dennsylvania This is a great documentary, about a great story everyone should hear. I first saw a shorter documentary about this story in 2001. I was in Ecuador on a mission trip. We did not go into the jungle, we were doing more urban missions in Quito and Calderon, but the missionary who we worked with does go into the jungle to the tribes. He showed us the shorter documentary. I have always thought highly of these people who gave there lives in the name of spreading God's Word, and their family members who risked their own lives, and turned the other cheek, and reached out to the killers. It never ceases to amaze me how violence and revenge totally controlled the Alca's society. This film is a great informational resource not only about what happened, but also as an insight to the people themselves. It gives a back story of the couples involved, and of the Alcas involved. If anyone is hesitant about following God's call, and leaving their comfort zone, this is a great story to inspire you, of people who truly served God with their all.

jantoniou This documentary is not a sermon--it is about Christians living out their faith. For those that complain about the politically correct approach to the documentary, I'd have to disagree. The faith of those involved is self-evident by their actions.We sometimes forget all but one of the original 12 disciples was martyred for their faith--and even then John barely escaped a pot of boiling oil.The wives of the men slain could have easily--many would have said should--walked away from the Waodani. Instead, they stayed and they've returned with subsequent generations of the same families. Over the years they all had contact with and spent many months in the Waodani villages, among the same men who had killed their husbands. Their children--the grand-children of the men who were killed--now call the man who killed their natural grandfather grandfather. It is truly amazing.One of the most compelling statements made in the movie was that of one of the children of the men slain--she wanted to be baptized in a place and among people that meant the most to her. She was baptized by the same men who killed her father, in the same river her father's body was dumped. If this is not a statement on the power of forgiveness, nothing is.The men who first approached the Waodani and paid the ultimate price said a very simple thing when asked why they shouldn't bring guns "just in case." Because they were ready to go to heaven and the Waodani were not. These were men who lived their faith, simply, easily, and actively. This is a superb document to not only their living faith, but that of their wives and family who are also living it out, not by slamming Christianity in our faces, but by living as Christ did--by relationship and teaching.

tom-1378 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.

movielover-23 This is the most compelling documentary and story I have ever experienced. I was only vaguely familiar the story. The idea of going to live with people who killed one of my loved ones is difficult to understand. Even the idea of why the families were there in the first place is foreign to our American culture. The music in this documentary sounds like movie music, and the people in the story are amazing, the north and south Americans.Clearly this amazing tribe would have wiped themselves out if it were not for the missionaries. They should make a feature film about this story.