of the film to share their story to end such senseless killing.
4. Your point about the eucharist is moot. Of course they had reason to fear the foreigners. No one is denying that, the movie doesn't deny that. And there are things the missionaries could have done to prevent that misunderstanding, of course. But hindsight is 20/20 and based on anthropological practices of the time they were just as well equipped as anyone to go in there, they did their best and suffered. The point is not that they were brutal killers, its that they were caught in a cycle and brought out of that by non-violence.
5. I suppose you have to don some sort of a christian hat to see the movie for how it is. However, that is no different than the other hats I have to don to view other movies and there are some key universal themes that resonate in the movie no matter what god you believe in or don't believe in.
6. The story does ring true because it is. THis is not some Blair Witch "based on true events" it happened, like it or not it happened and the waodani are not objecting to their portrayal or the story and steve saint worked with the movie makers to make it true. This isn't James Freyian, this is true.
It's a movie. Movies are not The Truth. And although Rachel Saint may believe she knows the truth, we don't know what happened. But there are differing accounts by people who were involved. And their stories are just as true, but far more disturbing.
The "people involved" as you call them, all had a hand in making the film. Mincayani and his people worked with Steve Saint and the makers of the movie. This isn't a case of repressing a voice this is a case of a story being told as accurately as possible.
We don't know what happened in Hitler's concentration camps but we have eye witnesses and a pretty good understanding of the truth. Same with this movie.
I am not a religious man, but I thought this movie told one of the best stories I have ever heard...A few days ago I had never even heard of this movie, then I rented it from our local library. Today I think it's my favorite movie of all time. I love films based on real events. I've watched it three times now, and have cried all the way through every time. You don't have to be a religious person to appreciate this movie. It's a GREAT story!!!
Ray in WI.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/42705)
Narnia is a good story and you needn't view it as Christian. It can be enjoyed by all. But *End of the Spear* requires a Christian sensibility to be understood. There's that one-sided Sunday School aspect to it that makes a non-Christian suspicious. It's ironic that the Waodani (more properly, Huaorani)wars, that prompted the missionaries to go, began during WWII when Christians were killing each other in the millions. The Huarorani were ruthlessly hunted down by Spanish conquistidors, by rubber tree planters, and --more recently-- by oil companies. Their fierceness may be due to an over-developed survivor instinct. The killing of the five missionaries has remained sensational news for five decades, but it is far from clear what actually happened back then. "Miscommunication" is certaily the keyword. Perhaps the Huarorani didn't understand the whole business of the Eucharist; afterall, they viewed outsiders as "inhuman cannibals". "Based on a true story" seems to appear under the title of every other movie these days, I just wished this movie rang as true as the complete fantasy that is Narnia.