Summary: A biographical movie about the life of Martin Luther who started the Protestant Reformation after witnessing the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church.
What's it all about: There have been few movies about the life of Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk who changed the face of Christianity, especially in Germany. After escaping a lightning strike, Luther vows to give his life to God, and he becomes a monk. However, it is something with which he struggles, and he also sees a lot of inconsistency and abuses in the Roman Catholic Church. A superior and mentor of his sends him to seminary where he finally has a chance to read and study the Bible for himself, which is where he discovers that a lot of things that were being taught by the church are wrong. He decides to set out to try and reform the church, but in so doing, Luther finds that that he is against more than he bargained for.
Notable Quotes:
Johann Von Staupitz: “We preach best what we need to learn most!”
Luther: “That day when you sent me out so boldly to change the world, did you really think there wouldn't be a cost?”
Luther: “As for myself, the priests assured me that by gazing at sacred relics, I could cut down my time in Purgatory. Luckily for me, Rome had enough nails from the Holy Cross to shoe every horse in Saxony.”Luther: “So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!"
Luther: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason and not by Popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”
Highlights:
- Luther teaching about relics and indulgences in the theological seminary is hilarious.
- Luther’s speeches are impressive, particularly one where he is preaching in a church and another when he defends himself at the Diet of Worms.
- A scene where some powerful noblemen stand up for what they believe in despite the consequences is also very inspiring.
Where available - Christian bookstores, such as Koorong and Word or www.ourchurchbookstore.com.au
Movie length: 90 minutes
Final review: I have found this movie about the life of the famous Luther to be quite entertaining and compelling, and it is a good introduction to the subject of Martin Luther. The acting is actually pretty good all round! Joseph Fiennes ("Shakespeare in Love"), who plays the title role does a brilliant job, apart from the fact that he is actually taller than Luther was. Incidentally, he is also the brother of actor, Ralph Fiennes. One who plays a beneficiary of Luther named Prince Frederick is the late Sir Peter Ustinov (involved in many areas of the performing arts and media during his life). Two of Luther’s antagonists in the film are also played by top actors. The role of John Tetzel is played by Alfred Molina ("Chocolat"), and the role of Cardinal Aleander is played by Jonathan Firth (Colin Firth’s brother). The costuming, locations, and sets are also excellent and really do put you in the period extremely well.
I did notice whilst watching this movie that certain famous moments in the life of Luther were left out, such as his discovery of justification by faith in the Book of Romans and the fight with the devil resulting in an ink stain on the wall of his room. So, I went in search of whether or not this movie held up historically, and I was surprised to find that there were actually a number of inaccuracies in this movie, which you can read about in Wikipedia. Some of them are down to trying to squeeze a lot into a feature length movie, and others may be down to making the story more interesting. The main inaccuracy that I saw was the portrayal of Andreas Karlstadt, a professor at the college where Luther taught. He was made to look like a revolutionary and the starter of the Peasants’ War, when in actual fact; he detested violence in the name of religion. He was also a reformer who took his own 151 theses to the Pope himself before Luther sent his 95 theses to the Bishops!
So, the movie isn’t entirely accurate historically. However, I do want to say again that there are a lot of things in it that are accurate, such as the fact that it was John Tetzel’s false teaching that moved Luther to action. This movie is a good one to watch if you are interested in the life of Martin Luther, and it is pretty compelling to watch. The storyline is also very inspiring from a faith perspective.
Rating:
For entertainment value: 8 out of 10
For historical value: 5 out of 10
