January 8, 1956: Missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Pete Fleming and Ed McCully were killed by the Ecuadorian tribe they were befriending. The event made international news, and Americans across the nation grieved the loss of the young martyrs.
Yet God moved out of the tragedy.
Several years later, families of the slain missionaries returned to live with the killers. The ultraviolent Waodani culture encountered Jesus and was transformed by love and gospel truth.
In recent years, Nate Saint’s son, Steve, has shared the stage at conferences in the United States with Mincaye, one of his father’s murderers — a man Steve’s children call “Grandpa.” As he addresses the crowd, Mincaye recalls, “We acted badly, badly until they brought us God’s carvings ... and now we walk His trail.”
Reaching Beyond the Church
Fifty years later, the tale has made its way to the big screen in a poignant yet often violent onscreen account: End of the Spear. Given the Waodani’s gory past, it wasn’t easy for the production team to relay the truth on film without receiving an R rating.
“There’s not a lot of blood and guts in this, but guys are speared,” Mart warns. With the camera cutting away for impact segments and a little editing, Spear managed to land a PG-13. “You have to be more creative to do it that way, but we think it’s a better film experience.
Amid the true-to-the-story violence, Spear maintains a clear focus on God’s redemptive love and forgiveness while avoiding any “Christianese.” By using Waodani terminology (one convert explains that Jesus “was speared, but He didn’t spear back”) Steve says the message is “free from a lot of the churchiness and expressions we use. [The Waodani] aren’t as sophisticated, so it comes across as more palatable. ... It was intended that the gospel would be more overt in the documentary [Beyond the Gates of Splendor] and more covert in the movie. It ended up the exact reverse, without the audience being preached down to.”
Those behind Spear are hoping that element will attract a broader audience while prompting more than just spiritual discussion. In the vein of Chariots of Fire, which used a stirring real-life account to underscore the power of faith in God, Spear aims to present a straightforward, evangelistic story crafted to Hollywood standards. 
End of the Spear releases in theaters Jan. 20, 2006. Breakaway readers should read and discuss with parents the Plugged In reviewbefore hitting the theater.
