Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- Joseph FiennesMartin Luther
- Jonathan FirthGirolamo Aleander
- Claire CoxKatharina von Bora
- Alfred MolinaJohann Tetzel
- Peter UstinovFrederick
- Bruno GanzJohann von Staupitz
- Uwe OchsenknechtLeo X
- Maria SimonHanna
- Mathieu CarrièreCardinal Jacob Cajetan
- Benjamin SadlerGeorg Spalatin
Recommendations
- 75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Veteran British director Eric Till otherwise does a credible job of sweeping us through this huge life, and his eye for detail combines with the Oscar-worthy production design and a succession of striking Eastern European locations to create a rich visual tapestry of the Middle Ages. - 63
Chicago Tribune
Aside from a couple of unintelligible conversations with himself, there's barely any God here. The film would rather just be inclusive. Luther might have wanted it that way, but as moviegoers, it's hard not to want more. - 60
Dallas Observer
With Joseph Fiennes as the conflicted, frequently self-hating Luther, this historical drama/biopic offers a fairly thorough overview of the period (although it's weak on the "good deeds" angle) but is somewhat dry and weighted with significance. - 60
The A.V. Club
The unimposing Fiennes may not suggest the burly Luther's plain-talking peasant background, but he at least captures the charisma. - 60
Washington Post
It's just unfortunate that a movie about such a daring man ultimately takes few risks. - 60
Los Angeles Times
After a summer of numbing mindlessness, there is something frankly refreshing about a movie that deals even superficially with as significant a figure as the rebellious 16th century theologian Martin Luther, one of the founders of Protestantism and the man who put the reform in the Reformation. - 50
Christian Science Monitor
Plunges energetically into the 16th-century religious rebel's activities and philosophies. It dodges some significant issues in Luther's life, however, reducing its value as an educational film. - 50
New York Daily News
But for that one bright, incongruous yuk-fest in the classroom, Luther is deadly material, full of self-righteousness and devoid of balance.
