Film Review of Luther

Martin Luther was portrayed in the film as being a very educated man especially in the biblical text. He was however also portrayed as being a sort of mental wreck this is shown by how he acted in the several scenes that seemed to be in his living quarters at night when he would argue with himself and the devil. Martin Luther was respected by his teacher but his teachers colleagues did not approve of some of his behavior.

Luther’s father saw him as being a failure since he had worked so hard to give Luther possibilities and then Luther turned to God and devoted his life to him. Towards the end of the film Luther’s father returns and does show some interest for the well being of his son but still is clearly not happy with the choices his son has made.

Luther was very respected by the peasants because of his thoughts and honesty about the biblical text. Luther believed and saw first hand how other people of “God” were using indulgences to take the money of the religiously uneducated in return for what they claimed was forgiveness and less time spent in purgatory for either themselves or relatives. Luther was blamed for the deaths of many of the peasants because after he had disappeared they had began an uprising to follow what they thought were his beliefs and because of this many of them lost their lives (it was estimated in the film that between 50,000 and 100,000 peasants and knights died.) The peasants that fought and were slaughtered were fighting alongside one of Luther’s friend’s which had taken what Luther had said and used it to rally the peasants into an uprising even though Luther did not mean it the way that it was understood. Luther did not have much power outside the peasant population with exception to the few of his fellow clergymen which mainly only helped to hide and transport him. The majority of the clergymen seemed to be rather envious of Luther for being able to stand up for what he believed in even though this meant he was in opposition to many different leaders of the time and putting his life on the line. Even though some supported his beliefs they would not stand next to him.

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church was very upset with Luther and his beliefs.