More on Luther

First, there's this Agape Press article. (Link via Relapsed Catholic.) An excerpt:

Although the film is very frank, Strand says he has yet to hear of any criticisms from Roman Catholics. Certainly there has been no backlash comparable to the reactions from some of the Jewish community to Mel Gibson's as yet unreleased The Passion.

Then there's this lengthier article in Thrivent magazine:

Theological wrangling, however, isn't exactly a recipe for box-office blockbusters. So, why make a movie about a church reformer? Director Eric Till, auteur of the award-winning "Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace," points to Luther's pivotal place in history.

Scholars regularly rank Luther among history's most important figures. The Biography Channel recently named him third among the most important people of the last millennium. And a 1953 film called "Martin Luther" was a sleeper hit that earned two Academy Award nominations and remains a steady seller on home video. The story is popular because Luther was a man of uncommon conviction and courage, Till says. "We're all aching for a leader who won't lie," the director explains. Luther stood up for his beliefs, at great personal risk. "That was brave," the director says. "We're in dire need of people like that these days."

Luther was the epitome of the modern man, suggests Fiennes. His tale is heroic in the best sense. "You can't keep a man down and you can't control him," the actor says. "Sooner or later he will gain knowledge and, through knowledge, the power to be liberated."