Parents' Guide to

Luther

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Sober historical drama tells valuable tale with some death.

Movie PG-13 2004 124 minutes
Luther Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

The_Rater
The_Rater Adult
March 28, 2020
age 16+

Good Movie!

A great movie, showing how in the early 16th century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the Roman Catholic church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation. The movie although represents a lot of violence (including people getting hanged, burned or decapitated) it is still a very touching movie.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Wdfrancavilla
Wdfrancavilla Adult
April 15, 2019
age 12+

Entertaining and informative

This is a great movie and can be used to teach your kids about the Protestant reformation. There might be two curse words, some mild violence, and there is one scene where Luther is fully clothed in bed kissing his fully clothed wife, obviously it doesn't go beyond that. If your kids can handle those themes, I would recommend this informative movie

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the sixteenth century, a German priest named Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) becomes increasingly disillusioned with the Catholic church, which he believes has become too concerned with material wealth and is drifting far from the original message of Jesus. His controversial views rouse the ire of the Pope and church hierarchy in Rome, and he's branded a heretic and later excommunicated. LUTHER shows what he risks by standing up for what he believes and follows the evolution of his ideas, as well as how those ideas transformed the world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

Luther, the historical figure, was incredibly strong to stand up the church, even upon pain of death; Luther, the biopic, however, is less vivid and compelling. The film does a good job of explaining how his views evolved, but it feels less like a drama and more like a history lesson.

Fiennes is a fine actor who captures his character's conflicts. But the script is more like a series of vignettes -- each episode focused on an important event in Luther's life -- that don't hold together as a connected tale. It's preachy rather than exciting, and feels like a movie someone might watch for school, rather than a title to sink into for entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about people who made a difference in history. What do you think about the life of Martin Luther? How were his ideas different from the status quo? Who else has taken a stand and changed history?

  • Would you stand up to authority for something you believed in, as Luther did? What would be the challenges to doing this? What kind of cause would make you take something on despite the difficulty?

  • How much of what is in this movie is factual? How can you find out?

Movie Details

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