End of the Spear

Last updated
End of the Spear
Endofthespearposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJim Hanon
Screenplay by
Produced by
  • William Bowling
  • Bill Ewing
Starring
Narrated byChad Allen
CinematographyRobert Driskell
Edited byMiles Hanon
Music byRonald Owen
Production
company
Bearing Fruit Communications
Distributed by
Release dates
  • December 2, 2005 (2005-12-02)(Los Angeles)
  • January 20, 2006 (2006-01-20)(United States)
Running time
108 minutes
Languages
Budget$10 million
Box office$12.1 million

End of the Spear is a 2005 American biographical adventure drama film directed by Jim Hanon, written by Bill Ewing, Bart Gavigan and Hanon, and stars Louie Leonardo and Chad Allen. The film recounts the story of Operation Auca, in which five American Christian missionaries attempted to evangelize the Waodani people of the tropical rain forest of Eastern Ecuador.

Contents

Based on actual events in 1956, wherein five male missionaries were speared by a group of the Waodani tribe, it is told from the perspective of Steve Saint (son of Nate Saint, one of the missionaries killed in the encounter), and Mincaye, one tribesman who participated in the attack. [1] The two formed a lifelong bond that continued until Mincaye's death in April 2020. [2]

Plot

The Waodani people of the tropical rain forest along the Curaray River in a remote and mostly undeveloped the Amazonian region of Ecuador live with a traditional animist worldview. As children, Mincayani saves Dayumae after a vicious nighttime spear attack on a Waodani village by a neighboring tribe, and Dayumae's younger sister (in Dayumae's care) is killed in the attack. Other events of tribal life are pictured. In a conflict with her family, Dayumae—who, in part, has been blamed for the death of her sister—decides to leave the tribe for her safety, and runs to the "foreigners" around her: foreigners who speak Spanish and dress very differently.

Nate Saint, a missionary jungle pilot and aircraft mechanic, lives with his family at a mission outpost where his job includes flying other missionaries and supplies into remote locations. He builds a small airplane out of wood with his eight year old son, Steve. Nate becomes obsessed with making contact with a jungle tribe who have resisted contact with the outside world before, often violently: the Waodani. Nate's older sister Rachel has had extensive contact with the now much older Dayumae, and has learned some of the Waodani language from her. Nate does not want to tell his sister of his and others' plans to attempt contact with the Waodani, for fear she would pass the information along to her superiors, and the planned contact would be forbidden. Young Steve learns a few words of Waodani—"I am your sincere friend"—from Rachel, and ultimately begs his father to learn them before his father and several others land their airplane on a sandbar in the Curaray and attempt to make peaceful contact with the Waodani, who they know people that area of the forest that surrounds the sandbar.

Mincayani is now a much older and more developed warrior, exhibiting great leadership in the tribe. After some days, one Waodani man and two women approach the missionaries who have camped on the sandbar, and have a reasonably friendly, although difficult to communicate, first encounter. Subsequently, misinformation about the meeting is shared with the other Waodani tribal members, and a group of Waodani warriors decides to attack and spear the foreigners. They do so, and all five men associated with the airplane at the sandbar camp are killed with spears; the airplane—which the Waodani refer to as the large wood bee—is destroyed with punctures and slashing by spears. Authorities from Ecuador and the US military come up river in canoes in a large party, protected by many rifles, and recover four of the five bodies.

Years later, Steve Saint flies from the US to attend the funeral of Rachel Saint, and comes into contact again with Mincayani. Mincayani asks Steve to live in Ecuador, and become family to the Waodani, like Rachel had. Steve says that would be "impossible", but he does do so a year or so later.

Later, Mincayani tells Steve he needs to show him something, with no other detail, and takes Steve on the Curaray river in a canoe to the sandbar where his father had been killed many years earlier. Mincayani digs furiously in the bank of the river, and uncovers a bit of the metal frame and fabric of Nate's airplane that the Waodani had buried, and informs Steve this is where his father died; and that he had speared his father. Mincayani gives Steve his spear, with the point at his own chest, and tells Steve to kill him. Steve struggles emotionally but does not do so. He tells Mincayani that his father did not lose his life, but he gave his life. It is, as it has been for the Waodani people for some decades now, truly the "end of the spear."

Cast

Release and reception

Box office

Opening with a modest first weekend (January 20–22, 2006), End of the Spear took 8th place (behind one new and three expanding releases) with $4.3 million. It became one of few independent Christian films to draw more than $1 million in its first three weekends. By the end of its run, it had grossed $12.1 million.[ citation needed ] It has since grossed over $20 million in rentals and video sales.[ citation needed ]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 41%, based on reviews from 54 critics. The website's consensus reads, "Shoddy filmmaking and a lack of character development derail what could be a potentially compelling tale." [3]

The film won a Crystal Heart Award [4] as well as the Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature [5] at the 2005 Heartland Film Festival.

Controversies

Some secular critics believed the story may be seen as presenting an uncritical view of a situation where native peoples were eventually exploited regardless of "good intentions" [6] such as concerns[ clarification needed ] about SIL International.[ citation needed ]

There was some concern among various Christian groups that lead actor Chad Allen, who portrays Nate Saint (and his son Steve as an adult), is openly gay. Some Christian groups that had initially planned to promote the film began to question whether they should. Steve Saint, who was heavily involved in production, has stated in interviews that he himself had reservations, but that God indicated to him that Allen was the proper choice. In the end, he couldn't see a better actor filling the role of his father. His public pronouncements did much to quell the controversy. [7]

Other Christian groups, such as VCY America's Vic Eliason, wished the film had more explicitly portrayed the Gospel message (i.e. salvation through Jesus Christ). However, the Gospel presented is the same as was to the Waodani; in concepts and symbols that are present in everyday Waodani language (with the name of "God" being replaced with "Waengongi", the name of the Waodani creator god who no longer communicated with the people). [8]

Due to the limitations of the cinematic format, the filmmakers had to compress various events and limit the number of characters. As a result, the main Waodani protagonist, Mincayani, is not actually one person in real life but rather a composite of the real-life Waodani named Mincaye and various others. Some of Steve's sister's experiences were attributed to Steve, and the dramatic climactic reconciliation between Steve as an adult and Mincayani did not actually happen as depicted – it was more of a slow, growing love and friendship between the real-life Steve and Mincayani. [1] [2] [9] [10]

Accolades

Extra footage

The DVD and some theaters where the movie was shown also included extra footage after the movie ended showing the real life Mincayani (Mincaye) and the real life Steve Saint in our modern day. Mincaye visited Steve Saint in America with humorous results while trying to understand American culture.

Soundtrack

End of the Spear: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedJanuary 24, 2006 (2006-01-24)
Label Word Records

End of the Spear: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on January 24, 2006 by Word Records. The soundtrack features most of the instrumental score by Ron Owen, plus featured music from the film by known CCM artists like Steven Curtis Chapman and BarlowGirl, among others.

Track listing

No.TitlePerformed byLength
1."No Greater Love" Steven Curtis Chapman 5:00
2."River Requiem"  
3."Darkness Falls"  
4."Aftermath"  
5."Fleeing"  
6."You Led Me" BarlowGirl 3:52
7."Father and Son"  
8."Mincayani"  
9."Jaguar Hunt"  
10."Vengeance"  
11."Bibanka"  
12."Amazon Heights"  
13."Flight of the Wood Bee"  
14."Deception"  
15."Tears in the Sand"  
16."Search"  
17."Loss"  
18."Always Love You" Nicole C. Mullen 4:03
19."Confession"  
20."Moving On"  
21."Memories"  
22."Mincayani and Dayumae"  
23."I Will Not Kill"  
24."First Meeting"  
25."The Way of the Tribe"  
26."Time That Is Left" Mark Schultz 3:57
27."Desperation"  
28."She's Gone"  
29."Rachel's Funeral"  
30."God Follower" Steven Curtis Chapman 4:18

Related Research Articles

Elisabeth Elliot was a Christian missionary, author, and speaker. Her first husband, Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca people of eastern Ecuador. She later spent two years as a missionary to the tribe members who killed her husband. Returning to the United States after many years in South America, she wrote over twenty books and became widely known as an author and speaker. Elliot toured the country well into her seventies, sharing her knowledge and experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waorani people</span> Indigenous people in Ecuador

The Waorani, Waodani, or Huaorani, also known as the Waos, are an Indigenous people from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua natives, and commonly adopted by Spanish-speakers as well. Auca means 'savage'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Elliot</span> American Christian missionary

Philip James Elliot was an American Christian missionary and one of five people killed during Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Saint</span> Christian missionary killed in Ecuador (1923–1956)

Nathanael Saint was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot who, along with four others, was killed in Ecuador while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people through efforts known as Operation Auca.

The Tagaeri are an eastern Waorani people living in Yasuni National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon Basin, named after one of their members, Tagae. Nearby Kichwa communities sometimes refer to them as Awashiri, or "high-ground people". They live a hunting and foraging lifestyle and have resisted outside contact, making them one of the so-called uncontacted peoples of the world. In addition to Tagaeri, the area is home to their kin, the Taromenane, another eastern Waorani group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curaray River</span> River in South America

The Curaray River is a river in eastern Ecuador and Peru. It is a tributary of the Napo River, which is part of the Amazon basin. The land along the river is home to several indigenous people groups, including the Kichwa and Huaorani. The river itself is home to caimans and piranhas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Auca</span> 1955 Christian proselytizing in Ecuador

Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States to bring Christianity to the Waorani or Huaorani people of the rain forest of Ecuador. The Waorani, also known pejoratively as Aucas, were an isolated tribe known for their violence, against both their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. With the intention of being the first Christians to evangelize the previously uncontacted Waorani, the missionaries began making regular flights over Waorani settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts, which were reciprocated. After several months of exchanging gifts, on January 3, 1956, the missionaries established a camp at "Palm Beach", a sandbar along the Curaray River, a few kilometers from Waorani settlements. Their efforts came to an end on January 8, 1956, when all five—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian—were attacked and speared by a group of Waorani warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world, and Life magazine covered the event with a photo essay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Saint</span> American linguist

Rachel Saint was an American evangelical Christian missionary who worked in Ecuador, with her language helper Dayuma translating the Gospel of Mark and the book of Acts into the Wao tededo language of the Huaorani people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Youderian</span> American Christian missionary

Roger Youderian was an American Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people through efforts known as Operation Auca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed McCully</span>

Theophilus McCully was a Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four other missionaries, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people, through efforts known as Operation Auca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shell, Ecuador</span> Town in Pastaza, Ecuador

Shell is a city located on the western edge of the Ecuadorian Amazon and in the eastern foothills of the Andes. It is located about 94 miles (151 km) southeast of Quito, and roughly 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the provincial capital, Puyo. Its name comes from the Royal Dutch Shell corporation.

Mincaye Enquedi was a Huao Ecuadorian preacher and church elder. In 1956, he took part in the now infamous attack on five missionaries during Operation Auca. He is believed to have speared both Nate Saint and Ed McCully during the attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Saint</span> Ecuadorian-born American business entrepreneur, pilot and author

Stephen Farris Saint is an Ecuadorian-born business entrepreneur, pilot, and author. He is known for being the son of Nate Saint, a famous missionary pilot, as well as for his own work among indigenous tribes.

<i>Beyond the Gates of Splendor</i> 2002 American film

Beyond the Gates of Splendor is a documentary film that was released in 2004. It chronicles the events leading up to and following Operation Auca, an attempt to contact the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador in which five American missionaries were killed. The film was produced by Bearing Fruit Productions and distributed by Every Tribe Entertainment.

Dayuma was a member of the Huaorani tribe and a citizen of Ecuador. She is a central figure in the Operation Auca saga, in that she was the first Huao to convert to Christianity, as well as the missionaries' key to unlocking the Huaorani language, a language that had not been previously studied. Later Dayuma also became an influential figure in her tribe.

<i>End of the Spear</i> (book) 2005 book by Steve Saint

End of the Spear is a book written by Steve Saint. It was published in connection with the film of the same name. The book chronicles the continuing story that began with Elisabeth Elliot's 1957 bestseller Through Gates of Splendor.

<i>Through Gates of Splendor</i> 1957 book by Elisabeth Elliot

Through Gates of Splendor is a 1957 best selling book written by Elisabeth Elliot. The book tells the story of Operation Auca, an attempt by five American missionaries – Jim Elliot, Pete Flemming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian – to reach the Huaorani tribe of eastern Ecuador. All five of the men were killed by the tribe. The book is Elliot's first book, and arguably her most well-known work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center</span>

Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center (I-TEC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Christian missionary organization located in Dunnellon, Florida. Founded by Steve Saint, the stated purpose of I-TEC is to empower indigenous churches to overcome the technological and educational hurdles that stand in the way of their independence."

Avant Ministries is a non-profit, Christian mission agency focused on planting and developing churches worldwide. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Avant missionaries serve in church planting and church support ministries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America.

References

  1. 1 2 January 2006 Decision Magazine: For the love of a tribe... Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 5, 2007.
  2. 1 2 29 April 2020: Remembering Mincaye | ITEC Archived 3 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on April 30, 2020.
  3. "End of the Spear". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  4. Films, 2005, archived from the original on 2006-02-09, retrieved 2006-02-08
  5. Heartland Film Festival Concludes Another Record Breaking Year, 2005, archived from the original on 2006-10-03, retrieved 2006-02-08
  6. Gonzalez, Ed (2005-12-21), "End of the Spear", Slant Magazine, archived from the original on 2014-07-26, retrieved 2014-07-18
  7. 26 January 2006: Christian Studio Explains Hiring of Gay Actor. Retrieved on June 5, 2007. Archived May 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Saint, Steve (2005), The End of the Spear , ISBN   0-8423-6439-0
  9. 18 January 2006: Death Worked Backwards Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 5, 2007
  10. Movie review of End of the Spear by Randy Alcorn Archived 2007-06-07 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on June 5, 2007.
  11. 38th Annual GMA Awards Archived 2009-04-26 at the Wayback Machine on About.com