Back to browse
69% Critic Match
Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World
6.9 / 10• 2017• 1h 54m•NR• English
DocumentaryHistory
Storyline
The year 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of one on the most important events in Western civilization: the birth of an idea that continues to shape the life of every American today. In 1517, power was in the hands of the few, thought was controlled by the chosen, and common people lived lives without hope. On October 31 of that year, a penniless monk named Martin Luther sparked the revolution that would change everything. He had no army. In fact, he preached nonviolence so powerfully that — 400 years later — Michael King would change his name to Martin Luther King to show solidarity with the original movement. This movement, the Protestant Reformation, changed Western culture at its core, sparking the drive toward individualism, freedom of religion, women's rights, separation of church and state, and even free public education. Without the Reformation, there would have been no pilgrims, no Puritans, and no America in the way we know it.
Cast & Crew
Hugh Bonneville
Narrator (voice)
Lead
Pádraic Delaney
Martin Luther
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. David Batty's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
