Coyote Ugly wrote:Uh huh, but how much rope do you need to do the bucket drop???

Zane wrote:Movie Review: End of the Spear (2005 Every Tribe Entertainment)

As I've stated before, I'm a sucker for any movie with a small plane in it. So, when I saw the trailer for this movie several months ago, I combed the movie website watching the multiple trailers and reading the various bits to understand the story behind the movie. It finally opened January 20th, so Erin and I took her folks out to the movies. They love independent and foreign films...anything out of the mainstream, so I thought this would be a good pick that would satisfy us all.

[imgwrap=left]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/i/screenshots/endofthespear1.jpg[/imgwrap]The story of Nate Saint is fairly well known I guess. He was a missionary and pilot who moved his family to a settlement on a river in Ecuador in the 1950's to search for an indigenous tribe of ultra-violent outside-world-distrusting warriors called the Waodani. He continually searched for signs of them by flying search patterns of the area with his Piper PA-12(I think) with hopes of making first contact. He did make contact, though the encounter turned ugly and he and his team of missionaries was killed with spears in an apparent case of miscommunication.

The great flying footage was what attracted me to this film, and the incredible scenery of the river and jungle. I was not disappointed, as there are many scenes showing short landings and takeoffs on the river bar. It is entertaining to see Nate Saint, played by actor Chad Allen, explain the technique for circling bucket drops, and then execute it in the movie(kinda. A circling bucket drop does not come straight down perfectly out the sky as if being lowered from a crane. )

[imgwrap=right]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/i/screenshots/endofthespear2.jpg[/imgwrap]Flying is only a byline in this movie though. The story is much deeper, but I felt the screenplay had a little trouble getting started and flowing like other good films I've loved. Part of that may have been that I already knew the outcome for Nate Saint and found myself wondering why I was watching a movie that was going to show the tragic loss of a main character as the pivot point. I also got the feeling that it was a film funded by a group with Christian interests, and the greater purpose of telling a very powerful story. It's no mystery, if you dig into some of the info on the website, there is a whole section of "Inspiration" from crewmembers. Some viewers are turned off by anything with an underlying religious theme, but I think that regardless of your beliefs, the final message is more about the human spirit and forgiveness and has meaning for anyone.

[imgwrap=left]http://www.backcountrypilot.org/i/screenshots/endofthespear3.jpg[/imgwrap]The story portrays the Waodani in a light not much different than modern day gangs, who suffer from seemingly perpetual eye-for-an-eye sparring and killing, with little more reason than to avenge the last death. The characters in the story are actually quite amazing. Each has suffered a very close loss, yet pursue their higher calling with strength and courage, for it is all they have left, and they risk their lives to be with a tribe of people who has killed their loved ones. Steve Saint, who is only a boy as portrayed in the film, is actually an active pilot and continues his mission with the Waodani to this day.

This is definitely a movie worth watching, though I'd recommend watching it on DVD. It's not really the kind of film that requires the big screen. Personally, I respect the work of missionaries who have made large sacrifices to do their calling. The feelings of isolation and being beyond the natural frontier are straight out of an early Alaska story. In the case of the Saints, the family lost a father but changed the entire existence for the Waodani, who for the most part ended their savage inner battles and overcame their distrust of the outside world. At least that's how the movie portrayed it. I'd be interested to hear additional reviews here from anyone else who's seen the film and/or knows more about the true story.

Flying Kiwi wrote:Think it's been overlooked that they were killed because they weren't wanted there and the locals were probably doing very nicely - 'thank you' - until some Europeans showed up and tried to tell them how to lead their lives...

denalipilot wrote:

Flying Kiwi wrote:Think it's been overlooked that they were killed because they weren't wanted there and the locals were probably doing very nicely - 'thank you' - until some Europeans showed up and tried to tell them how to lead their lives...

Proselytizers deserve what they get