ashdoc
02-13-14, 02:03 PM
Ashdoc's movie review---
It's the early sixteenth century and religion is the dominant force in the world . People are steeped in superstition and dogma .
......And it's the same even in what is supposedly the world's most advanced continent---Europe....
The church is fleecing people in the name of getting their sins written off for money and the priests are awash in debauchery....
One brave German---a monk---has the courage to stand up against all this not only because he is fearless but also because he believes he is a true believer in God . His name is Martin Luther....
He is shocked by the sale of indulgences for money to write off sins and by the whoring done by priests and by the sale of useless trinkets and by the corruption and the luxury of church officials while the common people are mired in poverty . And he has the chutzpah to post his views on paper and hammer the paper on the door of the church---thus going into open rebellion....
As his views are printed all across Germany he becomes a rallying point for people who want to revolt against the catholic church . He is asked to recant his theses and when he refuses , he is excommunicated....
But it is too late as he has set alight the reformation , and events have moved so fast now no one can set the clock back....
To some he is a hero fighting against injustice , while to others he is a zealot who has divided Christiandom at a time when the Turks are knocking on the gates of Vienna . But love him or hate him you cannot ignore him....
Luther has a powerful protector in Frederick the wise who is the elector of Saxony , but an even more powerful enemies in Pope Leo X and Charles V who is the Holy Roman Emperor .
Luther is brought to trial at Worms where he will have to summon up the guts to stand up to his beliefs .
So does he have the guts ??
And what is his reaction to the slaughter that his dividing beliefs have created ??
Do the German princes side with him or against him ??
And does he achieve his goal of translating the Bible into the German language and make it accessible to the common people ??
Watch the movie for the answers....
Joseph Fiennes has put up a fine performance as Martin Luther , bringing out his passion for reforming his religion all too well . Peter Ustinov has clearly enjoyed playing his role of Frederick the wise by injecting a touch of humor even in serious situations .
Luther's marriage comes almost as an afterthought in the film , as the entry of his wife ( played by Claire Cox ) is towards the end of the movie .
And the movie ends well before Luther's life did....
Music is the strong part of the film , as classical music blends with holy hymns---it is always in the background and is a powerful presence without being loud , making the movie more likable .
All in all , I was pleasantly surprised to get a free and interesting history lesson in a VCD which I had got free with my DVD of 'Dr Zhivago' .
Verdict---Very decent .
It's the early sixteenth century and religion is the dominant force in the world . People are steeped in superstition and dogma .
......And it's the same even in what is supposedly the world's most advanced continent---Europe....
The church is fleecing people in the name of getting their sins written off for money and the priests are awash in debauchery....
One brave German---a monk---has the courage to stand up against all this not only because he is fearless but also because he believes he is a true believer in God . His name is Martin Luther....
He is shocked by the sale of indulgences for money to write off sins and by the whoring done by priests and by the sale of useless trinkets and by the corruption and the luxury of church officials while the common people are mired in poverty . And he has the chutzpah to post his views on paper and hammer the paper on the door of the church---thus going into open rebellion....
As his views are printed all across Germany he becomes a rallying point for people who want to revolt against the catholic church . He is asked to recant his theses and when he refuses , he is excommunicated....
But it is too late as he has set alight the reformation , and events have moved so fast now no one can set the clock back....
To some he is a hero fighting against injustice , while to others he is a zealot who has divided Christiandom at a time when the Turks are knocking on the gates of Vienna . But love him or hate him you cannot ignore him....
Luther has a powerful protector in Frederick the wise who is the elector of Saxony , but an even more powerful enemies in Pope Leo X and Charles V who is the Holy Roman Emperor .
Luther is brought to trial at Worms where he will have to summon up the guts to stand up to his beliefs .
So does he have the guts ??
And what is his reaction to the slaughter that his dividing beliefs have created ??
Do the German princes side with him or against him ??
And does he achieve his goal of translating the Bible into the German language and make it accessible to the common people ??
Watch the movie for the answers....
Joseph Fiennes has put up a fine performance as Martin Luther , bringing out his passion for reforming his religion all too well . Peter Ustinov has clearly enjoyed playing his role of Frederick the wise by injecting a touch of humor even in serious situations .
Luther's marriage comes almost as an afterthought in the film , as the entry of his wife ( played by Claire Cox ) is towards the end of the movie .
And the movie ends well before Luther's life did....
Music is the strong part of the film , as classical music blends with holy hymns---it is always in the background and is a powerful presence without being loud , making the movie more likable .
All in all , I was pleasantly surprised to get a free and interesting history lesson in a VCD which I had got free with my DVD of 'Dr Zhivago' .
Verdict---Very decent .