Luther (2003)

During the early sixteenth century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the Catholic Church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.

Director:

Eric Till

Writers:

Camille Thomasson, Bart Gavigan

Stars:

Joseph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Peter Ustinov

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Fiennes	...	Martin Luther
Alfred Molina	...	John Tetzel
Jonathan Firth	...	Girolamo Aleander
Claire Cox	...	Katharina von Bora
Peter Ustinov	...	Frederick the Wise (as Sir Peter Ustinov)
Bruno Ganz	...	Johann von Staupitz
Uwe Ochsenknecht	...	Pope Leo X
Mathieu Carrière	...	Cardinal Cajetan
Benjamin Sadler	...	Spalatin
Jochen Horst	...	Professor Carlstadt
Torben Liebrecht	...	Charles V
Maria Simon	...	Hanna
Lars Rudolph	...	Melanchthon
Marco Hofschneider	...	Ulrick
Christopher Buchholz	...	von der Eck

Storyline

Biography of Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes), the sixteenth century priest who led the Christian Reformation, and opened up new possibilities in exploration of faith. This movie begins with his vow to become a monk, and continues through his struggles to reconcile his desire for sanctification with his increasing abhorrence of the corruption and hypocrisy pervading the Church's hierarchy. He is ultimately charged with heresy and must confront the ruling Cardinals and Princes, urging them to make the Scriptures available to the common believer and lead the Church toward faith through justice and righteousness.

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Plot Keywords:

protestant reformation | church | priest | monk | 16th century | 

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Taglines:

Rebel. Genius. Liberator.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images of violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are sixty-six screen credited actors and actresses. Of those, sixty-one are actors, and five are actresses.

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Goofs

When Luther is preaching to the congregation, he is walking around, whereas preachers of the time would have stayed in the pulpit. And the congregation is seated by families in pews. Pews were rare in those days--most people stood, and were generally segregated--men in one area, women and children in another.

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Quotes

Martin Luther: I cannot and I will not recant. Here I stand!

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Connections

Version of Martin Luther (1983)

User Reviews

Beautifully done, yet still a bit sparse

The beauty of Luther is its drama and its casting. Joseph Fiennes did what he does best as the angst-riddled Luther, playing a complex and haunted character that filled the screen even in his quietest moments. The supporting cast was also fabulous, particularly the merry-in-the-face-of-danger performances by Bruno Ganz and Peter Ustinov.

What's troubling, then, about Luther is that the movie just isn't long enough to portray the story accurately, and therefore it feels not only unfinished but full of gaps. Things happen one against another, people come and go with little explanation, and yet the story marches on. Luther's mission is clear, but his purposes are so boiled down that only a few of his famous Theses are actually voiced in the movie. Shortening the story was obviously necessary for a movie, but in all, I think it acts against the dramatic effect of the film as a whole because things end up with a certain disjointed feel.

Still, the cinematography is brilliant and the acting nearly perfect. The film is worth seeing for its visual splendor (in both performance and sets) alone, and certainly as an introduction to a complex historical topic.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official Site [Germany]

Country:

Germany USA Czech Republic Italy

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Luther

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$908,446, 28 September 2003

Gross USA:

$5,791,328

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$29,632,684

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eikon Film, NFP Teleart Berlin (I), NFP

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1