Friends, as a lover of movies in general and of superhero movies specifically, I am honored to write a brief review about the three Luther movies. Though he never wanted the fame or glory, Luther is the champion of the Reformation and a hero to many. Combining my two movie interests, it is only natural for me to review the Luther movies in the same way I reviewed another series of hero movies, Batman. Please do not think I am making light of Luther by making such a comparison. Growing up, my first encounter with Batman was the 1960's Batman movie. It was campy but had its moments. Growing up in an Lutheran elementary school, we too would watch the old black and white Luther movie in October around Reformation time. This 1953 movie had great action, but at times seemed a little dated and over the top with the acting and accents. Skip ahead to the next time Batman shows himself on screen with Timothy Burton's 1989 Batman, I was wowed to see the caped crusader make the jump from the TV to the big screen. The same feeling can be said for when Luther makes the jump back to the big screen but this time IN COLOR with the 2003 Luther movie. Finally, when one watches the more recent masterpiece of Christopher Nolan's Batman, you can see every polished detail on screen. This was a true representation of how the character should be portrayed. And this is exactly what Boettcher/Trinklein did with this new version of the Luther movie. They finally got Luther right!

So pop some corn, sit back, and enjoy my reviews. Like all critics, I do not claim my views are infallible and the only source of knowledge. They are just the thoughts of this humble pastor who was asked to do something he loves — watch movies! Also for obvious reasons, with it being the the newest of the three, I will have more to say about the latest incarnation of Luther on the big screen than its predecessors. The reviews will be in the order I watched them.

A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy – 2017 – Running time 105 minutes

The new Luther movie starring Padraic Delany as Luther was not what I expected. I went into the theater thinking I would be seeing a biographical picture similar to the 2003 Luther movie starring Joseph Fiennes as Luther. Instead, it was filmed in the style of a documentary although there are key scenes filmed in a biographical manner about Luther's life. An all star cast of Lutheran theologians, pastors, professors, synod presidents, and even Cardinal Dolan were interviewed to discuss the actions and importance of Luther's life. President Schroeder addressed the question as to why have a Catholic Cardinal in this film. He simply stated, "Even a Cardinal recognizes Luther's impact on the world."

There are two versions of the film that Thrivent funded. The script to the movie I saw, A Return to Grace, is loosely based on Pastor John Braun's book. The second version of the film, The Idea that Changed the World, is less theological in nature and recently aired on PBS. The ratings did very well. The overnight ratings surprised the network reaching somewhere between 5 and 7 million people. One can head to the PBS Facebook page and read the hundreds of comments. This film will also repeat five more times on PBS before being made available on Netflix in 190 countries. To God be the Glory!

After viewing this movie, the audience can first be proud to be Lutheran. Secondly, they gain a better understanding that all that Luther did shapes what we do today in family, marriage, and in the German language itself. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Finally one grasps the reality that Luther was, yes, just a man, but a man God used to restore the central truth of Scripture to his people.

A special shout out to the folks at the Watertown, Wisconsin, churches for allowing me to attend their showing of the movie at the old Towne Cinema.

A few other bits of trivia for you:

1. The narrator in the movie was Hugh Bonneville, who played Lord Grantham in the mega-hit TV show Downton Abby.
2. The film was shot in Poland. Why there? Poland was not devastated by the WWII bombs, thus much of the architecture from the era of Luther's life in the film looks authentic to the times.

Luther – 2003 – Running time 123 minutes

I remember the buzz about this movie as we had not seen Luther on the big screen for 50 years. Thrivent Lutheran had marketing items such as calendars that one could see plastered all over churches and classrooms. The movie also had some clout because it starred award winning actor Joseph Fiennes as Luther, with another famous actor, Alfred Molina as Tetzel. While the movie is more fast paced than the 1953 version and IN COLOR, Luther comes across as kind of a monotone aesthetic. The portrayal of Luther's theology is pretty shallow. This movie is slanted with more emphasis on the drama of Luther's life and not on the theology or the reformation that made Luther famous. That said, some of the bigger moments that lead to the Reformation such as the Diet at Worms can be seen and enjoyed. The movie is not a bad way to get your feet (or sandals) wet with Luther.

Martin Luther – 1953 – Running time 105 minutes

The singing of Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is our God" as the dramatic conclusion of this film gives can give one goosebumps. It also took me back to the first time I remember seeing this film as a child. It was my first real introduction to who Martin Luther was. The film covers the time from 1505 with Luther entering the monastery to 1535 with the dramatic climax of the film being Luther's "Here I Stand" speech. The film's script is fairly accurate. Noted Irish actor Niall MacGinnis portrays Luther as more of a grump who takes himself pretty seriously. That is a direct contrast to the playful side of Luther we see in the 2017 film. For its day this film won many awards and received great recognition for its director and the music. If one is looking to watch this film, I highly suggest you watch the 50th anniversary DVD version which includes new features such as a documentary history with Robert E. A. Lee, retired head of the Lutheran Film Associates.

What follows is my interview with Mr. Steve Boettcher, director of the new A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy movie:

1. One of the knocks of the 2003 movie was the pacing of the movie. Some commented that it is difficult to fit Luther's entire life into a two hour movie. How did your movie overcome that challenge?

"Of course, that is always a challenge for any movie. But two hours is actually a lot of time. The key is to have a focus. Our goal was to stick to Luther and his struggle. If we had more time, we'd get more deeply into the other players in the Reformation, from Calvin to Melanchthon to the Catholic counter-Reformation etc."

2. The idea to have commentary from many noted "Lutheran" and non Lutheran speakers was brilliant. How did that idea come about to film the movie more as a documentary.

"A lot of historical dramas don't give the audience the necessary context. For example, BBC's "Wolf Hall," about Thomas Cromwell, was opaque, because viewers had no idea who the characters were. You literally had to stop their film and check Wikipedia every 5 minutes. There are two ways to handle that. You can either have the characters give their backstory in dialogue — which is often unnatural and awkward — or you can have narrators and interviewees provide the context. We did the latter."

"One good example of this is the scene with Luther in the lighting storm. One of the interviews talked about how 500 years ago people equated storms and acts of nature as acts of God. Luther saw the storm as God sending him a direct message. The interviews help the audience understand the time period and the impact."

3. A follow up to 2, what do you say to the few who may feel (spoiler alert) that having Cardinal Dolan in the film is distracting or not good?"

"No one 'owns' Luther. To do a fair film about him, we need to see him from all angles, a 360 degree view. We wanted to create a historical film on Luther and hear from many different perspectives. That gives the film credibility. And who wouldn't want to hear what Cardinal Dolan thinks about Luther? (interesting fact, on 'owning' Luther — in the past 100 years the greatest volume of books published on Luther has been by the Baptists, not Lutherans.)"

4. How much did the other Luther movies influence your movie — positively or negatively?

"The 2003 film took so much flack on historical accuracy like showing Luther preaching while strolling in the pews, we made sure we had our historical details as accurate as possible. We even made sure the colors of various nobles' coats were spot on. Notice how when Luther hears confession, it's not in a booth — that innovation came a few decades later. Similarly, every line Luther speaks are his words, documented in writings and sermons. Even the 1950s film can't say that."

5. The movie is based on Professor John Braun's book. Explain the process of how it goes from book to the big screen?

"John's book is a great resource. We recommend John's book as a follow up to anyone who has seen the film, for a deeper dive into what Luther was all about. "

6. Many directors will say working on a project changed them or helped them see things differently. Did that happen for you on this film?

"It's clear that Luther wasn't perfect. In making the film, we saw all his flaws. But that just made him more human, more relatable. It's better to see Luther as a real person, not a statue."

7. What's next for BT Media?

"We're working on a film on Paul."

8. Any closing comments to leave with our viewers about the Return to Grace movie?

"I have to say my colleague Mike Trinklein wrote an amazing script for the movie. I can't tell you the number of people we've heard from that said 'I finally get it!'"

Conclusion:

We thank Mr. Boettcher for his time and you for joining us on this heroic adventure to get to know more about the films about Martin Luther, who never claimed to be a hero, but is a hero and champion to many Lutherans.

###

Where to view them:

1953 Martin Luther

• Check your local church library to see if they have a copy, or purchase your own at Northwestern Publishing House.
• You can also view it on YouTube.

2003 Luther

• Your local church library might have a copy of this too, or purchase your own at Northwestern Publishing House.
• For viewing on YouTube, search there for "luther joseph fiennes full movie english." I'm not recommending any of these sites, but they are there.

2017 A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy

• The 2017 Return to Grace Movie can still be viewed when scheduled in select theaters,
• or it can be ordered from Northwestern Publishing House.

2017 Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed the World

• This "less Lutheran" version is scheduled for several more screenings on PBS, and then it goes to Netflix.
• It's also already on YouTube.

###

Following are some additional reviews and comments on these movies.

1953 Martin Luther

• Rotten Tomatoes
• IMDb

2003 Luther

• Rotten Tomatoes
• Roger Ebert
• IMDb
• New York Times

2017 A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy

• IMDb

2017 Martin Luther: The Idea That Changed the World

• Patheos - has a trailer

---

Translate this page into your language
Return to original language with "show original" button at top left.