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Beyond the Gates of Splendor
 
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Beyond the Gates of Splendor (2002)

Starring: Steve Saint, Carmela Director: Jim Hanon Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Format: DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
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Product Details

  • Actors: Steve Saint, Carmela, Dawa, Dayumae, Frank Drown
  • Directors: Jim Hanon
  • Writers: Jim Hanon
  • Producers: Steve Saint, Bill Ewing, Ginny Saint, Heather Olive, Kevin McAfee
  • Format: Abridged, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox
  • DVD Release Date: October 4, 2005
  • Run Time: 96 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0009XT8A6
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,066 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  • For more information about "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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While the primary lesson of Beyond the Gates of Splendor is about the power of Christian love, this extraordinary documentary transcends its missionary message with a universal tale of cultural exchange, murder, and the ultimate act of forgiveness. After establishing that the Waodani Indians in the Amazon basin of Ecuador had endured several generations of violent homicide among tribal neighbors, the film's central story begins to unfold: As American missionaries discover the Waodani in the mid-1950s, their Christian outreach goes smoothly until 1956, when lies and misunderstandings lead to the spear-killing of five of the missionary men whose wives and children--including narrator Steve Saint (whose father was among those killed)--responded to tragedy by living peacefully among the Waodani over the decades that followed. Through home-movie footage, photographs, and eyewitness accounts by American and Waodani alike, this incredible-but-true story of love and understanding unfolds with considerable power, urging the viewer to consider the meaning of this remarkable example of unified humanity. Is the missionary impulse a pure and beneficial one? Are the Waodani best left alone and ignorant of the wide world beyond their village? With deep tragedy, rich humor, and an overwhelming sense of compassion, writer/director Jim Hanon ponders these and other questions, hampered only by an overbearing score (by Ronald Owen) that's lushly beautiful at best, but too often maudlin, manipulative, and shamelessly heavy-handed. It's likely that Christian viewers will be most deeply affected by the film's thematic parallels to the lessons of Christ, but anyone with an ounce of compassion will be similarly moved and astonished. Not surprisingly, Hanon later dramatized the factual events of Beyond the Gates of Splendor in his 2006 feature film The End of the Spear. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

"Beyond the Gates" is a feature length documentary film experience about the Waodani Indians and the missionary men and women who have given their lives to reach them. This powerful emotional journey begins with the Waodani describing their way of life before the missionaries visited them in 1956. Narrated by the son of one of the missionaries and each of the wives of the men who died, the audience takes a nostalgic trip back in time to see how the men and women came to meet up with each other in Ecuador. An inspiring story of forgiveness and love.

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Customer Reviews

84 Reviews
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 (61)
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 (15)
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 (4)
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 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (84 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars ASTOUNDING LOVE, September 30, 2005
By Robin Simmons (Palm Springs area, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
It's rare when a genuinely inspiring, authentically spiritual true story breaks into the secular market place. BEYOND THE GATES OF SPLENDOR (Fox) is a critically acclaimed, word of mouth hit about the unexpected relationships families of murdered missionaries have with the native killers.

At its heart, it is about nothing less than sacrifice (human) and redemption (Godly).

This artistic, feature-length documentary story is set among the Ecuadorian Waodani Indians and the missionary men and women who gave their lives to reach them.

In late 1956, around this time of year, the Los Angeles Times featured headlines that said: "SAVAGES KILL FIVE MISSIONARIES." It was a big, brutal story that jolted the hearts of readers safely ensconced in the Eisenhower era.

I was not ready for the emotional intensity of this memorable story that begins with Waodani tribe person describing their way of life prior to the missionaries' arrival.

Primitive, archival home movies from the missionary families are intercut with sharp, colorful, contemporary interviews with the Waodani.

What is so astonishing is seeing how faith and forgiveness can bring love and healing in the most unexpected and extreme of circumstances.

This superb documentary is an adaptation of Elisabeth Elliot's book. A theatrical feature based on the murders and aftermath, "End of the Spear," will be released in 2006.
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83 of 89 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A view from the inside, September 12, 2005
By H. Mortensen "Panhelga" (Panama City, Panama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
My family and I live in Panama and we were involved in the filming of "End of the Spear", a soon-to-be-released feature film made by the same production company and based on the stories in this documentary. I can testify to the very high caliber of the director and all the people involved in making these films. This documentary is well-made, and makes this true story of missionaries gripping and relevant. By the end you feel like you have met these men and understood their story.

It tells the story of 5 missionaries and their families. They were trying to reach a savage group of killers, the Waoranis of Ecuador, with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through a number of misunderstandings, the Waoranis killed these men, not understanding that they wanted to be friends. Years later several family members of the murdered missionaries tried again to reach the Waoranis. They lived among them and shared God's love with them, and today the Waorani culture and people have transformed. Today the murderers of those missionaries are like family members to the missionaries' families. The story is told through film footage, still photos and interviews with surviving participants. The Waoranis' interviews are in their language, with English subtitles.

This film is appropriate for all ages. It's refreshing to see the story of people so dedicated to an ideal that they will die for it. And then to see these former savage killers, together with the families of those they killed - wow, it's powerful stuff. Near the end of the shoot here in Panama, we spent an incredible evening meeting both the Waoranis featured in the documentary and several of the family members of the missionaries. The joy and love you see in this film is authentic. The forgiveness and genuine peace among these people, we saw it in them in person.

Be sure to go see "End of the Spear", due to be released in January 2006. A lot of the events in it are based on this documentary and the reminiscences you see in it.
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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Documentary About A Group Of Missionaries And The Indigenous Tribe They Encountered, November 13, 2005
By Chris Luallen (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
"Beyond the Gates Of Splendor" is the incredible story of five missionary families who go to Ecuador in the 1950's. Their mission suffers a tremendous tragedy when four of the men decide to attempt to make contact with the Waodani tribe, a culture considered to be among the most violent in the world according to anthropologists. Three Waodanis come out to meet the men and the two groups interact with pleasure and curiousity. But when two of the tribal members, lovers whose relationship is opposed by the tribe, return they make up a story about being attacked by the "foreigners" in order to explain why they had gone off without their escort. The tribe then proceeds to attack and kill the four missionaries waiting by the river. Of course, their families are shattered by this tragedy. But, later on, two of the female missionaries return to Ecuador along with their children. They eventually befriend several of the Waodani women who had left the jungle and finally ended up going back to live with the Waodanis in their rainforest home for several years.

By the way, I am an atheist who feels that some missionary work can, in fact, have a largely negative impact on the indigenous peoples they are trying to convert. But even I was moved by the the sense of dedication and forgiveness shown by these women when they went to live with the same Waodanis who had murdered their husbands. But, even more so, I was interested in this movie from an anthropological point of view. It was fascinating to hear the comments of the anthropologists who had gone from working with one of the world's most peaceful tribes in Malaysia to now studying one of the most violent in the Waodanis. It also showed how much all human beings ultimately have in common, as the Waodanis interviewed were generally shown to be intelligent, sensitive people who had formed close friendships with the missionaries and their children despite the fact that the two cultures were so extremely different. It was also inspiring to see how, within a generation, the Waodanis had changed from being an extraordinarily violent society, based on blood feuds and vendettas, to an apparently peaceful one. They were even learning to use advanced technology, including one guy who had learned to fly and repair a small airpane which he used to transport his fellow Waodanis to a town with a hospital. I especially liked when the film showed the Waodanis watching old footage from World War II. The Waodanis considered the bomber pilots to be the worst type of "savages" because they were killing people that they didn't even know. In other words, don't get too self-righteous about our "advanced civilization" because even one of the world's most violent tribes is appalled by the methods of modern warfare.

Beyond the incredible story, this is also a well made and beautifully shot documentary which kept me intensely absorded the entire time. My wife, a latina who grew up in Ecuador, was also captived. She said, during her childhood, the Waodanis had a reputation among all Ecuadorians as an especially violent and aggressive people. In fact, one of her sisters, who was considered to have a bad temper, was nicknamed "Auca" (another name for the Waodanis) and the family would make fun of her by imitating Waodani dances when she would get mad. They even had a fake spear made up for her as a joke.

I would recommend this movie to anyone, but especially those interested in indigenous societies and the vast potentialites of human nature and human culture.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Documentary that goes hand-in-hand with the End Of the Spears
Whereas End of the Spears is filmed as a true-life drama or movie, this "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" is a documentary, narrating the very lives that were impacted. Read more
Published 2 days ago by H. Ong

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and inspirational adventure
This continuing story of the five missionary families whose personal love of others and sacrifice has touched the lives of many thousands. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Thule1

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Story of Faith And Love
This is a powerful and well done documentary about agape (Christian love) and faith.

It recounts the real life story of a group of American missionaries who were... Read more
Published 6 months ago by S. Peek

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 STAR RATING FOR "BEYOND THE GATES OF SPLENDOR"
TYPING ALL CAPS BECAUSE MY SHIFT FINGERS ARE LAZY.
BECAUSE I TEND TO BEING LONGWINDED, I WILL BE CUTTING THIS REVIEW SHORT. Read more
Published 7 months ago by J. Schlener

4.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the Gates of Splendor
A Family, Christian movie that goes the distance. Faith, courage, comfort, shelter. Such courageous men and women of God and families of such great strength and having such a... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Blyth Summers

5.0 out of 5 stars Excelent!
The product was in time and in excelent conditions. What more could you ask for? Very satisfied.
Published 9 months ago by Freddy Reyes

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliving the past
Having been young teenager when the Auca tragedy occured, this is an emotional reminder of what one can face when full committal of his/her life to missions can cost. Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. G. Alban

5.0 out of 5 stars Great informative DVD
Beyond the Gates of Splendor, will inspire anyone who appreciates selfless love and sacrifice. It is so very touching, for sure it will make you cry. Read more
Published 10 months ago by D. Gocan-Lapadat

5.0 out of 5 stars The Continuing Story
Beyond the Gates of Splendor This movie, as implied by its title, gives an account of the ongoing missionary work among the Auca/Waodani Indians in Ecuador. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Edia M. Silvis

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the gates of the usual
If you want a video explanation of what it means to be a Christian in the New Testament definition, this is the film to see. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Charles Smith

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