Sick Product of a Sick System

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This movie is obvious religious propaganda, paid for by organized Christian religion. This film is written from a Western point of view and fails to see or even address that other cultures, like the Waorani have different cultural beliefs and that these beliefs may also be valid. Why should we homogenize the whole world to believe in God (Waengongi) and his son? How is this belief relevant to this tribe and their way of life? Does this belief really make them better people? Is the way they are living wrong? What constitutes murder in our culture does not necessarily hold true for all cultures. Our disgust for the Waorani killing each other and our need to "save" them, like they're children, is just Westerners, once again, feeling morally superior to the rest of the world. It fails to address the larger issues at hand here like whether or not the missionaries should be there at all with all their moral superiority. Also the fact that these missions paved the way for the oil companies to come in and steal and devastate these tribal lands. I sat through this whole movie and I found no redeeming value in it at all. In this day and age, I would expect more in-depth thought from a film.

The movie will leave a deep mark in your memory. It is a story that is so dramatically different from today's Hollywood exploitation of spirituality (and I mean the dark side of it - zombies, vampires, slasher maniacs and so on ridiculous entertainment brainwashing). Yet it's spiritual message is so naturally intertwined with the story that one cannot but take it in. Sacrifice, power, murder, forgiveness, and even angels, are all part of the story. The events themselves are true outside the dramatization for the purpose of the film. The Christian element of the film was toned down, however. It was clear that the story is about Christian missionaries but I am not sure how many viewers who are not familiar with Christiantity and missionary work would really grasp many of the choices of the characters in the story. This is a must see film for those who appreciate cinematography of depth and purposeful story-telling. It is also a story about the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and God's grace, although the filmmakers shied away from making such a necessary statement when one depicts the life of Christian missionaries.

Well this movie was kinda a surprise for myself. Did not know a single actor nor what the movie entailed. But I was rather impress by what the movies message showed and no I will not ruin it by telling you. All I can really say to give you motivation to see this movie is as follows If you like movies that have a positive message see this one If you like movies that show hope and human understanding see this one If you like movies that show a human in the simplest to most complex on the same level see this movie If you like movies that have decent acting from stars that seem no different from you and me then this movie is really for you. Sorry if it seems as if I blabbered, but I just had to say something positive about the movie. Oh good for people ages 6 and up.

Without going into technical aspects and the like, because in this instance that sort of thing is secondary at best, this movie is extremely well done. But that isn't the point here really. The real point is that its done in such a way that ... You're THERE. You FEEL it, SEE it, HEAR it. Its one of those flicks that sucks you in and makes you a part of it. It makes a point, and it does that without beating anyone over the head with someone else's morality. That was a very pleasant surprise for me. This is a film that is well worth the view. Side note: Most of the players? Never heard of 'em. Any disappointments in that? Not one.