Featured Audience Ratings

• Jon L

  
  A great film. This was a lot better than I thought it would be and a really good insight on the state of the Catholic Church at the time. It reaffirmed what I had already though and gave a neat perspective on the life and times of Martin Luther, a man who was willing to go against… More
  A great film. This was a lot better than I thought it would be and a really good insight on the state of the Catholic Church at the time. It reaffirmed what I had already though and gave a neat perspective on the life and times of Martin Luther, a man who was willing to go against the grain for something he believed in. Something more people should do these days.

• Cynthia S

  
  I am not a religious person, but I do appeciate a good historical biodrama. This is a movie that does Martin Luther a great justice, and shows how this man formed some of his thoughts and ideals that he would use to change the world by taking on the Catholic church. Taking on the… More
  I am not a religious person, but I do appeciate a good historical biodrama. This is a movie that does Martin Luther a great justice, and shows how this man formed some of his thoughts and ideals that he would use to change the world by taking on the Catholic church. Taking on the Catholic church in those days meant risking death. Amazing that he accomplished so much, and developed such a great following. There are some scenes, however, that depict him as being just slightly out of his mind...but I find a lot of geniuses are slightly off kilter. Martin Luther included....

• danny d

  
  fantastic film. accurate and very well acted, great portayal of the start of the reformation

• Jens S

  
  Pretty interesting history lesson on the life of Martin Luther. Rather quick paced and with a very colorful international cast. Including the wonderful Sir Peter Ustinow in his last big role. Well done.

• Nate Z

  
  [center][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][img]http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5268/photo012ol.jpg[/img][/font][/size][/font][/color][/center] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color]… More
  [center][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][img]http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5268/photo012ol.jpg[/img][/font][/size][/font][/color][/center] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]Certain things can pass under my radar. Previously it’s been items like female flirtation and the due dates of papers. So imagine my befuddled surprise when last weekend my father, himself a Lutheran minister, said the family was going to hop on over to the movie theater and catch a historic bio-flick about Martin Luther, plainly titled [i]Luther[/i]. I had no idea this movie existed. And after seeing it, it left no strong memory that it did.[/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]Luther (Joseph Fiennes, [i]Shakespeare in Love[/i]) is a 16th century German monk with some quibbles with the Catholic Church. Seems Luther doesn’t like how the Church is preying upon people’s faith for money, most notably its chief indulgence seller Johann Tetzel (Alfred Molina, with a criminally scant appearance). He makes up a list of 95 grievances, nails them to the doors of a church, and thus Protestantism is born. Luther’s ideas catch on wit the lower classes through rampant publication, thanks to the newfound printing press. The princes of the German states also like what this monk is cooking, and they decide to hold him in safety. The Catholic Church, however, is none too pleased. They threaten excommunication and eventually death, and keep pushing for Luther to recant. But Luther feels he must stand strong in his convictions.[/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]The acting is fine, and the direction is passable, but the pacing of [i]Luther[/i] is like tracking the movement of a glacier. Some representative decisions are also fairly stupid. To try and communicate Luther’s internal struggle he hits his head and yells like at voices. The first time it’s funny. The next five times, it’s dumb. There’s also a dirty peasant child, who’s crippled but still a big fan of the Luther Man. Her gaping tooth smile has more screen time than some characters. Later in the film the peasant revolts ravage through the country with thousands massacred. Luther visits the ruins and comes across the little girl’s broken crutch and breaks down and cries. If you were in my theater you probably heard me hitting my forehead repeatedly (no voices though). [/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]The film is an admirable effort, but [i]Luther[/i] ultimately fails because of the measures of film. To try and tell the story of Luther would be more appropriate for the confines of a miniseries, not a two-hour movie. The Reformation and its players lose its impact in such a shrift retelling. What the audience gets is a pared Cliff notes version that misses the richness, and gives lip service to the historical importance. What we’re left with are endless scenes where people dress up and talk and talk and talk. Without a sense of weight for character or story, the countless talky moments blur into tedium. If I had a sleeping bag with me I would have curled up into it.[/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]Another problem is the lack of makeup. The film spans thirty-some years and yet Fiennes doesn’t age a day. My mother proposed that maybe he didn’t want to look old and decrepit in the film. I responded by saying, “He let them shave his head but he didn’t want anybody to splash some gray in his hair?”[/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua]I guess if you judge movies on costumes or production values, [i]Luther [/i]would be competent. But does anyone go to a film saying, “Man, I sure hope those costumes and sets are incredible! Fingers crossed!”? [i]Luther[/i] is a well-meaning bore that only historical enthusiasts and Lutherans might enjoy.[/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color] [color=darkred][font=Arial][size=3][font=Perpetua][/font][/size][/font][/color][font=Perpetua][font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: C[/color][/font][/font]

• Dillon L

  
  The director just didn't get it right. The acting sucks too. I liked some of the set pieces, I guess. Pretty tedious story-telling.

• Barry L

  
  The man is a Protestant God!

Read all 7 featured audience ratings