# What do you think about two religious movies... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742 "2003-09-25T13:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/1 "2003-09-25T13:54:00Z")
being released at almost the same time? I have seen commercials for [Luther](http://www.lutherthemovie.com/) and[The Gospel of John](http://www.gospelofjohnthefilm.com) on TV recently and though I am not particularly religious, I would go see them as strictly for novelty value only. What do the Christians think of this? Does the Pope have any thoughts on either film being released? MetalMaven ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/2 "2003-09-25T14:45:44Z")
Joseph Fiennes as Luther ought to be interesting, but I want to see Peter Ustinov as the Elector Frederick the Wise. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/3 "2003-09-25T19:43:45Z")
I’m an atheist but plan on seeing _Luther_. I like historical movies. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/4 "2003-09-25T20:58:12Z")
As a Lutheran, I can tell you that all the feedback I’ve heard has been very positive. Peter Ustinov in particular has gotten rave reviews. They apparently didn’t mess with the story too much. (Don’t get me started on the Richard Burton version!) I’m going to see it with some friends later, if anyone is interested, I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/5 "2003-09-25T22:36:26Z")
**Punkyova** –I was raised in the Lutheran church (Missouri Synod) and I’m sure at some point if I don’t go see this movie (or both of them!), my mother will make me watch bootlegged copies of them or something. I AM interested in talking to my mom’s pastor about this though, to get his take on it. He’s been to Wittenburg and been on a “Trials of Luther” (or something) field trip through that particular region of Germany. MetalMaven ---
**Author:** ![Nanook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nanook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/6 "2003-09-26T01:25:19Z")
Richard Burton never portrayed Luther. Becket, yes–Luther, no. Perhaps you’re confusing him with Stacy Keach, who starred in the AFI production of the play, recently released on DVD. Both Keach and Burton are wonderful in their respective roles. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/7 "2003-09-26T02:08:46Z")
**80’s HMM** , “The Lutheran Witness”(the LCMS magazine) and the “Thrivent” magazine(Lutheran related) have reviewed the movie. Thrivent actually financed part of it. Both seem to think very well of the movie, and had still shots. Peter Usinov was quoted about the costuming, and how heavy it could be. “Basically their made out of curtain material. They press you in places you are not used to having pressed.” He also referred to a period style hat he had to wear as “That great pudding on my head.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/8 "2003-09-26T19:20:35Z")
Nanook wrote: > [@](#): > > Richard Burton never portrayed Luther. Becket, yes–Luther, no. Perhaps you’re confusing him with Stacy Keach, who starred in the AFI production of the play, recently released on DVD. Both Keach and Burton are wonderful in their respective roles. No, I’m thinking of Richard Burton. I can’t find it on the IMDB, but I know that he was in such a movie. Maybe someone else who has seen it in Lutheran basements 150 times can back me up on this. It’s a black and white movie. It ends with a rousing chorus of “Ein Feste Burg…,” sung in English and with the wrong harmony parts. (Note - I was also raised Missouri, so ELCA Lutherans might think the harmonies are right.) Does anyone else remember this? Back me up, or I’ll think I’m starting to go mad… [looks around hopefully] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/9 "2003-09-26T19:30:30Z")
Nanook wrote: > [@](#): > > Richard Burton never portrayed Luther. Becket, yes–Luther, no. Perhaps you’re confusing him with Stacy Keach, who starred in the AFI production of the play, recently released on DVD. Both Keach and Burton are wonderful in their respective roles. No, I’m thinking of Richard Burton. I can’t find it on the IMDB, but I know that he was in such a movie. Maybe someone else who has seen it in Lutheran basements 150 times can back me up on this. It’s a black and white movie. It ends with a rousing chorus of “Ein Feste Burg…,” sung in English and with the wrong harmony parts. (Note - I was also raised Missouri, so ELCA Lutherans might think the harmonies are right.) Does anyone else remember this? Back me up, or I’ll think I’m starting to go mad… [looks around hopefully] ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/10 "2003-09-26T19:36:49Z")
This _Gospel of John_ you linked to in the OP… looks like a low-budget affair. Was it made by some religious organization as an evangelism film? It makes me think of the _Jesus_ film that’s been shown in every remote tribe around the world. Except this one’s barely being released outside of Texas. _Luther_ looks good, and I’ll probably see it, but I’m really aching to see Mel Gibson’s _Passion_. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/11 "2003-09-27T00:52:13Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by The Punkyova \* > \*\* It ends with a rousing chorus of “Ein Feste Burg…,” sung in English and with the wrong harmony parts. (Note - I was also raised Missouri, so ELCA Lutherans might think the harmonies are right.)_\* Dude, I amazed that you Protestants are so musical that you know by heart the SATB parts of your hymns! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/12 "2003-09-27T01:03:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > **This _Gospel of John_ you linked to in the OP… looks like a low-budget affair. Was it made by some religious organization as an evangelism film? It makes me think of the _Jesus_ film that’s been shown in every remote tribe around the world.** Actually, the trailer looks real good. All high quality production values (as much as you can see through the internet). There’s been a series of cinematic dramatizations of the Gospels. Their goal is to present the full text without anything added or deleted. I think this _John_ is the last of the series. _Matthew_ was done in Aramaic (or Hebrew?) like the upcoming Gibson’s _Passion_, but with overdubbing. That didn’t work too well. The others have English speaking characters. The purpose of doing a separate film of each of the Gospel writers is specifically to keep them separate. Too many times a ‘blended’ version of the life of Jesus winds up being unsound (from a scriptual scholarly point of view) because of the differences in the the Gospels. As I mentioned in a previous thread on _Passion_, Gibson’s going to be raked over the coals for not being ‘accurate’ due to the inherent contradictions among the passion narratives. So, to wrap it up: I think _John_ will be an excellent visual presentation of the full and complete text of John’s Gospel. Hey, Christopher Plummer is narrating. Maybe he’ll break out into a rendiation of _Edelweiss_. Shalom. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/13 "2003-10-05T07:11:35Z")
Saw the Movie “Luther”. Thought it was excellent. I had my doubts going into the theater but it was well worth the time and money. I can see why the Catholic church didn’t like it. it puts the people running the church in a bad light. Of course some of the early protestants were shown to be less than stellar as well, looting and burning the Catholic churches in Luther’s name. ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-two-religious-movies/203742/14 "2003-10-05T12:56:15Z")
Well and I think that was the point, **adhemar**. Luther (at least from what I was taught) didn’t think too highly of the Catholic church to begin with, which is why he revolted and started his own gig. YMMV. MetalMaven