Sabina: Tortured for Christ - The Nazi Years

This movie is probably the perfect double -edged sword.

On the one hand it is absolutely perfect. Perfect actors, perfect movie sets, music et al. But this movie is obviously not about performance, although the VOM has apparently invested a lot into it, to have their donations rolling.

It is about an incredible story of salvation of the Wurmbrand's, and at least the physical salvation of others, while we are not aware through this movie if spiritual salvations occurred.

My two favorite quotes will give you a glimpse of what awaits you in this movie:

Richard "... it reveals to us the death of our sinfulness, our deep need for a Savior. No, I think, no, I do not want a Jesus who has been calculated, explained and believed in. I want a real Jesus. Is that such an impossible ideal?"

Sabine "From the day of my wedding forward, I only ever kissed two men, one my husband, and two, a man who murdered my family."

Now why a double -edged sword?

Because the producers could not take their hands away from the Anglican and Lutheran church. It is incomprehensible why such a movie had to be ruined through denominational divisions. Why could Wurmbrand not simply have found his salvation in a church building which had not been hastily decorated with a big print of 'Anglican Mission to the Jews'? Why did the producer commit the incredible error to involve Luther's name in this movie?

The only reason I see to have included Luther into this movie, -and it would have been a perfect opportunity- would have been to apologize in the name of the Reformed / Lutheran Church for the Holocaust which would probably not have existed without Luther (very hard words but we cannot ignore this well-known truth). But to present now precisely a Lutheran as savior of those who suffered the ugly consequences of Luther's antisemitism, is ridiculous at best, it is audacious.

I deeply respect Wurmbrand for what he has done and suffered, no matter the denomination. But precisely this denomination should have been left out of the movie. It would have been so easy to leave the church door blank and to let him be just a Christian pastor.

The lengths that this family and this man and these people went through during such a time to live out and spread the faith is remarkable.

I'm grateful I watched this and was sent this by my church community.

To God be the Glory through His Son Jesus Christ's name.

Imitation of Christ is lived out by these beautiful believers during this time in the Soviet Union. It's inspiring.

I was not familiar with the Wurmbrand's story. I thought the production was solid as well as the acting. The story is told well. Not on the level of Ghandi, but a great "true story" about forgiveness.

The story of Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand is my favorite romance. Ever since I first read Sabina's story in her autobiography, "The Pastor's Wife," I've hoped to emulate her. So I went into this film with high expectations, and it met almost every last one. One of my all time favorite parts of Sabina's story became the focal point of this tale, much to my delight. There were a few creative liberties taken with the story, but for the most part, to discuss them would be nitpicking. There was a healthy amount of humor, and all of that humor served a purpose to either advance the plot or to drive home an important message. And the locations they chose for filming were often quite breathtaking, being set in the landscapes of Romania (where the story takes place) and Northern Ireland.

The choice to have Raluca Botez reprise her role as Sabina, but two decades before the start of the previous film, was a bold one, but it worked for the most part. There were points when you could really tell they had an older actress playing a young woman. Emil Mandanac, on the other hand, looks like he hasn't aged a day.

I gave the movie an 80% rating on account of two primary complaints. First, I wasn't overly fond of the editing at the very opening of the movie. Scene transitions were sharp and sudden, and it could be a bit confusing in the first 5-10 minutes. It was unclear whether the movie would have exposition in the form of subtitles throughout until Sabina started narrating, and their excuse for speaking English felt, to me, as contrived as the pilot episode of Hogan's Heroes. It is, in fact, accurate to many of the Wurmbrands' interactions with people whose native tongue they did not speak, but this fact gets lost in the way they present it. The jarring transitions didn't last throughout the film, but the narration acted as a constant reminder that they were there.

Second was the unusual decision to have the Wurmbrands seemingly distance themselves from their Jewish heritage after they became Christians. The Wurmbrands made a VERY firm point about being born Jews, to the point that Richard even rejected the opportunity to hide his heritage outright when a friend in the Reich bureaucracy gave him the chance. When a few characters, one of them a soldier, ask Richard if he is a Jew, Richard answers that he is a Christian. In real life, the answer would've been, "Yes, I am a Jew, as is my Savior." They did this because the pastor who baptized and trained them, Isaac Feinstein, also wore the star without shame. It didn't sit well with me to see these unashamedly Jewish Christians correcting anyone who asked them if they were Jewish. And if I could change just one part of the film, that would be it.

Overall, this is a beautiful film with a beautiful message, and it captures the love between Richard and Sabina wonderfully. I came for the romance and stayed for the message. It truly is a wonderful summary of what it is to be a Christian, especially in times of trial and persecution. "The heart of the gospel is forgiveness."

Great movie! If you're like me and are reading reviews hoping to see if this is okay for kiddos to watch, this is for you. My girls are 5, 11, and 13. While the youngest didn't really have any interest, this movie is safe for them to watch. There was implied violence etc, but no actual violence was shown that I can recall (there are obviously some fearful scenes because of the plot and setting). There was some alcohol and partying (mostly before the couple got saved, and the bad guys). I didn't hear any curse words. If you feel your children are old enough to understand the impact of this type of movie, I'd say it's a good one. It shows the importance of accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior, and how He can change your life to make you more like Him. My husband, our kids, and my in laws really thought this was a solid movie (and my in laws are extremely conservative and will barely watch any TV or movies). Watch it, and spread the word.