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An Almost Gospeless Luther Disappoints
by PADRE SEASON TICKET HOLDER (movies profile)
Sep 7, 2007
368
of
447 people found this review helpful
I right this as a Lutheran pastor who is an admitted Luther buff. I have traveled to to Wittenberg several times during my lifetime and even had the honor of preaching in the churches where Luther pastored in Wittenberg. So understand that I went to see this movie with high expectations. I left however disappointed.
The acting was superb and the set design would probably convince someone who had never traveled to Wittenberg. But after viewing the film, I became convinced that whoever did the final edit on this may have understood drama and a little secular history, but they did not fully understand Luther or what motivated him.
Why? This movie fails to explore fully Luther's discovery of the Gospel. Perhaps that was left on the cutting room floor, but a strong Gospel element was critical to make this movie a classic. Instead, its absence makes Christians like me leave the theater disappointed. "Finally a new movie about Luther," I thought excitedly as I drove there. But I left disappointed.
Hollywood still doesn't understand what the Gospel is. I guess that shouldn't surprise me. If they did, they also would have also understood what repentance is all about, something that God wills for everyone's daily life.
The bottom line is that this movie doesn't come close to Gospel content of the old Luther movie from the 1950s.
This movie begins without any introduction of his character or of the culture of the middle ages. With a lighting bolt, the audience suddenly sees Luther's conversion experience during a thunderstorm. Joseph Fiennes was probably too tall and good looking to portray the stoutly 5'3" monk that was the real Martin Luther.
As someone who has preached in the same castle church where Luther nailed the 95 Theses as well as at the city church where he pastored for 34 years -- I can't help saddened by this oversight. A few shots of the real Wittenberg would have been nice too!
Luther found comfort in the Gospel. It was his solace and his strength. He used the Gospel to motivate himself out his moldroms and to inspire princes and peasants alike.
Still, the movie does a respectable job with some of the other historical characers. Sir Peter Ustinov did an excellent job portraying Luther's princely benefactor, Frederick. But Luther never spoke to him face to face one on one as portrayed in the movie. Today though, if you visit Wittenberg and stand in front of the pulpit of the Castle Church you can see the original brass marker of Luther's grave that has been there since his death in 1546 and then walk a few feet towards the altar and see where, with a much larger marker, Prince Frederick is buried.
The common bond between the prince and the peasant priest will forever be the Gospel. If this movie had portrayed that fact, Lutherans and Christians would leave this movie with a far greater sense of appreciation and awe. As it is, they touched upon history, but never fully respected the lessons they could have learned.
The PG-13 rating of this movie is well deserved. This is not a movie to take young Sunday school children too. The graphic gore following the peasants revolt, as well as suggestive sexual scenes make it inappropriate for young children. |
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