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Despite its flaws, "End of the Spear" has heart
Movie Review: End of the Spear
By Brett Troxler
btroxler@wbrz.com
Web Producer
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So when it comes to low-budget movies like “End of the Spear,” it may be that its flaws are all the more apparent. That said, perhaps there are more important aspects to focus on than what a film does wrong.
“End of the Spear” tells the true story of a group of missionaries whose goal is to end the persistent fighting between two tribes of the Waorani in the jungles of Ecuador. Among the five Americans working to make contact with the primitive people is Nate Saint, the father of the film’s narrator, Steve Saint. The hope of these missionaries is that they’ll be able to relate their Christian message to the tribes in order to end the seemingly endless revenge spearing that threatens their existence.
But once contact is made, things don’t exactly go as planned, and the missionaries ultimately give their lives for the cause in which they so strongly believed. From there the families of the missionaries decide to move on with the work of their lost loved ones, and it is then that Steve Saint and Mincayani first meet.
Chad Allen does an admirable job in duel roles. He plays both Nate Saint and the older Steve Saint, who makes his appearance during the very beginning and end of the film and who also serves as the narrator. His narration is kind of drab, but Allen’s performance as both father and son goes a long way toward distinguishing the two characters from each another. Louie Leonardo is equally good as Mincayani. Playing the head of one tribe, Leonardo is quite convincing as the savage Waorani who remains firm in his beliefs and the ways of his people.
But as I said, the film is not without its flaws. The editing is rough in spots, the story a tad disjointed here and there, and there are even a few parts that border on cheesy (but not good ole fashioned cheddar, more like that stuff that squeezes out of a can). And when the film jumps ahead some 40 years, its almost as if the characters found the long-lost Fountain of Youth in the jungles because practically no one looks like they aged more than a decade or two.
Then there are the good things about the movie. The musical score is beautiful and entirely appropriate, and while the flyovers of the
Despite all its faults, “End of the Spear” is still a great film with a strong, positive message. It doesn’t boast an in-your-face Christian message by any means, but more a universal one that focuses on forgiveness and morals.
And perhaps it is worth noting that half of the movie’s proceeds will be given to indigenous people like the Waorani. You’d be hard pressed to find another film in the last year, or 10 years for that matter, with a bigger heart than “End of the Spear.”
