Luther (2003)

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.

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, the 16th-century priest who led the Christian Reformation and opened up new possibilities in exploration of faith. The film 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:

church | priest | monk | 16th century | theology | 

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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

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official Site [Germany]

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lutero

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

€21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$908,446, 26 September 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,791,328, 18 December 2003

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,684,104, 31 December 2004

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are many instances when actual quotes are used by the characters. This includes Friar Tetzel's "Coin in the coffer rings a soul from Purgatory springs" as well as Luther's "Here I Stand" speech.

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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: To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot, and I will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.

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Connections

Version of Martin Luther (1953)

User Reviews

Mediocre historical biopic

"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-)