5 movies to watch on Reformation Day

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, October 31, 2023

'Luther' (2003)

The 2003 movie 'Luther,' starring Joseph Fiennes as Martin Luther. — The 2003 movie "Luther," starring Joseph Fiennes as Martin Luther. | Screengrab: YouTube/Miksa B.

The 2003 film “Luther,” centered on the life of Martin Luther, follows him from his decision to become a monk to the start of the Reformation, and then the formation of the Augsburg Confession.

The movie features Joseph Fiennes as Luther, Bruno Ganz as Johann von Staupitz, Peter Ustinov as Frederick the Wise, Alfred Molina as John Tetzel, and Claire Cox as Katharina von Bora.

“If Luther suffers from anything, it’s ambition: In trying to cover so much ground, it sometimes moves too quickly, passing over story points that need developing—especially Luther’s own process of recognizing God’s grace,” wrote Matt Kaufman of Pluggedin.

“Even so, the finished product is quite an achievement—a memorable tale of a remarkable man and of the Gospel which transcended all the powers and principalities of this world. It ends up inspiring you not in the fleeting fashion of a feel-good summer flick but in the lasting way of, well, Scripture.”