Luther
Luther
PG-13 | 30 October 2003 (USA)
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During the early 16th century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.

Reviews
KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?
Mjeteconer Just perfect...
Sammy-Jo Cervantes There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
gods_outlaw43 A Great Educational film from start to finish, discovering that faith in Christ Jesus alone saves and not by any works we do, tho we do good works not to merit salvation, but in appreciation of Christ's finished work on Mt. Calvary, and the persecution we endure for steadfast faith in Gods divine word, I pray God will give us the courage to stand without compromise in his divine will like Luther, Tyndale and a host of others did in centuries past, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.'Ephesians 2:8,9 (Authorized (King James) Version)
Desertman84 Luther is a biopic about the life of Martin Luther.It stars Joseph Fiennes in the title role.Alfred Molina,Jonathan Firth,Claire Cox and Peter Ustinov co-star to play key supporting role. It covers Luther's life from his becoming a monk in 1505 to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530.Martin Luther was an intelligent and principled young man that was studying law in early 16th century Germany when a close brush with death led him to follow a spiritual path and join a Catholic monastery. Under the guidance of Johann von Staupitz, Luther became a valued member of the monastery's hierarchy, and as a sign of his trust, von Staupitz asked Luther to join him for a voyage to Rome as part of church business. Luther was appalled by the corrupt practices of the leading church officials, in particular the sale of "indulgences" in which the wealthy could purchase forgiveness for a wide variety of sins. Luther left the monastery to study theology in Wittenberg; a keen student, he later became a professor and won the support of Frederick the Wise, who also recognized the potential controversy of Luther's iron principles. When a new pope, Leo X, assumes the throne at the Vatican, he orders the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. To pay the costs, an ambitious monk, Johann Tetzel, was sent out to sell indulgences to both the wealthy and the poor, leaving his audiences with little doubt of the eternal consequences that awaited those who did not empty their purses. An infuriated Luther wrote an angry essay on the corruption of the church entitled "95 Theses," and thanks to the recent invention of the printing press, Luther's words were soon circulated throughout Europe, leading to an angry conflict with Catholic officials which threatened to tear the church in two.A few too many amateurish techniques and oversimplified confrontations hold Luther back a notch or two from greatness, and stamp it instead as entertaining film.Also,it makes up for what it lacks in vigorous storytelling with adorable production values.But overall,it is a biopic that is simply uninspiring and far from unforgettable.
jotix100 The life of Martin Luther, examined in this film, presents a man that started out his life by being a devout catholic. He even became an Agustinian monk, following his desire to be a better man. His faith was tested as he went to Rome. There, Martin experienced a world in which there was corruption and the men that called themselves followers of the doctrine, did not hesitate to break the precepts that were the basis of their religion. That experience, set Luther on the road that led to his eventual break with the church which he vowed to serve.In attending the university, Luther became aware of other way of thinking. Having seen first hand the way Rome conducted business, as the ambitious Pope Leo X, the ruler of the church wanted to build, what would later become, St. Peter's basilica, as a monument to his reign, to be financed by the selling of special indulgences, a sort of panacea that would benefit the ones buying them.Luther's rebellion came about when he started questioning things that up to that point, no one had dared to ask. Thus, he was deemed a heretic because he wanted to simplify things and worst of all, he decided to translate from the Greek the sacred scriptures that up to that time was only the domain of an inner group of Roman higher ups."Luther" is not a great film. It plays like a documentary by stating highlights in the life of Martin Luther. The film, directed by Eric Till, and written by Bart Gavigan and Camille Thomasson, is based loosely on the play by John Osborne. Of course, this is a re-imagination of a piece of history. How accurate it is, we have no idea. This is the kind of international co-production where the cast includes the basic English actors in the main roles, but there are different accents, depending on the nationality of the actor.Joseph Fiennes in the title role shows an inspired Luther. Others in the large cast include the excellent Bruno Ganz, Alfred Molina, Sir Peter Ustinov making his last appearance in a theatrical movie, and others. The film was splendidly photographed by Robert Fraisse, whose camera takes us to some breathtaking locales that span from Germany, to the Czech Republic and Italy. Our only objection was the Richard Harvey music score that has a way to interfere with the action.
jriddick07 Luther is without a doubt one of the best movies I've had the opportunity to see this year. Joseph Fiennes is Martin Luther, the professor-turned-revolutionary that shook 16th century Europe to its core.The film is remarkably in its historical accuracy, a rarity in dealing with films about historically-influential people. It doesn't pull punches, showing the brutal violence and persecution that religious differences caused among the people of Germany. There are some inaccuracies, however, most notably Luther's quoting of the Bible by chapter and verse when such a change in organization wasn't made until several years after his death. Other than this, the research that has gone into the film was very well done, with a good portion of the dialogue being direct quotes from the people portrayed.Of course, all this research would be useless without good casting, which this movie possesses in abundance. Fiennes gives an excellent portrayal of Martin Luther, showing him as the imperfect human being that he was, not the semi-deity that legend has made him out to be. His wife, Katharina von Bora, is played by Claire Cox, who rises above the limited screen-time that she was given. Then there is, of course, the late Sir Peter Ustinov, who undertook the role of Martin Luther's patron and protector, Prince Frederick (the Wise) of Saxony. Ustinov brings life to his character, who is mentioned often in historical records, but never discussed as much as his subject. Although his portrayal is inaccurate from what we know of the man – the real Prince Frederick was a shrewd political manipulator, not quite the grandfatherly figure he's made out to be in the film – it's not a detriment to the film in any way.In conclusion, Luther is an excellent movie that never quite received the attention it deserved. It portrays the world-changing events of the Protestant Reformation accurately and sets a new par for the historical film genre. I give it 9 Stars out of 10 and heartily recommend it to anyone interested in this period of history.