6.6/10
14,849
110 user 72 critic

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
4 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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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
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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. Written by scgary66

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Rebel. Genius. Liberator.


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images of violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Peter Ustinov's final theatrical film before his death on March 28, 2004 at the age of 82. See more »

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. See more »

Quotes

Georg Spalatin: Do not bite the hand that feeds you, Martin. Our prince pays for your chair in this university. His relics pay for your chair.
Martin Luther: And he who pays the piper calls the tune.
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Connections

Version of Martin Luther (1983) See more »

User Reviews

 
Mediocre historical biopic
5 December 2004 | by =G=See all my reviews

"Luther" tells the story of 16th century monk Martin Luther who waged a war of ecclesiastical principles with a corrupt Roman Catholic church and set the stage for what was to become Protestantism. Part biography, part history, and part drama, "Luther" does a better job of representing the fine points of Martin Luther's disagreements with Church dogma than it does fleshing out a realistic character or promoting a clear understanding of the social-political forces of the time which gave rise to the reformation movement. Many of the characters aren't clearly identified by title/station and some of the history is difficult to follow. There's little human story beyond the title character's struggle with conscience and corruption and two hours (the films approx run time) on the internet will provide more historical context and detail. Therefore, "Luther" will work better as a dramatic supplement to history while offering some sense of the man and the time in an entertaining as opposed to didactic format. (B-)


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Details

Country:

Germany | USA | Czech Republic | Italy

Language:

English | Latin

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Luther See more »

Filming Locations:

Germany See more »

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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
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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