Martin Luther (1953) User Reviews

MARTIN LUTHER (Irving Pichel, 1953) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 20 March 2008]

This was included in a budget 3-Disc Set comprising ten religious-themed efforts which have fallen into the Public Domain; indeed, it was the most desirable title of the lot and it turned out to be pretty good. Incidentally, four other small-scale films found on this collection were produced by various evangelical groups and, in fact, so was this biopic. Though compromised in this edition by the softness (and slight damage) of the available print, the handsome production afforded the film itself resulted in two Academy Award nominations (uncommon for an independently-made effort) – best cinematography and best black-and-white art direction/set decoration.

MARTIN LUTHER is a curious collaboration between three countries – the U.S., Germany (from where Martin Luther himself emanated) and the U.K.; in fact, while the director (and bit-part actor) Irving Pichel is an American, the lead here is played – superbly, I might add – by the Irish character actor Niall MacGinnis (perhaps best-known for his chilling portrayal of Karswell, the occult-practicing villain of Jacques Tourneur’s CURSE OF THE DEMON [1957]). His thoughtful performance is very effective in illustrating the various facets of Luther’s personality: his initial inner conflicts, the laying-down of (and firm conviction in) his own beliefs, as well as the strength necessary for opposing the power of the Church (facing disrepute from both his peers and his congregation, not to mention an eventual excommunication). Furthermore, we’re also shown the build-up of support to his particular credo where it attracts people from all walks of life…and even lands him a wife!

The script does quite well in delineating the essential difference between the doctrine of the Catholic Church (in its most oppressive state, back when it was still a political force to be reckoned with) and Luther’s pragmatic but no less steadfast approach to religion: the latter favors a strict adherence to Scriptures in the face of the Church’s fire-and-brimstone teachings (resorting to the deception of ignorant parishioners by proposing the worship of worthless holy relics and the offer of money in order to obtain indulgences in the afterlife, or the callous bestowing of titles upon non-clerical albeit aristocratic subjects).

When I was in Hollywood in 2005, I had caught LUTHER (1974) on TV: directed by Guy Green from a stage rendition by John Osborne and featuring Stacy Keach in the title role, it’s been released on DVD by Kino as part of “The American Film Theater Collection”. While that version, too, was undeniably interesting and effective, the earlier cinematic i.e. less stagey treatment was perhaps the more satisfactory; by the way, there’s been an even more recent biopic of the famous religious figure starring Joseph Fiennes, which is readily available from my local DVD rental outlet.

By Faith Alone

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 January 2008]

This reverential biographical film of the founder of the Lutheran Church by the Lutheran Church would hardly have been anything else. The many flaws of Martin Luther, his sexism, his anti-Semitism, get no mention here. His contributions to theology and to the German culture the good ones are discussed at great length.

Martin Luther is not THE founder of Protestantism, he's the founder of one of the Protestant denominations. There was a fellow over in Switzerland named John Calvin, a guy later on in Scotland named John Knox, and even that wife slaughtering monarch in England Henry VIII all founded various Protestant denominations.

Yet Luther, a priest who originally wanted to be a lawyer and who attacked the ruling Roman Catholic Church, certainly showed a lawyer's training. His famous 95 questions nailed to the church door in Wittemberg was nothing less than an indictment.

The great contribution theologically speaking that Luther made was the notion that no one, not even a Pope intercedes for man in his relationship with the Deity. One is saved by faith alone in the fact that Jesus is the Messiah who sacrificed himself for the sins of man.

It should not be forgotten that at this time the Catholic church was very engaged in the geopolitics of Europe and the world as a temporal power as well as a center of faith. The Pope as a temporal ruler had temporal needs like the ruler of any other state, maybe more so with his dual function. Hence the sale of indulgences which according to the Lutheran versions were dispensations for sins to come. I'm sure Catholics will differ, but they didn't produce this film.

Niall McGinniss makes a fine and upstanding Martin Luther. The film was shot on location in West Germany in the places mentioned in the story. The film also got Oscar nominations for Art&Set Design and black and white cinematography in its very graphic depiction of medieval Germany.

It's not my view of Martin Luther, but it certainly is the view that Lutherans certainly have of him.

"A simple layman armed with scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it"

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 14 August 2022]

Before he could be formally blacklisted Irving Pichel fled to Europe where he channelled his feelings about the UAAC into this forthright account of an obvious historical precedent.

With the camera in the able hands of Oscar-nominated Joseph Brun, Niall MacGuinness gives a performance of evangelical zeal in what was probably his only leading role in a film.

Extremely well done, important story

[inshalla · 12 August 2003]

McGinnis' performance is stellar; he was very much like I imagined the real Martin Luther to be; unmovable in his personal beliefs, but compassionate to individuals; enthusiastic about bettering mankind, but merciless about his own weaknesses. The on-location shooting for this movie is wonderful, and the black-and-white cinematography concentrates attention on the actors facial expressions. Supporting actors were very well selected for their characters. Period costumes, activities and dialogue were well-researched and very-well done. The copy of the movie I saw was not restored...so to get the most out of it, you need to give it your full concentration, but you'll be well rewarded. It portrays one of the most pivotal individuals in history, and does it well. As with all the best movies, you wish it didn't have to end...

Beautiful and educational, but biased

[adiyaaldebekova · 7/10 · 9 March 2020]

The film is the accurate representation of culture being adapted to the modern audience, and this is why it is a must watch for people of all ages. It provides background and historical insights into one of the most pivoting points in the history of religion. However, instead of being a commentated documentary, it is a biographical film about the life of one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of Christianity. It accurately tells the story of Martin Luther - from the big events like the posting of his Ninety-Five Theses, to simple get-togethers with his ex-colleagues from school. It has a very classical, narrow story line without any plot-twists that are so popular in the cinema culture of today. It tells the story as it is, without over-complicating it; and I find this rather nifty, because Martin Luther's philosophy also focuses on the simplicity of religion. However, in my opinion the largest thing that the film accomplishes is not the historical account of things, but rather the depiction of the atmosphere and the "vibe" of the time period. First of all, it shows the great value that was put on religion during the early sixteenth century. This can accurately demonstrate how people's psyche worked at the time period, and allows for a theoretical explanation of their behaviors. It explains the familial and spiritual values of the common people, but it also explains the serious decisions made by political leaders that were influenced by religion. The film successfully shows how religion used to be at the epicenter of everything, and how everything was filtered through a different prism. If today one's religious views and position only affect that person, and the community that he is part of; before, a different opinion in regards to religion would mean a large conflict, because religion lied at the basis of everything, and when it was challenged - a lot was being put at risk. Furthermore, it depicts the manners of people of the time and helps the viewer have a better understanding of the social structure; which to my surprise was less conservative than I had expected. However, not being a historian, I cannot state whether or not the film does and accurate job of depicting the culture of the time period. Secondly, the film does a great job of opening up Martin Luther as a character - Instead of being an abstract figure in the heads of people, he becomes a real person who went through law school, a monastic lifestyle and rebellious, religious activism. The viewer is showed how real people can have an impact on the world. However, despite being very inspiring, I was a little bit disappointed in the lack of depth in Martin Luther's character. I had expected to be presented to his "realness," but instead I was introduced to a pretty much perfect human being. When there is an obvious protagonist in the film, a character who is too perfect for the world, the film becomes a little bit boring. In modern day cinema, this phenomenon occurs rarely, because producers have figured out the audience prefers real and relatable to perfect and unreachable. However, this practice did not yet come into action when the film was shot, and so we, as the audience, do not get too much depth to the character. The film, in my opinion, is very biased - it presents Martin Luther as the good guy and the founder of Protestantism, and it presents Protestantism as the dominant religion; This is not necessarily true, because Luther was one of the many activists who had this approach to religion. The film is more theological than analytical and objective; but despite being so one-sided, it actually provides a better insight into the Protestant culture and philosophy. However, all this aside, the film is done very masterfully. Despite being rather old and black and white, it has amazing cinematics. The scenery is not beautiful and authentic, but it is actually the real-life places in which the events of the film were taking place in. The camera movements are very professional and modern - from the following shot, to close-ups. The non- diegetic and diegetic sounds create a great atmosphere and are of a surprisingly high quality. However, one thing that I did not enjoy was the abundant use of voice-over, as it is a rather cheap trick that often goes against the "show don't tell" policy. The costumes were also fantastic. I personally am not sure whether or not they are historically accurate, but they did create an aesthetic and a very unique atmosphere to the film. I particularly enjoyed the final scene when people came together to sing the hymn - not only did it show us the full grandness of the church and the power that the unity of people with common belief create; but it also shows great diversity. I had chills when I was watching this. It highlights the themes of togetherness and unity; and it brings everyone together. Finally, I want to say that I really enjoyed the acting in this film. I always noticed how movies that are aimed at portraying a different time period often have trouble with casting, as it is incredibly difficult to play something that you have never experienced for yourself, and make it seem real. Once again I would like to mention that I have no way of knowing whether or not the film is culturally accurate, but it certainly does seem so - from the actors' accents and manner of speech to their gait, everything seemed so organic, that at times I was forgetting that the film was shot in the fifties and not when the events were happening. Overall, I think the movie is a must watch as it provides a valuable insight into the cultural and historical background, as well as into the theology of Protestantism. However, it must be viewed with caution, as it leaves many things out and is also very biased.

Acceptable Luther biography based on true events about the reformer monk

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 12 July 2020]

The film is a biopic concerning the Agustinian monk (1483-1546) Luther and mostly set in Germany during the Holy Roman Empire in which takes place the confrontation among Martin Luther and Pope Leo X along with emperor Charles I of Spain and V of Germany . Luther attempts to reconcile his desire for sanctification with his sour denounce against corruption and hypocrisy pervading the Catholic Church's hierarchy . His life and the famous deeds from how was orchestrated the Protestant Reform are the following ones : Martin becomes a good priest and he goes Rome . There he sees how the people buy indulgences for themselves , but he watches the reality , a corrupt Rome with the selling the indulgences to finance the basilica of Saint Pedro built by Pope Leo X and previously begun by Clemente VII and Julius II . He returns Germany where his preceptor sends him to Wittemberg to doctorate himself in theology studies . There preaches John Tetzel , a dreadful inquisitor . But his point of view about the Catholicism has changed and he rebels and nails himself the 95 Thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany . Luther's Theses argued that the sale of indulgences was a gross violation of the original intention of confession and penance, and that Christians were being falsely told that they could find absolution through the purchase of indulgences . He rejected the Pope authority , the Saints cult , the celibacy and to practice mass . Luther , along with Melanchton , starts the Protestant Reform . The printing press has been recently invented by Guttemberg and the Luther's ideas are quickly printed and spread everywhere as the written books titled ¨The captivity of Babilony¨, ¨The freedom of Christians¨ and ¨ The confession of Ausburg (1530)¨. Pope Leo X threatens Luther on ex-communion , but he refuses to recant . He ultimately gets the ex-communion and labelled as a heretic by Bulla ¨Exsurge Domine¨ , but he burns it at the public square of Wittemberg , where the Ninety-Five Theses famously appeared . He is appointed in Worms (1521) with the presence of the emperor Charles V , but he doesn't regret . Prince Frederick of Xaxony keeps him protected in his castle of Wartburgo . There Martin translates the Bible into German language for ordinary people to understand the New Testament . The common people follow the Martin's lectures and accuse to Catholic Church of their penury , burning churches and palaces . Luther is finally charged as a heretic priest and has to face off the ruling Cardinals and some Catholic Princes, urging them to make the Scriptures available to the common believer and lead the Church toward faith through justice and righteousness . Meanwhile , Luther meets an ex-nun named Katherina Von Bora and marries her . The emperor summons all the German princes for confronting the Luthero's doctrine . The princes encourage and contend the great emperor of the Holy Roman-German Empire , as they stand up against Charles V . The Luther's thesis have won in spite of the princes were defeated in Mulberg (1547) and they signed the treatise of Ausburg . The Man Who Changed the World - Forever! Martin Luther's protest changed the course of Western history . "No man can command my conscience!"

In the film concerns his life between 1505 and 1530 A.D., and the birth of the Protestant Reformation movement that shook the foundations of the traditional church , narrating it an unnecessary voice-in-off , being shot in conjunction with the Lutheran Church , that's why it results to be an extremely academic rendition. Here appears famous historical characters as Luther, Charles V , Pope Leo X , Melanchthon , John Tetzel, Duke Frederick of Xaxony , Katherine von Bora , who are well performed by a plethora of British and German actors such as Niall MacGinnis delivering a nice acting , Henry Oscar , Alastair Hunter , Ruddock , Heinz Piper, David Horne , Fred Johnson , Philip Leaver , director Irving Pichel himself as Brueck and uncredited Peter Ustinov as Duke Francis of Luneberg . There is a better version (2003) ¨Luther¨ by Eric Till with Joseph Fiennes , Bruno Ganz , Alfred Molina , Liebrech and in his last film again Peter Ustinov . The motion picture gets an adequate cinematography in black and white by Joseph Brun , as well as an atmospheric , evocative musical score by Mark Lothar, performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, and being alrightly directed by Irving Pichel who also played a short role . Devotees of the history will love this movie which is a decent tribute to Martin Luther .

School learning brought to life

[Wolfi-10 · 9/10 · 19 September 2003]

Of course, Martin Luther is treated in considerable depth at German high schools, but the resulting knowledge consists of a somewhat puzzling series of events and dates. This film shows the atmosphere of the times, the mindset of the people, and particularly Luther's own mental anguish about the condition of the Christian church at that time, and his thoughts and feelings as the driving force of a major religious and political upheaval. Very illuminating is the seriousness with which personal beliefs are taken, not only by the "little people", but by their worldly leaders as well, in contrast to the callousness of the church leaders around the pope. It is also interesting how Luther benefited from the relatively fair and tolerant attitudes and practices of the 16th century, which were completely wiped out a hundred years later.

The acting in the movie is excellent, as are the scenery and costumes, shown in stark black and white photography. The producers spared no expense to present the wide range of political and religious figures with whom Luther interacted. The dialogs are poignant and always clearly understandable over any background music. Unfortunately, my CD exhibits a rather poor video quality, considering that it is based on a post-WW2 b/w movie. Still, the film is fascinating to watch from beginning to end and, if shown in high school, would successfully replace a week of dry learning.

Martin Luther

[alibekbolat · 7/10 · 21 March 2020]

The movie illustrates the life of the well-known German theologist Martin Luther, from serving in Augustinian Church to finally becoming one of the most influential religious people in Europe. The movie was released in 1953, and consequently, it would be inappropriate to describe the cinematography level of the film. However, the film contains significant informative dialogues that fully demonstrates the tension in the world of Christianity in Europe at that time, and the music added by beating drums completed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra increases the pressure in atmosphere. Considering about the biasness, the movie was recorded in association with Lutheran Church Productions, which demonstrates that the film cannot be considered as reliable source of information about the Christianity of Europe at that time. In addition to this, the movie determines the entire Roman Catholic Church as greedy and arrogant, illustrating them as those, who completely neglects their true faith of Jesus Christ. On contrary, main character was shown as the Robin Hood of the world of Christian religion, as a hero, an ordinary priest of the Church and a University Professor, who came out against Roman Catholicism, against the Pope and the Emperor himself, as a man who knows what true faith is, putting him on almost the same level with prophets. Although Martin Luther played a major role in the schism from Roman Catholicism, it was not only religion lead to separation, but also money, power and politics stayed behind.

Referring to the film, Martin Luther commences to lose faith in the Catholic Church after a trip to Rome. The story about sacred relics, such as the cross of St. Peter, one of the thirty silver crosses, or Pontius Pilate steps, that give the soul liberation for 17000, 14000 and 9 years in turn from the flames of hell torment lead to confuse in Luther's face. The main action of this part begins with the disorderly sale of indulgences by Pope Leo, granting the right of absolution from sins, in order to gain money for construction of the Saint Peter's Cathedral. Strong emotional pressure was shown from the preacher Johann Tetzel, who assured that only a couple of silver coins cost the salvation of your mother from the fires of hell, and even drunks did not need confession anymore, due to indulgence. "You cannot buy the mercy of God" was claimed by Martin Luthor to ordinary crowd. Luther had written ninety-five theses, criticizing the dogmas of the Catholic Church, while for the rest, it was a problem that concerned more humanism than religion, meaning that with having money, sins are not terrible anymore. Probably, Luthor used the poverty of the main crowd as the weapon against the indulgence of Pope. Buying indulgence lead to the well-known eternal difference between rich and poor: after all, the rich could afford to sin and redeem themselves with money, while the poor do not have such a strong privilege. The poor citizens who have no money are more likely to follow the ideas and doctrines of Luther, who criticizes indulgences given by Pope Leo. Consequently, there is more financial situation and moral contradictions rather than proper aspects of religion stayed behind.

After publishing ninety-five theses, the Pope declares Martin Luther as a heretic and all the supporters of the Catholic Church become a threat to Luther. After the trial, the Emperor also declares that Luthor is under the Emperor's curse and that he is an outlaw: anyone has the right to hunt, capture or even kill him. But thanks to Duke Frederick of Saxony, Luther was "kidnapped" and was placed in a secure castle. Eventually, many other Dukes, princes, noble lords and other high-ranking individuals began to support Martin Luther, which marked a separation in Christianity and in the structure of the Empire itself. However, can religion be considered as a merit in this? Did the lords support Martin Luther due to their strong faith and deep believe in his ideas? The Pope of Rome had an unlimited power and his authority was advanced even than that of the Emperor himself. He decided the political situation in Catholic countries, and all the lords, including the Emperor were his subjects. The renunciation of Roman Catholicism indicated for the lords as a gain of relative freedom. Luther's idea to withdraw the Catholic Church's power in the German territories was ideal for the noble lords who sought to concentrate in their hands not only secular, but also spiritual power, as well as to obtain an appropriate rich monastic possessions since Luther strongly criticized the luxury in religion. As a result, it can be determined that most of the lords possibly supported Martin Luthor due to their own motives more willingly than because of religious believe in his doctrines.

In conclusion, we can express Martin Luther as the main initiator of the Reformation in Europe, who rejected Roman Catholic Church, which departed from the original Christian principles as a result of numerous layers. According to Max Weber, Martin Luthor's Lutheranism was not only the reason of Reformation, but also defined the birth of capitalism in Europe. There is no hesitation that Martin Luther had significantly strong influence from a religious perspective over Europe, nevertheless, separation from Roman Catholicism was caused not only because of religion, but other features in terms of money, gaining political power or moral contradictions.

Wonderfully-acted and produced masterpiece!

[faaus72 · 9/10 · 11 December 2005]

This excellent film brings to life Luther's growing realization that the religion, to which he had dedicated his life, was flawed. His character is shown to mature in believable stages, culminating in acts of ferocious courage.

The costumes, sets and hairstyles were authentic and help transport the viewer to the past very effectively.

Luther's message and wisdom are amply portrayed and serve as a basis for anyone to examine their beliefs.

The film does not suffer from dating, even though it was made over 50 years ago. The black and white imagery imparts a sense of timelessness, worthy of the subject matter. The acting is, almost without exception, very natural and believable.

No man is perfect, as no film biography is perfect.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 24 January 2023]

I've read varying inconsistencies about the real Martin Luther and what is presented on screen in this Lutheran church produced drama, directed by veteran character actor Irving Pichel. Rather than cast himself (as he would have been excellent, and does indeed play a supporting role), Pichel instead cast Old Vic legendary actor Niall MacGinnis, not a name to most moviegoers, but certainly with impressive credits, and quite believable in this. Made in a semi documentary form, this elaborate drama is very impressive for an independent film, especially one produced for religious purposes, and quite good in spite of a few historical inaccuracies.

The film is gripping from the start, utilizing old drawings to document the superstitions of the time, a belief in evil spirits influencing the public to walk away from the Catholic church, especially those who wanted to create different religions. The Church of Rome was all powerful, and it took one man to stand up to say I should be allowed to serve God in the way that I feel is right and interpret his word in the way that I feel he wants me to. We can't go back to the 16th century to see how it really is, so all we have are whatever documents survive, biographies where we have to take them for their word, and films like this that hopefully were made with the best intentions. The last of those three is what guides me to find this an interesting drama about a very brave man.

One thing is clear. Based upon other films I've seen set in this era, I felt I was transferred back to the 16th century and truly felt that the writers, director and artistic creators worked very hard to interpret this as realistically as they could. I take all historical dramas with that teeny grain of truth, hoping to learn a little something about what could have been, and understanding that it is the viewpoint of a select few rather than what really could have been. MacGinnis certainly commands the scenery and is surrounded by a great featured cast of the actors I've never seen before. Most importantly, this film asks its audience the same questions that Martin Luther demands answers from as he confronts the church leaders. However it is determined in the viewer's minds is up to them, basically the point that the film is pushing.

Looking at the life of Luther from a very Lutheran perspective

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 15 March 2012]

There are quite a few films about Martin Luther, though this one is unusual because it was produced by the Lutheran Church--not Hollywood or some other secular group. Not surprisingly, when I grew up a Lutheran, this is the version they occasionally showed at church functions. Also, not surprisingly, it's filled with church doctrine and other teachings that you won't get in a Hollywoodized version of the life of this church leader.

At times the film is very much like a documentary in style--with narration and explanation of Luther's inner torments when he began having doubts about his Catholic faith. You see a slightly less human side to Niall MacGinnis' characterization of Luther--more the authoritarian and scholarly in nature and fewer insights into his personal life. Considering the film's goal is to elevate this made to greatness as the leader of the faith, it does a very good job in inspiring the masses and putting across many of the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Very well made and well worth seeing.

Is Martin Luther Founder?

[arnakuanysheva · 6/10 · 22 March 2020]

The most significant figure of the Protestant Reformation was Martin Luther, a German professor of theology and former monk. He questioned all the rituals and relics of the Roman Catholic Church and came to his own understanding of the scripture. The film depicts the part of his life starting from his submission to discipline of Holy Church till he was condemned by Pope and Emperor in the early 16th century. According to the documentary, Martin Luther is considered as a founder of Protestantism and its denomination Lutheran Church. This film is focused on the struggle between doctor Martin and Rome and his role in the reformation of Medieval Christianity. Although it is shown that Martin Luther is the father of the Protestant Reformation, in truth, he is one the key facilitators of it and founder of Lutheranism, branch of Protestantism. Protestantism began to develop in the early 14th century before the birth of Martin Luther. The main two predecessors of the Protestantism were Czech theologian Jan Hus and English philosopher and biblical translator John Wycliff. John Wycliff is considered as a morning star of the Reformation and had the idea of "Sola Scriptura" as well as Luther. The reformers solely believed in the Bible and Gospels, and it was the reason for their revolution. We do not hear Wycliff's name in the film, but Jan Hus was mentioned several times. This implies that Luther's ideas were not first and unique even in the film. The Pope tried to frighten Luther by asking if he is a heretic as Hus and if so, he should be burnt. Jan and Martin believed that salvation is not subject to a Roman Pope and that "sale of indulgences not supported by scriptures". The particular importance of Martin Luther is that his ideas could spread among people and be supported. Whereas, Hus's and Wycliff's could not spread. Being an influential person by people's perception allowed Luther to become a founder of Protestantism among them. Especially, when he was claiming that men cannot buy mercy of God, people of lower and middle class followed him because of the money issue. The proposition of Luther seemed more attractive to them than what was offered by the Catholic Church and what was interpreted by Hus and Wycliff. The one important detail here is that the documentary was filmed in collaboration with the Lutheran church. Since it demonstrates the most decisive steps and dialogues in the formation of Protestantism, it could not be considered a credible source. As it is claimed by Protestants, Martin Luther is their father and the Church will influence the overall picture of his role. They tried to show the superiority of Luther's arguments over Catholic ones. In the beginning, the film stated that people in the 16th century lived by fear and believed in dual authority. Throughout the documentary, it was clearly seen that the Catholic Church depicted as evil, corrupted, demanded absolute obedience of people. Martin Luther believed in the faith alone: "By faith, man lives, not by relics, sing, pilgrimage, purchase of pardons for sins". There were many scenes of corruption, money collection from the citizens who wanted to earn years of indulgence. People were told that they and their loved ones will be forgiven of time in purgatory for almost 2 million years if they contribute to the building of the new Church. This made Martin Luther angry and take action against it. In October 1517 he put forward 95 theses or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences on the door of the church. Luther always asked for a debate and explain his ideas that the Pope cannot intercede before God according to scripture. Even if the cinematography, quality of sound and visual content were not satisfactory, the overall play of actors, dialogues, symbols and ideas perfectly suited the overall rhythm of the film. It aimed to show Martin Luther as a brave and persistent revolutionist and did it persuasively. During the whole film, professor Luther had self-confidence, provoking speeches and thus had a chance to be an influencer. However, other characters such as Pope, emperor, and priests did not have such an advantage in the documentary. Since it was filmed with the support of the Lutheran Church, the Roman Catholic Church was depicted as weak, unreliable and even disastrous institution. But it was told that the main goal of Luther was not to establish a new church, but rather "to rid of the Catholic Church's man-made errors". This also shows the intentions of the film to present Luther as an innocent man and boost his reputation among followers. In conclusion, the Martin Luther documentary is about the process of development of Protestant reformation in the early 16th century. There is no doubt that Luther was the key facilitator of this development and further prosperity of Protestantism. However, it cannot be claimed that he was the founder of this form of Christianity. He was rather the main influencer of a new religious movement and founded Lutheranism. His confidence in the faith and scripture alone, assurance in the uselessness of money donations for indulgences gave him the opportunity to spread his ideas and get support among masses. In addition, the film was supported by the Lutheran Church which leads to some bias in the content depiction. Since Protestants believe that he is a founder, the film also gets to this idea and tries to show Luther's ideas' superiority over the Catholic Church. Thus, the documentary cannot be a reliable source for assuring that Martin Luther is the founder of Protestantism.

The Great Heretic

[theowinthrop · 6 November 2004]

In 1517 a young monk nailed a long paper to the door of Wittenberg's Cathedral containing 95 thesis - they were 95 different questions that the current Roman Catholic Church failed to settle in it's accounting of the Christian faith. When Martin Luther did his act he started more than a personal dilemma of the might of the Church (and much of the state) against one lone monk, but he also shook that mighty Church and created the greatest schism it faced in five hundred years (the last one being the split with the Eastern/Greek Orthodox Church about 1050 A.D.). Luther never envisioned his questions would lead to the Protestant Reformation, but once it got beyond the initial query of the 95 thesis - when he was faced with either knuckling under or facing death by burning as a heretic - Luther proved himself the man to continue leading his reformation.

He was not a flawless figure. He was self-centered, and resented rival "heretics" (Zwingly, John of Munster, Calvin), and he would become really vicious towards the Jews for failing to follow his leadership into "true Christianity". In fact his diatribes against the Jews would become the true foundation of modern German anti-Semitism. But he remains the founder of Protestantism.

His flaws do not appear in this film, which was made by the Lutheran Church.

However the film is a pretty faithful account of his conflict with the organized Church, and how it led to the creation of Protestantism (and, in particular, Lutheranism). It gave Niall MacGinnis the best straight dramatic lead role in his career (the closest second is his Karswell, the villain in NIGHT OF THE DEMON). MacGinnis always was a superior supporting actor in small parts, so it is worth noting that when he was given an important part like Luther he did the part well.

The truth in scripture: Retelling of Martin Luther's life

[aiymsarmanova · 7/10 · 22 March 2020]

When asked "And what, dear brother, is God's righteousness?", Martin Luther replies with "Exactly what the scripture says, father. That it delivers and does not merely judge". This conversation and the further debate about the role of Latin and wider circulation of the Bible amongst the laymen built the foundation for theological and philosophical arguments and ideas that are portrayed in this movie. A 1953 biopic titled "Martin Luther" retells the story of a German priest of the same name who is known for beginning the movement of Protestant Reformation within Western Christianity in the 16th century. The movie is well-directed and gives a quite detailed educational background for those wishing to gain a deeper knowledge about the beginnings of the Protestant movement. However, the movie's depiction of Martin Luther needs to be taken with a grain of salt since despite largely keeping true with the major historical developments of its time, the movie contains a certain level of bias and creates an idealistic and nearly perfect image of the protagonist. One of the major tasks accomplished by Irving Pichel's biopic is the successful depiction of the overwhelming and all-encompassing nature of religion and the church during that time. As pointed out by the narrator in the very beginning, the people pledged allegiance both to the emperor and to the pope. This dual allegiance portrays the inter-woven and interdependent relationship between religious institutions and royalty of the time and helps the viewers to comprehend one of the most important phenomena in the history of religion. As mentioned previously, the film's bias against the teachings of the Catholic Church at the time are pretty clear from, among many other things, their depiction of Pope Leo X as frivolous and acquisitive. Despite this fact, the filmmakers largely succeeded at transmitting the atmosphere of religious establishments playing an incredibly significant role in both public and personal lives of the people. As put by the narrator, the "church demanded absolute and unquestioning obedience of the people" and this background helps us to better understand the motivations behind Martin Luther's rebellion. The movie starts off by depicting the inner struggles of the young priest who struggles to find love for God who has only been depicted as an angry and merciless judge. This depiction of his personal conflicts and his conversations with the people around him contribute to creating a more personal and humane character. The film's classification as a biopic rather than a traditional documentary allows it to take certain creative liberties, but the major historical accounts are still followed pretty thoroughly. One of such historical accounts is the moment of Luther's publication of his monumental work titled "Ninety-five Theses" in which he opposes the sale of indulgences as a way of people seeking forgiveness for their sins. It is exactly this act of dissent that helps him to build a supportive and loyal following and leads to his excommunication and condemnation. This momentous development in the history of religion is depicted rather skillfully and interestingly in the biopic under examination by building a more detailed and nuanced picture of not only Martin Luther himself but also the notable figures around him. One of the most thought-provoking parts of the movie contains the depiction of the conversations between political and religious leaders of the time regarding the course of action they need to take regarding Luther's activities. The following observation is out of the scope of this essay and I do not obtain the necessary information, but one may argue that Luther's ability to gain support and spread his ideas had a lot to do with historical and ideological developments in the realm of governance and politics of the time. Unlike many other people condemned as heretics by the Church, Luther was spared harsh and violent blowback. In the movie, the Duke Frederick appeals and insists to bring Martin Luther to fair trial by maintaining that while as his subject Luther owes him loyalty, as the prince he owes him protection. This conversation depicts a new development in the history of nation-states and the relationship between the governors and their subjects. This part of the movie serves as larger food for thought on the topic of how public institutions and ideologies of the time may have contributed to Luther's ability to gain as much acknowledgement and exposure as he did. The 1521 Edict of Worms is considered by many as the beginning of the Protestant reformation movement and the biopic in question does a good job in depicting this monumental process. Obviously, it's hard to tell without a scholarly background whether the many nuanced details of this process have claims to historical accuracy, but from a cinematic point of view this significant scene seems well-balanced and quite easy to comprehend. Overall, this biopic provides a very thorough and compelling narration of an incredibly influential man's life and may serve as a good starting point for those wishing to learn more about the history of Christianity.

Throughout the film, everything felt as if it was happening right before my eyes.

[meruyertbakhtiyarova · 7/10 · 15 March 2021]

Film "Martin Luther" directed by Irving Pichel portrays the storyline of the priest Martin Luther, specifically the impact of his ideas and his contribution to Protestant Reformation. It takes a look at a corrupted Catholic Church service which was that the church was involved in an act of indulgency - a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins. (Catechism of the Catholic Church) In other words, the Church allowed people to donate to the Church for their sins in order to reduce the amount of punishment of a sinner. Contemplating this, Martin Luther did not like the idea that his parishioners were donating money for a pure promise, which he thought to be meaningless and untrue. "Martin Luther" film shows the actions undertaken by Luther to sustain what he thought was right and fight against the beliefs Catholic Church imposed on Christians. The film well depicts that at that time it was exceptional goal for Luther to change the Church's followers' view point at the world and their self, which then lead for governments to grant religious freedom for all.

To begin with, it is important to know the background. Roman Catholicism was the dominant "branch" of Christianity in Europe. Talking about Catholic Church, it was accepted as a caretaker of human soul, which was the most important thing since it was believed to be eternal. Moreover, in a Catholic church there was the priest who played a huge role in every Christian's life: marrying them, providing last rites, baptizing them, etc. as was demonstrated in the film. The Catholic Church also provided all the social services like running orphanages and providing education. And most of the followers of the church only met one person who could read the Bible who was their priest and only. Not to mention, the church had its power in the economic and political arena as it owned a share of the European land. From this it is obvious how much authority the Catholic Church has over almost any aspect in the society. On the religious behalf, the earliest 16th century was the time of deep-rooted superstition and fear - men believed the World was filled with demons and evil spirits. The Church on this regard has offered a protection from the Evil, and people had to deliver a complete obedience to the Church in return. The film opens with Martin Luther announcing his decision to move on from his studies as a law student at university to his friends: "Let's just say I hope I'm doing right" and moving to the monastery. Following Augustinian Order brother Martin fulfilled his practice, however the thoughts of the God as of Angry Judge failed to bring peace to Martin Luther. Martin was obsessed with his own sinfulness and that is when Martin he confessed that "I am men, I am evil. I tried to think of him as a loving father, but confined only as Angry Judge. How can I love such a God? And that is my unpardonable sin."(Martin Luther, 1953) Worried of the authority of the Church the father decides to expel Martin before he infects the whole monastery with his worries and restless ideas. They find him disturbing and questioning, which contradicts to the belief that "The Church is the only answer". So they set him on diplomatic mission in Rome, where Luther discovered what he wanted to hear in epistles of St. Paul which said: "The just shall live by faith." That means that salvations comes from the faith itself and not prayer, fasting or any other "good work"; we cannot reach the salvation by our actions and "deleting" our sins through indulgence, but only through faith. After his return to Augustinian monastery, Martin was already convinced in God's righteousness: "He delivers and does not really judge", as he interpreted in from the scripture himself. Here, the father again points out the power of the Church, saying that there's only one proper interpretation of scripture - the one of the Church. From here, it's seen that the film depicts the history in a cohesive manner, to understand the cause and effect of religious beliefs and Luther's opposition to these Church systems.

In opposition to the famous indulgences Martin Luther wrote 95 Theses and nailed them to the Church door which led to multiple debates, thereafter Martin's position was considered bold and radical. As Martin Luther believed in the grace of God and his benevolence, as well as the power of faith, he argued that Christians were "blessed" through faith only: not any prayer, baptism, and other. Other than that, he made a sharp argument that the Church's services did not have any higher power to connect to one's soul and save them, as well as erase one's sins. He was convinced that the Church made mistakes either unintentionally, or vice versa (in my mind it was vivid that it was done intentionally). The Church made people think that to connect to the God, they had to go through the Church, and the Church was THE answer; nonetheless, Martin denied this strong belief, presenting an argument that Christians did not need the approval or assistance of the Church to receive the grace of God: "There is only one universal Church. It is not necessary for the salvation to be subject to a Roman Pope. It doesn't matter who said it, it is the truth!"(Martin Luther, 1953) Luther's ideas were "broadcasted", like in modern world Twitter, everywhere: from cartoons to his own publications. Alongside with these revolutionary publications, Luther interpreted/translated the Bible into German - this helped common people to discuss the meanings of the holy scripture themselves without the interaction with the priests who apparently interpreted it otherwise. It has its own drawbacks, however. With an accessible source of the "original scripture", people started to discuss and deliver the new "religious truths" to their neighbors; in other words, everyone analyzed the script differently and everyone found the "right way" to worship God. Not only this, he argued that the Church is not the highest powerholder, but the kings - as they were sent by God to take care of these Churches. So Martin Luther chose the princes and kings over popes of the Church, and one of the prices who also followed Luther's ideas against Roman Empire's disapproval of him was Albert of Prussia. But it's highly possible that it was not because he wanted to fight against the corruption and faithless promises of priests, but because he could, in consequence, take the Church's assets within his territory. That is when the monarchs and princes started pondering of whether it could be more profitable for them to have what Church had? The land, the taxes, and wealth the Church owned for a long time could now be in use of kings. And that became possible thanks to Protestant Reformation.

Throughout the film, everything felt as if it was happening right before my eyes. The story was directed in much details, which made it extremely convenient to grasp/comprehend. This film showed both sides of such religious systems: the profits and drawbacks, which eased the analysis of it.

A realistic view of Luther & his times in the 16th century.

[john550 · 9/10 · 5 October 2002]

This movie is a must see for student wishing to gain a more detail knowledge of Martin Luther and his environment in the 1500's, than can be gained from only reading a book. The focus is simply on Luther and his philosophy rather than on alot of the side elements that make todays movies popular. With very good acting and a straightforward time-line, Martin Luther's story is told. The movie begins with a quick steeing of both the history of the times and the prevelant religious attitudes. After that it segues into Martin Luther as a successfull law student. Because Luther's life developed one major event after another, so the movie builds the story. A lot of history was unfolding during Luther's time (the middle of the Renaissance) and some interesting historical facts can be gleaned from the movie. Good direction, very good acting, and stark lighting all add to the historical significance of this work.

Interpretation of Martin Luther's route

[asselmukhanova · 7/10 · 22 March 2020]

The movie is the version of the story of how Martin Luther, the German scholar of theology, affected the split of the church in the 16th century. It is a great piece if you want to view the history behind the Protestant Reformation. The style is simple, and plot is easy to follow for a viewer. The dialogues are not over-complicated and there are no redundant fragments in the story. The narrator's voice helps to understand the main historical progresses during the movie. It, however, shows the story form the protestants' prospective. Therefore, the plot can be biased, and its accuracy of some details is questionable. Nevertheless, it is still an irreplaceable point on the cause of protestant move and its split from the Roman Catholic Church. It is for sure different from the modern films which have more actions and twists, despite of this, it is a great way to show a historical plot. The movie gives some information on the biography of Martin Luther such as his educational background and marriage as well as his philosophical thoughts. From these, we can see Luther was a knowledgeable man, who had a degree in law and then doctorate in theology. He followed the Catholic church and studied the Bible. The directors illustrate us these facts to show that he was an educated man who was able to influence the public. Unfortunately, we don't get to see the Luther's character in-depth but rather his superficial ideas. The main character's motive was not fully revealed throughout the story. The movie focuses more on the Church's and people's reactions to his revolutionary ideas and changes he brought to beliefs in Christianity and structure of government, as well. The movie supports the idea that during Martin Luther's lifetime religious places held more power and influence in comparison to the rulers and kings. It was the epoch of rise of Christianity and Pope's rulership. Luther was the one who started to oppose Roman Catholic Church's ideas. He questioned the authority and righteousness of the Pope. When he was a follower of Catholic church, he did not like monks' viewpoints on following the Christianity. He believed that their interpretations of the Bible might not be right and needed to change. "If everybody could interpret the Bible in their own way, there would be more Christians" he said to his teacher in church. The idea that he questioned the most was the way to redemption. During that time, similar to the Max Weber's concept, people were supposed to work hard and save money and spend it so that they can get rid off their sins. Monks from the Catholic church abused this idea and made people believe they could buy their indulgences. The Pope and his people gained wealth with the help of the those who wanted clean their souls. The priests claimed they did not have to confess anything but give some silver. Martin Luther argued this idea and thought that redemption can only be achieved by faith. In the movie, he says "You cannot buy God's mercy". He went against the Catholic church and posted his "95 Theses", which was then widespread among common people. As the time passed, he gained his followers and people started the revolt against the Church. As it was mentioned in the film, half of the Germany was on his side short after he started his own teachings. Additionally, he taught small children his interpretation of the Bible. The Christian church was divided into two and new era of Christianity begun with Martin Luther as an initiator. Luther's speech, when the court interrogated him, was very powerful. He proclaimed that layman with scripture was better than a Pope without it. Thus, the lines of characters were very effectively written. As I've mentioned above, the dialogues and speeches are the strongest side of the movie. They give a good clarity to people's believes and Martin Luther's standpoint. Overall, the sets, where the scenes were filmed, were very beautiful and realistic. They quite accurately represent cathedrals, churches, the court and lively Roman streets of that time. Additionally, there are many scenes which include Christian religious rituals and prayers. The directors filmed these parts very carefully with all the details. The actors, in my opinion, did a good job in portraying their characters considering the time the movie was filmed. The black and white colors and low quality, of course, might cause some inconveniences for a viewer, however, again this is quite a good product for the film industry of that time. Moreover, these challenges do not lower the quality of understanding the plot. The movie is worth watching in order to see the protestant's view on the way Martin Luther influenced the big change in Christian religion and weakening the Roman Catholic Church's rulership.

Pure genius

[Chief-11 · 10/10 · 2 January 1999]

An amazing movie I have seen several times. If only there was a movie done this good on John Calvin. Nevertheless, from story line to directing, this movie retains value for repeated watching.

Martin Luther (1953)

[aizhanrakhmetova · 7/10 · 13 April 2020]

In this movie review, the film biography of Martin Luther that was released in 1953 will be discussed. Overall, the film is about the life of Martin Luther who was enrolled in law in accordance with his father's wishes but left this study due to the motivation to enter monastic life. He had a keen interest in theology and philosophy. On the other hand, he could not find spiritual peace in his new life despite the regimen of ascetic piety. Nowadays, Martin Luther is known as a man who changed the world by making reformations to the Catholic Church. In this essay, the changes that Martin Luther made to the Catholic Church as well as the life of Martin Luther and the decisions he made will be considered. The film begins with an overview of the time and the place of the life of Martin Luther. Storyteller John Wiggin indicated that power was in the side of the Roman Catholic Church and the Emperor of the Holy Roman. He makes emphasis the teachings of the church on that time by specifying: "the church had largely forgotten the mercies of God and, instead, it emphasized God's implacable judgments". At that time, Christianity was mixed with paganism, it represented "the world as it is filled with evil spirits", and the church could give absolute obedience of the people for protection from eternal damnation. Further, this specification told by narrator John Wiggin made clear Luther's conflict with the church of that time. Despite the wishes of his father, Luther left the study of law and decided to enter St. Augustine's Monastery. Even though he entered into monastic life and followed the regimen of ascetic piety very strongly, he could not feel the spiritual peace that he attempted to find. On the way to spiritual peace, he realized that he cannot love God. He thought that it would be easier to find God for laypeople by having the Holy Scriptures in their native language. However, he was scolded by his prior for this opinion. After receiving a degree of Doctor of Theology at Wittenberg, he still had an internal struggle in accepting the religious practice. He did not stop to search for something that he was looking for and came up with a thought that only faith in Jesus Christ is needed for salvation. This "reformatory discovery" was reached via studying the Epistle to the Romans. When he tells his thought to mentor Staupitz, he remained unconvinced. On the other hand, Luther used the word "sola" which means alone in the margin of his Latin Bible. This was written to represent his strong belief in the doctrine of justification by faith to Jesus Christ alone. Martin Luther denied many teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Particularly, he rejected the indulgence which is a way to diminish punishment due to sins. According to the lecture, indulgence was in the form of money and, in the later Middle Ages, growth of abuses happened. More specifically, professional pardoners did the unlimited sale of indulgences, and the Church gave permission to use indulgences as funding for the projects of that time. In the course of the film, in 1517, Archbishop Albert promulgated a special jubilee indulgence in Germany with the permission of Rome Pope Leo X. During the celebration, Luther met one drunken parishioner who was convinced with the idea that there is no need to go to confession for him anymore since he has bought an indulgence. After that, Martin Luther sermonized against the abuse of indulgences appealing: "Beloved, you cannot buy God's mercy". Then, he posted his the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the church. Other Luther's publications including the Ninety-Five Theses made the pope furious. In addition to those publications, his refusal and answer, ending with, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen." resulted in ex-communication by the pope and recognition as an outlaw by the Emperor. Despite the difficulties from the Catholic Church and the Emperor, he did not change his way of thinking. Martin Luther believed that salvation and eternal life are not earned by good deeds but those can be attained as the gift from God via the belief in Jesus Christ. He taught that people cannot buy God's grace. He emphasized that scriptures are promises and instructions given by God, and lay people should have access to the scriptures in their native language. The film represents how Luther prays and expresses gratitude to God for his loyalty at the end. Knowing the fact that at that time the body of those who rejected the teachings of Church could be burnt, it is important to mention the bravery of Martin Luther. It is also important to mention that at the time of Martin Luther other people also contributed to the birth of reformation. One of them is Huldrych Zwingli who was the "third man of Reformation" and agreed with the point that only scriptures are the law. However, they could not agree with the justification. Particularly, Zwingli believed that good works are a precondition for justification while Luther taught people are justified by God's grace. Finally, the film represents Martin Luther's contribution to the emergence of the Protestant Reformation. It shows the life of a man who wanted to find spiritual peace in religion and could not do that by practicing in the Catholic Church. However, he did not give up and found the answer by studying many books. I think one of the meanings of the film might be about learning and checking by yourself before believing to someone. He is represented as hardworking man who came up with his thought through studying several scriptures, and wanted everyone could have access to study the religion.

THE BEST DVD VERSION. . .

[blue-7 · 9/10 · 18 August 2004]

While there are several VHS and DVD issues of this title, most of them leave a lot to be desired in the way of doing justice to pictorial quality of this fine 1953 release. I'm glad to report that there is at last a decent copy available on DVD -- the 50th Anniversary Edition issued by Gateway Films(their phone number is 610-584-3500). This version comes from the original negative material and is by far the finest you will see of this title -- However, the film does not survive in pristine form. It is in need of a restoration. Until this happens (if it ever does), you will find this issue to be quite fine, with a number of little "Extras" that give some insight into present day sites of events in Martin Luther's life, an interesting biography of how the film came to be made and the special way that it was brought to theatres, as well as bios and photos of the actors and production crew. This films was nominated for two Oscars in 1953, picked by the New York Times as one of the 10 best films of the year, and generally acclaimed by most Christian groups (except the Catholic Church, of course, who considers Martin Luther to be a heretic). I know the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought a number of 16 mm prints for use in their seminary programs. The power of this film in depicting the reformation period helped influence the LDS Church into starting its own motion picture department.

To me, Luther's story is an important key needed in preparing the way for the restoration of the restored gospel in these latter-days (which I believe happened when God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to the young Joseph Smith), for others it will have a different effect -- but the exciting thing about this film is that it tells its story accurately, with great fairness, and has power in performances, words and images. HIGHLY RECOMENDED!

Martin Luther (1953)

[anelmussayeva · 10/10 · 25 October 2020]

"Martin Luther" (1953) greatly depicts the story of Martin Luther, a man who managed to bring about fundamental changes armed with faith alone, by showing how his personal experience is connected with his teachings, and it accurately reveals the main ideas of Protestantism and socio-political order of 16th century. Beginning his path alone, Luther is confronted with his fellow vicars' reluctance to support his ideas, the Church's pressure and even the threat of death. Against all the odds, he continues his path of searching for answers, and once he finds them, the discovered truths are laid at the core of Luther's teachings which will resonate with thousands of pious hearts. The movie tells a story about famous Martin Luther who later in history will come to be known as the true initiator of the Reformation. The sufferings of Luther's soul were great enough for him to give up on his studies of law and become a monk in St. Augustine's Monastery. In Monastery Luther confesses his biggest sin, which constantly torments his soul, to the vicar: he cannot love God. In order to appease Luther's soul, the vicar encourages him to study Scripture hoping that he will discover his peace in Christ. Meticulously studying Scripture, Luther, indeed, discovers his peace but only with truths that are alien to the established ones. Despite being called a heretic and even excommunicated, Luther continues his efforts to improve the Church's teachings by writing numerous works including the famous 95 Statements. Wittenberg first, then a great number of European countries acknowledge Luther's preaching which eventually leads to the Emperor making peace with it. First of all, the personal sufferings of Luther that essentially start his path of finding answers are effectively shown. It is great that the movie does show that Luther does not start questioning the Church merely out of his theological interest in Scripture. Rather, it is his personal experience and anguish that make him feel lost thereby provoking Luther to seek salvation. In the search for salvation, Luther becomes a monk in Augustinian Order where neither constant praying nor mortifying his body brings him peace. Interestingly, the movie significantly emphasizes Catholics' idea that God is an "angry judge" which later will influence Protestantism in the sense that they will preach God's mercy. Exactly this conception of God as an "angry judge" makes Luther torment himself because he cannot find love for merciless God, and so he states: "I have tried to think of him as loving Father but confined only an angry judge". The emphasis on God as an "angry judge" is probably done to show why Luther will later strongly advocate for the idea that God is merciful. Secondly, the movie revels how the main ideas of Protestantism, that is the concepts of Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, were formed and consolidated. These two concepts are truths that Luther finally discovers. Sola Fide is the justification by faith alone which means that believers do not receive salvation for deeds but for faith alone. Luther discovers this truth after realizing that no constant prayers and torments of flesh bring you salvation. After appealing to Scripture, Luther finds the confirmation of his doubts: "the just shall live by faith alone". The concept of Sola Scriptura is evident in Luther's speech during the debate when he specifically states that "neither council nor Pope nor any man has power over my conscience, and where they disagree with Scripture, I deny Pope and Council and all". Therefore, he claims that only Scripture has the supreme religious authority and not Church. Also, as Luther believes that dedicating your life to constant prayers is not enough and that being a priest is just another job like many others, we see how monks and nuns leave the monasteries to "serve God and man out in the community" by the end of the movie which shows why Protestants reject monastic contemplation. Thirdly, the factor that finally pushes Luther to openly question the Church by nailing his 95 Statements to the door of the Church is the sale of indulgences. Luther is greatly angered by the tradition of pardoning sins for money, and he overall disapproves the corruption that is present within the Church. Firstly, when his fellow vicar presents the relics Duke Frederick bestowed the Church for their help, Luther is so aggravated that he flies out of the room as soon as the presentation starts. More importantly, when Luther finds a drunk man on the street and reproaches him, the man states that all of his sins are already forgiven and shows Luther the new indulgence. The previous scene where Tetzel is presenting 'new' indulgence which grants full forgiveness is remarkable. The movie presents it in a way that you cannot help but think of this procedure as pure commerce. At that moment Tetzel seems very much like a seller presenting his new product: "as soon as the money clinks in the chest, a soul flies up to heavenly rest!". For Luther, it was a turning point, and on the next morning, 95 statements are published. What I found especially interesting and disturbing about indulgencies is that they are so precise regarding the number of years that are removed from your period in Purgatory. The movie also finely outlines a political aspect of the Reformation and shows the corruption and inflexibility of clerical institutions. After all, historically the Reformation did turn out to be the revolution of nobility. Luther's teachings, which significantly limit the Church's power in the sense that it has less authority than Scripture, are very appealing to the nobility who wants to increase secular power at the expense of Church as is shown in the movie: "the nobility of our land must set itself against the Pope as a common enemy and destroyer" and free itself from "the tyranny of Rome". Regarding the corruption of the clergy, the scene with Leo X who decides to issue new indulgence to raise money speaks for itself. I found this scene quite realistic since the clergy including the Pope himself are, after all, human beings thus some extent of corruption is inevitable. The Church is also shown to be highly inflexible and categorical in the sense that it is reluctant to revise and improve on established teachings and practices. The Diet of Worms turns out to be essentially a fake hearing since Charles V had already made his decision. Additionally, few to no vicars take Luther's suggestions seriously hence they start to persuade him to give up on his alien ideas without actually listening to him. What I personally found ironic is that by attempting to divert Luther's restless mind from questioning the Church, the vicars encouraged him to study theology and Scripture which, in reality, had the opposite effect. If anything, by pushing Scripture into Luther's hands, vicars only made him realize the inconsistencies between the Church's teachings and Scripture sooner. Finally, among all the mechanics of the movie I was especially satisfied with Niall MacGinnis' portrayal of Martin Luther. He managed to present him as a very serene yet passionate person. The scene in the Diet of Worms, which was the apogee of Luther's deviance, extremely impressed me. When he declared, "my conscience is captive to the Word of God", MacGinnis made his character seem passionate and confident in his beliefs. That is to say, Luther's speech in the council was a particularly important part of his story, and MacGinnis managed to convey the emotions needed for the audience to understand the importance of the moment. All things considered, the movie greatly depicted the story of a man whose faith was strong enough to move the hearts of others thereby bringing about the Reformation. The movie paid special attention to showing the fact that personal experience and desperation lied at the heart of Luther's path. He did not appeal to Scripture out of mere theological interest but out of his soul's anguish. The fact that Luther's teachings are connected to him on the personal level makes the story even more dramatic. Besides that, the movie finely depicted the political undertone of the Reformation and the corruption of the clerical institutions. As Luther's faith was strong so was the faith of his loyal followers who managed to persuade the Emperor to let them be in the end. The final song that was sung by the congregation leaves the audience with a feeling of hope, and Luther's face seems relieved as if he were finally at peace after finding his truths. After all, who seeks shall find.

My religions homework. I analyzed several points that interested me.

[adiletmukashev · 10/10 · 24 October 2020]

The movie 'Martin Luther' tells a story about Martin Luther who was a 16th-century Christian reformist. The movie shows us the complete story of his path starting from leaving a job as a lawyer to making protestant Christianity spread across Europe. In my movie review, I want to discuss several important topics. First, the image of a Catholic church at the beginning of the 16th century. Second, the ideas of Protestantism, Martin Luther's teachings, and impact on reformation. Third, the implications reformation had on political affairs. Before the movie review, it should be said that Luther's impact on the history of Europe is enormous, his ideas gave start to one of the biggest peasants revolts in history, his writings helped to shape national language and united people around common belonging, his debates with Catholic church established one of the popular branches of Christianity. There are numerous other Luther's merits that are important to history.

First of all, the image of the Catholic Church in the movie. We can clearly see the political power the Pope has in Rome. For example, in the scene where prince Albert's brother comes to Leo 10th Pope to ask for the 3rd province in Germany. We see that the Pope by himself negotiates the price for land, signs the document, and assigns additional pay for St. Peter's Cathedral. In our lecture material, we can see the same idea of the great power of the Church. For example, John Wycliffe stated that Church property should be given to the state, to meet the minimum needs to function. Also, the crusades that were initiated by the Church and the Pope. Additionally, we have similar material about Prince Albert and Friar Tetzel in the lecture, but there is inconsistency in the lecture we have Leo the 2nd who was working on the cathedral. Indeed, it was Leo the 10th, not the 2nd. Another important aspect of the Roman Church was payment for indulgences and the value of relics. The first time, we see the relics in the scene when parishioners gathered to venerate them and earn their place from purgatory and the exact number of years and days earned. The next time we see special indulgence for St. Peter's Cathedral. People can buy forgiveness forever with no confession required. From the lecture, we know that special indulgence initiated Luther's 95 theses. The movie did a great job of highlighting Martin Luther's discontent. The pivotal moment was when Martin had a conversation with a drunk man, that declared that he was forgiven for all his sins and has paper confirming it, while he was lying on the ground completely drunk.

The second, the ideas of Protestantism or Luther's thoughts. We can see that the more time Luther spends in the Church the more he doubts its methods. In the scene where Martin and the priest argue about the meaning of the Church, viewers are presented with the two main ideas of Protestantism. The first one is 'Sola Scriptura' when Martin refers to scripture to explain what is the meaning of faith in Christianity. The second idea presented immediately after when the priest reads a paragraph from the Bible that says 'as it is written shall live by faith'. At the end of this scene, we get a visual sign highlighting these two ideas when Martin Luther writes 'sola' in the Bible. The lecture material focuses on these two ideas as well. We know that Luther thought that scripture has an answer for every situation and salvation is achieved only through faith, not by paying indulgences. Another idea that is highly voiced in the movie is the meaning of Jesus Christ for Martin Luther and Protestantism. The only symbol for prayers is Jesus, the man who paid for humanity's salvation is Jesus these are some of Luther's statements. In Luther's perspective, the central figure was Christ, not the symbols associated with him. Basically, Luther's teachings had the most impact on Protestantism. He stated them clearly at the Leipzig. His speech, to put it simply, democratized Christianity and Scripture, anybody can earn salvation and you do not have to be a monk or pay taxes. This was revolutionary for the Church. In our lecture material, we do not get to know his first debate that shows his devotion to believes.

The third is the political impact reformation had on the Roman Church and Europe. In the beginning, we see how German princes expand their influence and lands with the help of the Pope. However, from the time Luther went against Pope, the nobles who were interested in complete self-governance over lands patronized him. For example duke, Frederick secured safe conduct and Diet of Worms for him where he had a chance to stand before Charles 5th. Besides Luther's teachings resonated among the population and raised the ideas of freedom in their minds which resulted in the revolt. After his teaching spread over Europe, the Church split into two. In the end, we see that the Roman church has no authority over Germans. The same material was given during the lecture, Charles was occupied with the war against the Ottoman empire and was unable to bring under control Germany.

In conclusion, I have positive impressions after the movie, the movie conveyed the main ideas, religious traditions, characters' motivations, and historical facts precisely. The movie does not have scenes that are not accordant with historical context. The movie is really helpful in understating Protestantism's origins and its importance in the history of Europe.

Important historical movie about protestant reformations

[yermekkaltayev · 8/10 · 27 October 2020]

One of the earliest and most effective protestant reformations was led by Martin Luther. Further, it gained a lot of support from both Germany and other European countries. The following work is considered as a biographical movie about Martin Luther and his protestant reformation in the 16th century. In this movie key points of the history of this reformation were well discussed and if we compare it with the lecture materials on the protestant reformations, then most of the information will coincide. In other words, this movie tells about the crucial moment of Martin Luther's life. The introductory part of the movie shows the respect that Martin Lither had as being a successful lawyer. It is very important to show this because it was a basement for Martin Luther's future liturgy in St. Augustine's Church. Church took a significant role in the society of that time because people were very religious, and the church was the place to pray. Martin Luther had a desire to show to people that they can be closer to God through the scriptures. For example, the scene, when Martin Luther crosses out the word in the Bible and writes the word "sola", is one of the key moments, because in the lecture was discussed the wide use of this word in Luther's works: "On the freedom of a Christian" - sola fide and "An assertion of all the articles" - sola scriptura. It is the main concept that Luther wanted to deliver to people. As shown in the movie and told in the lecture, Martin Luther was searching the spiritual peace. As a result, Staupitz has sent Luther to Rome, where Luther saw the richness of the local church. Again, he thought that it is not necessary to spend that amount of money to pray. Moreover, when indulgencies were selling and easily accessible to people, Luther was very angry. It was the moment when Luther wrote his first thesis and his first important writing against the policy of churches. For instance, he wrote the following phrase: "... you cannot buy God's mercy". As discussed in the lecture and paid special attention in the movie, he posted it on the door of the Augustine's Church - the place where people used to read news and important information. It was the first step of spreading the protestant ideology of Martin Luther. The Gutenberg's printing press was considered in the lecture and in the movie, it was vital for the successful spread of Luther's 95 theses and other works. They were distributed to people and consequently reached most of the churches and their bishops. It created a huge resonance and discussions about Luther's works. The debate in Leipzig was organized to show that Luther's ideas are heretic. Here the link between Jan Hus and Martin Luther occurs, because, as discussed in the lecture, Luther's predecessor also was a protestant, but was unsuccessful and burned at the stake. Johann Eck and locals tried to merge Luther's and Hus' ideas. For example, Luther and his company saw the following phrase on the walls of streets: "Death to Luther the sax on Hus ". It shows the local unacceptance of Luther's ideas, which will be changed after the debates. One of the biggest moments of Martin Luther's protestant reformation was the Diet of Worms. It occurred later, in 1521, after the debates in Leipzig and rapidly spreading of his writings. This was well filmed, because now, when Martin Luther gained more support from people, citizens of Worms were on Luther's side and warmly welcomed him. It demonstrates the effect of Luther's 95 Theses and its high acceptance among the public. Cardinal Aleander tried to add pressure on Luther by asking whether he is going to retract from his writings or not. However, Luther was cool and confident to say the following popular phrase: "Here I stand. I can do no other". It was a phrase, which attracted more people to Luther's protestant way. Furthermore, Luther continued to work and had translated the New Testament into German, which became popular and changed the way believers think about the Christian religion. To sum up, this movie represents the biography of Martin Luther and his protestant movement in more detail. Every part of this movement was correlated with Luther's thoughts and writings. All the key moments were well filmed and tried to pay the viewers' attention to them. The original phrases said by Martin Luther also added some reality and understanding of his biography. Almost every information told in the lecture took place in this film. I would recommend this movie, because it contains all the important stories related to protestant reformations and perfectly delivers it to viewers. If you want to feel what does Martin Luther thought and tried to share with people, go on and watch this movie.

Film review

[elmiraospanova · 10/10 · 25 October 2020]

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity characterized by the focus on the Bible and the belief that only God is an authority, and no men. Protestantism focuses on declining the power that the church holds in religion, and distributing it to the faithful people instead. The film Martin Luther furthers understanding of Protestantism by narrating the events of Martin Luther's life and how they relate to the fundamental traits of Protestantism. Highlighted are the belonging of true believers to the Church of Christ, which is different from for example belonging to the Roman Church or Orthodox Church; the belief in the authority of Scripture over any men's words even if that man is the Pope; and the lack of reverence to those who hold positions in the church, as they are a job as any other. The movie starts with Luther's life as a Catholic priest. Leaving the work in a university, Martin Luther gives out his earthly possessions to his friends, claiming he will have no need for these things where he goes. He goes out to join the Augustinian order and become a Catholic monk. Luther's time at the monastery informed his disdain for the constraints on physical pleasures imposed by Catholic Christianity. Such actions did not help him find peace so the Protestant Christianity focuses less on them. In fact, there are fewer restrictions on the lives of people who decide to become priests, because to Protestants it is a job like any other. In the film we see Luther marrying one of the nuns, and Protestantism allows the lower-tier ministry to not uphold celibacy. Such policy is informed by the larger focus of Protestantism, which is focusing on interpreting the Bible and disregarding the rules that the Church has acquired that do not derive from it. Martin Luther has found many of what his contemporary Roman Catholic Church practised not informed by the Bible. Luther is depicted witnessing numerous instances of Catholic Church assigning religious values to physical attributes, be it trips and reverence to holy places, donations to the Church or buying indulgencies to have one's sins forgiven. Luther's dissatisfaction with that is evident, and the film shows how Luther comes to his doctrine of living by faith alone, or sola fide. As was mentioned in the lectures, the rituals and appearances of the Protestant Church are vastly different from both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Luther's experience with the wealth and opulence of the church has informed his dedication to a simplified version of church structure and more lax rules for priests. On the example of indulgencies sold by the Chuch, Luther illustrated the wrong practices employed by the Catholic authorities at the time. His argument is that because Jesus Christ has suffered and died for the sins of all Christians, there is no need to try and absolve them again - they are already forgiven. In the film, Luther talks about his right to be "a slave to no man's authority". This is meant to show that to Protestants, there is no higher authority in the matters of religion that the scripture and one's own understanding of it, which of course contradicts the Catholic tradition of giving the Pope a lot of authority. At the same time, Luther is shown to condemn destruction, as he gives a pacifist speech about loving one's neighbours. In conclusion, Martin Luther and his beliefs have contested the authority of the Church, made the Bible accessible to laymen, therefore giving people the power in their religion.

Issues about Indulgences

[shamilsarmonov · 10/10 · 25 October 2020]

"Martin Luther" film discusses some of the most fascinating topics that were risen in the beginning of 16th century in Europe. These topics are related with the forgiveness of sins: indulgences versus free forgiveness and it is about searching for true faith: authority of Pope versus ideology of Martin Luther. Also, this movie tries to answer the questions: why Martin Luther started his movement, why people decided to support him, how Protestantism became popular in Europe, and what are the potential threats which protestants may face? This review is divided into two parts. How well the problems with indulgences and the authority of Pope were represented in the movie will be discussed in the first part. Does it show the core things of Protestantism and how does it show the potential threats of this new movement? There are two main scenes that show the problems with indulgences: first is where the priest is bargaining for price of indulgence and second where the priest forgives sins for everybody who pays coins. In the first scene, it is shown that to buy forgiveness of sins is as primitive as to buy some clothes in a shop when people are bargaining for the price. By this scene, it is well shown that the price of indulgence is variating, and the forgiveness of sins is transformed from the holiness to the business. In the second scene priest claims: "as soon as the money clinks in the chest, a soul flies up heavenly rest", thus giving forgiveness for everybody who pays money, showing that the only real prerequisite to be forgiven is to pay a coin to a priest. This scene corresponds to the historical event when Friar Tetzel - priest said: "when the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." (Lecture: The Protestant Reformation (Part I)). These two scenes precisely show the core issues of the indulgences with which protestants are going to argue. The second important issue that is shown is that the authority of Pope is standing higher than any other authority, even if the authority is Scripture Itself. Moreover, it is shown that the only right meaning of Scripture is always explained by Pope and teachers of Scripture. This problem is shown throughout the movie, for example when Martin Luther explains the word "righteousness", he is asked: where did he get that explanation? And it was explained to him, that it is not good to understand the Scripture by his own way. The peak of this issue is shown when Martin Luther is trying to debate and defend his ideas, that he was not even allowed to speak what he wants, but had to answer questions that were asked to accuse him in heresy. By these scenes and the atmosphere that is in the movie, it can be seen how high the authority of Rome and Pope was standing above others. After Martin Luther came from the debates in Rome and was successfully saved from the persecutions, the meaning of his teachings started to be represented. There are several scenes in the movie which represents the core things in Protestantism that represents very well the focus on the faith rather than on the traditions, icons, statutes, etc. Here is one of the best examples: when Martin Luther was absent, one of the priests of the Protestant church convinced people to destroy all statues, icons in the city because they do not need them and the only thing that they need is faith. People violently destroyed the images of Saint people and statues. However, when Martin Luther came, he blamed the priest and accused him in his mistakes. Afterwards he was preaching to people that faith is not enough without love. So, there are two main topics that arise from this scene. First, is that protestants are repeating the mistakes, which they were previously trying to solve. They started to use their authority to diminish others and persecute those who may have different thoughts and ideas about what Scripture says. As it is known in the upcoming historical events, different denominations were persecuting one another, Calvinist were against Anglican Church and vice versa, Protestants against Catholics, etc. (Lecture: The Protestant Reformation (Part II)). From the other hand, this scene shows the foundation of the faith. That it is not only about believing to God, how some people misunderstood, and thus were several times repeating the mistakes of their predecessors, but about the love that is going in parallel with faith. Martin Luther claims in his speech that righteousness is not enough without love. It means that according to Protestantism we need to love people, or otherwise our faith is not full. Also, his speech may be explained in the next way: even though you are right, it does not propose that you should diminish the one who is wrong, but to love him/her and to help him/her. Here it can be referred to what Jesus told about two most important commands: to love God and to love your neighbor (Mark 12:29-31). So, it is well shown in these scenes of the movie that the core things of faith are related with love, but although it was so, it is shortly and not really explicitly shown that protestants were repeatedly raising the issues against which they were fighting themselves. This movie in the best way showed the issues why protestant movement began by showing the issues with indulgences. Also, it showed how challenging it was for Martin Luther to promote his ideas, and to defend himself in front of the authorities of that time. Finally, the core ideas of Protestantism that were referring to the most important commandments in Bible about love were very well shown.