Beyond the Gates of Splendor

What is the difference between "March of The Penguins" and this movie?...Everything.

I have been wanting to listen and know about the five missionaries and their mission for quite some time. Now that I have seen it; I comment that this movie is to be placed on your DVD collection.

Powerful message (it is a documentary, not a sermon), great music, excellent story telling; This movie has it all.

This movie, rather the story, does live up to the proverb "To err is human, to forgive is divine". It does take a divine amount of forgiveness to be able to forgive the people who have wronged you, especially people under the circumstances described in the movie. Very powerful, not to be taken lightly.

I've seen this documentary in its pre-screening version, not the theatrical version, but I know it's not very different. It is a gripping story, one that unfolds like a well-told drama, all the better because it is true! It is touching, frightening, uplifting, romantic, all the trademarks of a good story. The filmmakers do a great job of weaving pictures, audio and live interviews to tell a story that happened 50 years ago. It is very moving to hear the actual voices and words of people that were involved in the story. There is a movie coming out next year by this same production company, based on this story. Be watching for it, it promises to be a gripping and high-quality movie. This documentary is a film for the whole family.

I have heard this story of the 5 murdered missionaries in 1956, all my life, and have looked forward to seeing this movie, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, for some time.

But, I thought that these folks were bringing the love of Jesus Christ to these uncivilized people. I do not recall one mention of Jesus, Christ, or even the generic "God." I seem to remember the phrase that Jim Elliot said, something like we will not shoot them to defend ourselves, we know that we are going to heaven, we are not sure about them, a very nice moment. But that was about it, as I remember.

I was VERY disappointed with this "politically correct" editing. It could have been more inspirational, instead of educational. Other than that, the story as told/edited by sociologists and those who prefer to only speak in secular "verbage," is still next to none.

Having the actual people filmed telling what happened was FANTASTIC.

I agree with film lover that this is an amazing film about an amazing group of Christians who really "walk the walk" when it comes to loving and forgiving enemies. The widowed Elizabeth Elliott and her aunt not only forgave the Aucas who killed her husband, but went out and lived among them with the help of some Auca women. And she took her two young children with her! This DVD goes beyond a previous film, "Through Gates of Splendor," to show the children and the grandchildren's experience over many years living with the Aucas. Kathy, a daughter tells how she chose two of her father's killers to participate in her baptism, the ceremony held in the river near the grave of her father and his four colleagues. There's more to this inspiring documentary, ably edited from home movies, newsreels, photographs, and on camera interviews with Aucas and members of the missionary families. And by the way, there is a feature film coming, based on this story. Entitled THE END OF THE SPEAR, it's due out in January 2006. A neat double meaning to the title, the five men losing their lives at the end of a spear, and the coming of the missionaries bringing an end to the era of endless cycles of murder by the spear that threatened the Aucas with extinction.

My sociology teacher played part of this in class, and it piqued my interest enough that I searched it up when I got home and watched the rest of it. And wow, what a story! I'm not even a Christian, and it touched my soul all the same. It's a hidden gem that you don't want to miss out on, regardless of whether you're religious or not. This documentary is sorrowful but uplifting, and the events that transpired were tragic but ultimately hopeful.

Aside from the beauty of the story, it's so bizarre that such a thing actually happened and I had no idea about it. Truth really is stranger than fiction, and I was reminded through this film that the world is very, very big and extremely interesting.