Soul Food on Halloween?

October 31st is a day that has become (sadly) best known as Halloween.  Even those who may know that it is Reformation Day may have little or no working knowledge of what the Reformation was and why it is still so important.  Instead of just packing on the calories in the midsection from raiding the left-over Trick or Treat candy, why not feed year heart, mind, and soul with something of substance?  Here’s a suggestion for this week.  Raid the kid’s Trick or Treat bag, make a bowl of popcorn and settle in for a movie about the biggest thing that ever happened on October 31st.  I’ll suggest a couple of really good ones here.

Martin Luther – If you like classic black and white movies, don’t miss this one.  This is a 1953 film biography of Martin Luther. It was directed by Irving Pichel, (who also plays a supporting role), and stars Niall MacGinnis as Luther. It was produced by Louis de Rochemont.

The National Board of Review named the film the fourth best of 1953. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) (Joseph C. Brun) and Art Direction/Set Decoration (Fritz Maurischat, Paul Markwitz).   The music was composed by Mark Lothar and performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. It was filmed in studios in Wiesbaden, West Germany.

A notice at the beginning of the film characterizes it as a careful and balanced presentation of Luther's story: "This dramatization of a decisive moment in human history is the result of careful research of facts and conditions in the 16th century as reported by historians of many faiths." The research was done by notable Reformation scholars Theodore G. Tappert and Jaroslav Pelikan who assisted Allan Sloane and Lothar Wolff.

Luther is a 2003 biopic about the life of Martin Luther (1483–1546) starring Joseph Fiennes. It is an independent film partially funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The film covers Luther's life from his becoming a monk in 1505 to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530.  This is a very engaging and watchable movie that both sets the historical context for the Reformation, and does a good job of highlighting the theological issues that were at the heart of this movement.  Sir Peter Ustinov is particularly enjoyable.  It’s rated PG-13, probably because of two hanging scenes (brief) and some rather realistic camera pans of the human casualties of the Peasants Revolt.  There is no nudity or foul language.

Enjoy!