Product: Luther [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
Rating: 3.0
Luther Splits Christendom.
This movie presents a somewhat distorted modernized version of Luther, as radical, populist, rebel, and "man of the people". In fact, Luther allied himself with the Germanic princes and was a nationalist. Luther's reforms were conservative, calling for a return to the Bible against the excesses of Renaissance humanism. The movie shows very little of the darker side of Luther, a gloomy manic depressive who was prone to fanatical outbursts, antisemitism, and called his enemies foul names. Those in charge of the Roman Church at the time were not particularly interested in spiritual matters, nor in alleviating the suffering of Christ's faithful as the Gospels commanded them to do. However, Luther's revolution went too far, denying all authority to the Roman pontiff and splitting the church forever. Today, the rift between those who veered off in the direction of the Reformation and those who remained with Rome has become deeper than ever.