Bundled together and labeled as educational documentaries exploring Catholic and Protestant history, The Story of the Pope and The World of Martin Luther explore a significant theological duo. The pope in question in the first documentary is Pope Pius XII, who reigned from 1939 to 1958. The radical Martin Luther is, of course, the focus of the second.
The Story of the Pope traces Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, as he becomes the Pope in 1939. The film is essentially a mini-documentary tracing the daily life of a Pope. From making speeches at the Vatican to visiting universities in America, you get a glimpse of life in this role. Some of it is, frankly, not very scintillating. When you get into Pius XII’s humanitarian efforts, however, you realize the precarious position the man was in. Being a holy figure during WWII couldn’t have been easy, and Pius famously welcomed any soldier of any nationality to the Vatican. It is perhaps this juxtaposition that strengthens the film, although it still works without this historical reading.
The World of Martin Luther is a shorter film but dives into the theologian’s upbringing and what brought him to lash out against indulgences and become a pivotal figure in the Protestant Reformation. Only half an hour long, the film nevertheless does a great job tracing Luther’s theological thought (primarily his “justification by faith”) and how it motivated him to rebel against the Church at the time.
Both of these films are thoroughly engaging and use the historical context extremely well to talk about their respective figures. These informative documentaries would work well in a religious-themed public screening event and are conducive for college and high school students interested in theology and media librarians who work at a seminary.
A double feature of two rare documentaries that explore Catholic (Pope Pius XII, Papacy 1939-1958) and Protestant (Martin Luther, 1483-1546) history. Enjoy scenes from both films...
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Title screen from The Story of the Pope
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Stills from The Story of the Pope
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Stills from The Story of the Pope
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Stills from The World of Martin Luther
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Stills from The World of Martin Luther
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Stills from The World of Martin Luther
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The Story of the Pope and The World of Martin Luther
This double dose of religious history is available from Amazon HERE or at the Festival Films website www.fesfilms.com.
