Product: Luther [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
Rating: 4.0
A painless introduction to an important period in history
This movie is a moving portrayal of one of the most important historical figures of all time. The movie tells the story of a Catholic Church using fire and brimstone sermons to scare poor people into paying for indulgences (e.g. selling a "get out of hell free" letter to the mother of a crippled child). Luther courageously denounces these abuses under threat of execution by an omnipresent, repressive Catholic Church.Some reviewers have noted that the corruption and greed of the Catholic Church at the time was not worse than the protestant televangelist swindlers of today. Of course this is true, and it diminishes Luther's accomplishment, but it doesn't really diminish Luther's personal story as portrayed in the movie. While the founders of new religions may have good intentions, organized religions tend to evolve into greedy bureaucracies over time. This is the story for another movie.I'm not sure what to make of the complaints about anti-Catholicism. The inquisition was horrifying. Are movies about the holocaust anti-German?Several reviews have noted disturbing historical inaccuracies. Like most movies, the hero's flaws have been airbrushed here. However, if you are prepared to take it in with a grain of salt, Luther is a painless introduction to an important period in history.