December 10, 2010
LUTHER
RELEASED: October 30, 2003
GENRE: Drama
DIRECTED BY: Eric Till
SCREENWRITERS: Camille Thomasson & Bart Gavigan
MUSIC: Richard Harvey
MAIN ACTORS: Joseph Fiennes (MARTIN LUTHER), Alfred Molina (JOHN TETZEL),
Uwe Ochsenknecht (POPE LEO X), Marco Hofschneider (ULRICK), Benjamin Sadler
(SPALATIN), Claire Cox (KATHARIN VON BORA), Gene Reed (FREDERICK OF SAXONY) The film, Luther, is set during the period of 1450 to 1750 but more specifically in the 1500’s. This is during the reign of Charles V who is the Holy Roman Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire encompasses the Latin West and its official religion is Catholicism. …show more content…
The gothic-architectural designs and styles are depicted in the construction of Saint Peter’s Basilica Cathedral. Its construction is led by Pope Leo X in order to increase his papal power and promote Catholicism in the whole empire.
The main characters are Martin Luther, Charles V and Pope Leo X. Martin Luther who is a German monk strongly opposes the paying of indulgences to the Catholic Church. He also criticizes the acts and responsibilities of the papacy, Pope Leo X and the church. As a result of his opposition and critics, Luther becomes a threat to Pope Leo X and Charles V. Charles V is the Holy Roman Emperor and of the noble class. His strong support for the Pope and the Catholic Church makes him a protagonist to Martin Luther.
After Luther goes for theological studies at Wittenberg, his views towards God change. He starts to preach of the love and God and soon he receives a huge following from the people of Wittenberg. When Pope Leo X officializes the paying of indulgences to the Catholic Church, Luther stands against the Pope’s intentions. He even continues to condemn most practices of the Church and by arguing that forgiveness can never be gained through the paying of indulgences for purgatory except through God. This statement later becomes one of his …show more content…
In response, the German people of Wittenberg, Luther’s faithful followers, start a rebellion against the Catholic Church and its leadership. They reject to pay the indulgences to the Catholic Church and ignore its laws. These followers then proceed to attack Roman Catholic officials and the clergy. They burn down Catholic cathedrals and monasteries. As a reaction to this rebellion against the church, a huge massacre takes place in Germany. Martin Luther is really disappointed with the people of Wittenberg because of their violence and evil acts. This is a result of the people’s misinterpretation of Luther’s beliefs. Worse still, Luther mourns the bloodshed caused by both the rebellion and Charles