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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 3487
Released: November 30, 2004 |
| Our Price: $7.98 |
| Used Price: $5.16 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) stars as Martin Luther, the brilliant man of God whose defiant actions changed the world, in this epic, ravishingly beautiful (The New York Times)film that traces Luther's extraordinary and exhilarating quest for the people's liberation. Regional princes and the powerful Church wield a fast, firm and merciless grip on 16th-century Germany. But when Martin Luther issues a shocking challenge to their authority, the people declare him their new leaderand hero. Even when threatened with violent death, Luther refuses to back down, sparkinga bloody revolution that shakes the entire continent to its core.
Description of Luther:
Like The Passion of the Christ, Luther is the story of a spiritual leader, German monk Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes), in opposition to the religious orthodoxy of the time (in his case, the 1500s). His goal--to bring God to the people and to take money, fear, and shame out of the equation--made him a reformer to some, a heretic to others. Released around the same time as Mel Gibson's blockbuster, it failed to attract the same degree of attention--or controversy. Granted, it's a different film, but not radically so. Directed by Eric Till (Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace), Luther isn't always easy to follow or as emotionally involving as it could be. That said, it's a fascinating story and Fiennes receives solid support from Alfred Molina (Frida), Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire), and the late Sir Peter Ustinov (Spartacus), in his final film role, as Frederick the Wise. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Luther Reviews:
Enjoyable but Imperfect 
2009-12-17 - I recently viewed the film Luther and generally enjoyed it, finding it a worthwhile experience, although I do have some qualms with it. It depicts the rise of Luther from the disenchanted Catholic monk of his early years to the epoch-forming, paradigm-shifting reformer that he would later become. I thought it did a good job of depicting the time period and outlining the major points of Luther's life. My previous knowledge of Luther when I saw the film several years ago consisted of generalities only, and watching it helped me to learn more about him. The early scenes, which convincingly depict the formative experiences that would eventually lead to his later revolutionary ideas, were particularly enlightening. It also inspired me to research his life further after viewing it. In doing so, I discovered that the movie was generally historically accurate - although not 100% so, as it did err on a few points, mostly minor, in addition to engaging in the overly quick, corner-cutting style of presentation that is inevitable in any Hollywood adaptation of an eventful life. I found the acting, by Joseph Fiennes as well as the rest of the cast, to be of an overall high quality.
I did have some problems with the film, though. First and foremost, the movie suffers from an overly intense anti-Catholic bias. This was clear to me, despite the fact that I am neither a Catholic nor a Protestant and actually agree with several of the reforms that Luther pioneered; the movie depicts all Catholics as if they were evil incarnate, which serves to negate its pretensions toward objectivity. Also, several loose plot ends were left dangling at the end of the movie; indeed, the last quarter or so felt rushed, and the ending was somewhat abrupt. Still, despite these flaws, I enjoyed the movie overall and was pleasantly surprised by it, as I had low initial expectations as to its quality.
Good Film 
2009-11-20 - If you really want a good sense of what Martin Luther went through, fighting the Catholic Church, and bringing truth to Christians, buy this movie. Excellent movie!
Luther 
2009-11-19 - Excellent! Drama,suspence,costume,truth,heroism,splended acting,pagentry,great locations,a period piece, history that changed the christian world, make it a must see movie. I have watched it 3 times so far during the month I have had it. I know I will watch it again every now and again.
David Reavis
Luther
2009-10-12 - This is the best documentary of Martin Luther's life we have seen. It is well acted (Joseph Fiennes & Sir Peter Ustinov) and it leaves you with a very clear picture of Martin Luther, the man.
"Luther" is well-done
2009-10-03 - Acting is great. Scenes are well-done. Seems fairly accurate to history (for a movie, especially). Entertaining. Educational. Enriching. Make sure you have the whole 2 hours to watch it. Great movie. Sola fide!
