But despite the impactful nature of the events depicted in End of the Spear, Steve Saint acknowledges that some Christians may be disappointed that the movie is not a sermon -- that is, that the gospel is not more overtly presented in the film. "The theater is not a good venue for doing that," he asserts. Instead of going to hear preaching, he explains, "People go into the theater and they open up their 'cultural heart' -- and that's where new trends in our society start; they start in the theater."
And that, Saint contends, is why Hollywood has had such a powerful influence in contemporary culture, as well as why he believes the makers of theatrical films need to be sensitive to the difference between saved and unsaved moviegoers. "My biggest fear," he says, "was that this would end up being Christians telling a Christian story to non-Christians that non-Christians wouldn't go and listen to."
In Jim Hanon's interview with Hollywood Jesus reviewer Greg Wright, the film's director opined that the theology of the story is presented not in sermonizing, but in the character's actions. "In a motion picture, what characters say doesn't necessarily make you believe them. The audience only knows the truth about a character from the choices the character makes while under extreme pressure," he observed.
Hanon said the common saying that "actions speak louder than words" is at work in the structure of every film, including End of the Spear. "I think the audience is smart," he told Wright. "I think the audience can perceive the theology behind the story -- and what's more, they can experience it emotionally rather than just intellectually. For many, this will cause them to rethink what they hold to be true; for others, this will affirm what they already know to be true."
End of the Spear, which opened in theaters nationwide Friday, has been endorsed by several Christian evangelical and pro-family leaders, including Jerry Falwell, James Robison, Kay Arthur and Dennis Rainey.
Every Tribe Entertainment
Hollywood Jesus interview
(c) 2006, Agape Press
