The Radicals Movie Website is now online! This website is full of interesting features with an expanded presentation of the film with galleries, and actor bios. And -- Check it Out! Be sure and check out the review of this movie on Robert Nowotny's website. He has taken parts of this page and featured it on his site, Needtovent.com -- What an honor it is to have him feature my tribute to this movie and Norbert on his website! There is more on his terrific website at the bottom of this page. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Robert!   This film covers a very brief period in the lives of spiritual martyrs Michael Sattler, portrayed by Norbert Weisser, and Margaretha, the beautiful Leigh Lombardi. They broke away from their religious order, were married and then began a quest to return the church to the morality of its early years. Their efforts resulted in a movement the medieval world wasn't prepared to accept and stood ready to terminate -- by any means necessary. The movie is based on Myron Augsburger's novel Pilgrim Aflame. The screenplay was written by Darryl Wimberly and Joel Kauffmann. Please pay special attention to the exceptional cinematography by Michael Bucher. Executive Producer Michael Hostetler and Producer Robert A. Nowotny won the CINE Golden Eagle Award in the History category for this movie. Other film festival honors include the Chris Award from the Columbus International Film & Video Festival (1990), the Silver Award presented by Worldfest-Houston (1989), and the Wilbur Award given to “the best faith-based film of the year” by the Religious Public Relations Council of America (1990). Robert A. Nowotny, who plays a tortured man in this film, is also one of the producers, along with Liza Vann as the Associate Producer. The movie is distributed by Gateway Films/Vision Video and is available from Amazon and other retailers. Included with the DVD is a copy of The Schleitheim Articles as authored on February 24, 1527. (Just as a trivia note, they also have a biographical DVD on Gladys Aylward, the English missionary woman who traveled to China in the 1930's, as played by Ingrid Bergman in the wonderful 1958 movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.) Two very powerful stories are woven together in the 1990 film The Radicals, directed by Raul Carrera. It is the biographical account of Michael Sattler who founded the Anabaptist movement around 1525. The other story, one that is just as apparent, is the story of the absolute love and devotion that Michael and Margaretha Sattler had for each other. The movie begins by reminding viewers that by 1525 the Roman Catholics had united Europe for over 1000 years and their authority was under attack. Reformation had split Europe into two worlds -- Catholic and Protestant. Peasants were rebelling against heavy taxes, and Turkish invaders threatened to overrun Europe. Brief Biography of Michael Sattler Michael Sattler was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. Born in approximately 1490 in Staufen, Germany, Sattler became a Benedictine monk in the cloister of St. Peter and most likely became prior by the time he left in 1525. That year he traveled to Zurich, which was then embroiled in controversy over infant baptism. He became associated with the Anabaptists and was probably rebaptised in the summer of 1526. He was involved in missionary activity around Horb and Rottenburg, and eventually traveled to Strasbourg. In February of 1527, he chaired a meeting of the Swiss Brethren at Schleitheim, and was particularly influential in developing the Schleitheim Confession, a declaration of Anabaptist belief. The Radicals movie presentation continues on Page 2: Producer Robert A. Nowotny Many people have commented on the touching love story between Michael and Margaretha, and how well it is portrayed in this movie. Their scenes are particularly poignant in this film and have a very genuine, warm and natural feel to them, bringing forth an incredible extra dimension in this moving story. I only hope that I have captured at least a small part of that here. Executive Producer D. Michael Hostetler Co-Screenwriter Joel  Kauffmann Michael Hostetler grew up in a missionary family setting in Brazil and was quite interested in bringing forth this important story based on the book Pilgrim Aflame. Joel Kauffmann ensured that the human story was featured just as prominently as the Anabaptist story, and paid particular attention to the love and devotion Michael and Margaretha Sattler had for each other, as well as telling the story of how they lived and ultimately died for their beliefs. In the special featurette on the DVD, Robert Nowotny has a great story about their many attempts to get the weapons used in the battle scene, swords, lances and the like, from France into Switzerland because they didn't have the proper weapons permits in place. They finally managed to get them across a remote border crossing, and were able to proceed with the filming of the battle sequence. The Radicals Wilhelm Reublin, George Blaurock and others have disrupted an infant baptism near Zurich. They come to meet with the Protestant Reformation leader in that area, Ulrich Zwingli, as played by Christopher Neame, above. The Radicals want to meet with him to gain his support of their beliefs of not baptizing infants. While a Prior at St. Peter's church and monastery, Michael tries to reason with Eberhard Hoffman about over-taxing the peasants. Michael feels guilty about taking everything from them and leaving them nothing to live on. Hoffman argues that it will make the church stronger so they can fight against the Turks, but Michael doesn't agree. He studies a tract distributed by a local printer that causes him to think that perhaps the practices of the Catholic Church should be questioned. Hoffman was the head of the Catholic church in the region, and is portrayed by veteran actor Mark Lenard. The accomplished and very talented actor Christopher Neame appears as Ulrich Zwingli (center images right). Jerry Nelson is seen here on the bottom left as George Blaurock, a follower of Reublin's. Daniel Perrett is on the lower right as Wilhelm Reublin. The Radicals, or Anabaptists, plead their case against infant baptism, stating that Jesus never baptised infants, and that it should be an adult choice. The belief of both the Catholics and Protestants in the region is that a child unbaptized is a child untaxed. Zwingli takes the discussion to the council to determine if a child baptized is a child saved or  merely a child wet. The council  rules against the Anabaptists and banishes them from the region. Anyone found not baptizing their children shall be punished by imprisonment, hard labor and limited rations. The Radicals move forward with their beliefs and start to rebaptize each other as adults, which is considered treason. Michael continues to collect taxes from the peasants, however, they have nothing left to give. He is a torn man who doesn’t want to leave them with nothing, but still feels he has to do what the Catholic church has ordered him to do. He takes their livestock in lieu of payment. The Printer begs for him to leave them with something so they can feed themselves during the harsh winter season. The Printer has been distributing  religious tracts which read “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Hoffman claims that is heresy, and has him burned alive. He is tied to his printing press and is set on fire. Michael is too late to save him. Margaretha is a nun who has known Michael for several years. She is upset with him for taking everything from the starving peasants and admonishes him -- she sees them starving and is trying to keep them alive by feeding them. He knows deep down that she is right. Michael finally does what his heart tells him, and decides to leave the Catholic church. He stumbles over his words as he shyly asks Margaretha to go away with him and marry him.  She joyously agrees. They are married and leave the area to find a new home together. Historical Note: Once a child was baptized, they were placed on the tax records and were an important source of income for the church. The idea of not baptizing infants outraged the Catholic church since they would be losing an important source of revenue. To believe otherwise meant that you could be brought up on charges of heresy and treason. Note:  The captions for these images are not as detailed as the ones you will find on the actual website for this movie: The Radicals Movie. The Radicals is available from  Vision Video. Click on the link to go to the Product Page. Official Fansite     © www.norbert-weisser.com, 2011                                           This is the Official Fansite for Mr. Norbert Weisser                                  Site Design By:  JT eDesigns