Luther

Sorry, just noticed your post. Yes, I've seen Luther, found it not too bad, considering it was an hollywoodish
take on his life. Was it on general release in North-America?
Loved the late Peter Ustinov as Friederich der Weise!
I think Martin Luther's importance is rather underrated, in- and especially outside Germany. People only see him as founder of the Protestant religion, but I think he was more influential as a catalyst, finally freeing the development of thought from the shuckles of the Catholic Church, and therefore ,after him, allowing for far more radical ideas to appear. The fact alone, that, by translating the bible , he emancipated the German language and made it pssible for people who didn't understand Latin to access and discuss new ideas, make him one of the most influential figures in German history.
If the movie helps to awake an interest in his person, then it can't be that bad.


Edited by Komnenos

Did it bring up his anti-semitism at all?

In 1517, all Christians would most likely have been anti-Semitic. As most Moslems would have considered Christians unbelievers and "Christian dogs."

"Diversity," and political correctness had little validity then.

Religious unorthodoxy was considered heresy and treason in those times.




    

Edited by pikeshot1600 - 04-Jan-2007 at 19:19

Has anyone seen the BBC adaptation the reluctant revolutionary, it seemed to be to be quite accurate any thoughts?

also would people say the film is a good education tool, I am studying Luther at the moment and wondering if watching it would be useful revision

Anyone who has taken time to read Luther's voluminous writings and correspondence can only conclude that he was not a "nice" man and in fact Freud might have called him a paranoid schizophrenic. I need only refer to his wrestling with the devil in the security of his own crapper!