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- Summary
The movie "Luther" covers the early years
of Martin Luther's life, from his days as a monk in
the early 1500s to the proclamation of the Augsburg
Confession in 1530, which founded the Lutheran Church
in Germany. It is a wonderful, entertaining historical
drama which, despite some flaws, shows how one man's
faith in God changed the history of the world.
Review
At one important point in the movie "Luther,"
a wonderful, entertaining historical drama about the
life of the 16th century Protestant reformer Martin
Luther, Luther admits to the German emperor that he
may have been too harsh when attacking some of the
Roman Catholic leaders.
Later in the movie, in fact, he realizes, and painfully
regrets, that some of his actions in support of controversial
ideas have led to many deaths during the peasant revolt
in Germany, which was inspired by his writings and
fed by the intemperate zealotry of some of his supporters.
At the same time, however, the Luther presented by
this movie returns several times to the central issue
that occupied his mind, and changed the world: the
primacy of God's Word, the Bible.
"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain
reason ... I will not recant," Luther tells the
German and Catholic authorities accusing him of heresy.
"My conscience is captive to the Word of God."
For history tells us it was the demands of study
for academic degrees and preparations for delivering
lectures as the teacher of biblical theology at Wittenburg
University that led Luther to study the Scriptures
in depth. His study of the Bible, the source of Christianity,
convinced him that the Church had lost sight of the
central truths of the faith: Sola Scriptura ! The
movie "Luther" covers the early years of
Martin Luther's life, from his days as a monk in the
early 1500s to the proclamation of the Augsburg Confession
in 1530, which founded the Lutheran Church in Germany.
It begins with the thunderstorm that led Luther to
cry out to St. Anne, the patron saint of miners like
his father, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk."
At the monastery, Luther is wracked by guilt because
he feels completely unholy in the face of the God
of Justice. His mentor orders him to pursue an academic
career to relieve the strain. Soon, however, the young
theology teacher is trying to correct the corrupt
Catholic Church in Rome, whose corruption Luther saw
first-hand. He begins teaching his students and the
people in Wittenburg about the mercy and compassion
of God, while complaining about the Church selling
forgiveness of sins to the people for money.
All of this angers the pope and many of his officials,
who are trying to collect money to build St. Peter's
Basilica in Rome. They charge Luther with heresy,
and the climax of the first half of the movie occurs
when Luther refuses to renounce his writings, unless
convinced by Scripture.
Joseph Fiennes does an excellent job of portraying
this revolutionary historical figure, whose Protestant
Reformation clearly led to the founding of America
and the establishment of representative government
in both England and the United States. Although he
appears to be a bit too thin and young by the end
of the movie, there are surviving portraits of Luther
from the early 1520s when most of "Luther"takes
place which approximate Fiennes' features.
Supporting Mr. Fiennes, as Luther's supporter, Prince
Frederick the Wise, is the legendary, always enjoyable
Peter Ustinov, star of such classic historical movies
as "Spartacus" and the great "Quo Vadis."
Director Eric Till, who also did the MOVIEGUIDE®
Award-winning TV program "Bonhoeffer: Agent of
Grace," does a marvelous job of capturing the
settings and atmosphere of 16th century Germany and
Italy. The movie is engrossing throughout, even though
the high points and climax in the second half of the
movie don't match the powerful drama of the scenes
where Luther refuses to recant.
MOVIEGUIDE® can find little or nothing wrong,
factually speaking, with the historical portrayal
of this part of Luther's life, but "Luther"
is told from a Lutheran, Protestant viewpoint. Hence,
the movie may offend Roman Catholics, especially when
Luther cracks some jokes about the Catholic leaders
he opposes, including Pope Leo X. The ending of the
movie also has one cardinal complaining, at Leo's
death, that, if Leo had been more like Luther, perhaps
Roman Catholicism could have been reformed. Of course,
after Leo's death, the Catholic Church did indeed
undergo reform within the movement known as the Counter-Reformation.
"Luther" clearly shows that Martin Luther's
career led to an increased respect for the mercy of
God and the importance of God's Word, the Bible. It
also informs viewers, in an end credit, that Luther
helped spread a new understanding of religious freedom
throughout Europe. This is true, but only to a certain
extent, because, for the next 150 years or so after
Luther's death, Europe was gripped by religious wars
in the wake of the Protestant Reformation.
In other words, a schism in a church can be an awful
thing, especially when it leads to violence, although
we are called by Scripture to stand for the Truth
when absolutely required.
Regrettably, the movie says little about the other
great foundation of Lutheran and Protestant belief
– that each and every Christian is saved, and
justified or declared righteous, by God's grace through
faith, not by works. This is a failing in "Luther,"
even though the movie correctly and boldly stresses
faith in God through Jesus Christ. In the final analysis,
"Luther" is must-watching, because it shows,
in a compelling and dramatic fashion, how Luther's
faith in God changed the history of the world. "Luther"
is an entertaining, powerful portrait of the Truth
which people of all faiths will appreciate and enjoy.
It is one of the best movies of 2003.
Please address your comments to:
Dennis A. Clauss Executive Producer "Luther"
4321 N. Ballard Road
Appleton, WI 54919-0001
For more information about "Luther" go to
info@lutherthemovie.com |
