Product: Luther [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]
Rating: 4.0
Not perfect, but a must see movie!
Makers of this film tried to be historically accurate. It covered Luther's life and times from when he gives his vow to Saint Anne to turn his life over to God and joins the Augustines to when the German princes stand up to Emperor Charles. I have read a couple of biographies of Luther and the movie related the main facts of Luther's life well. The movie also showed the evil of indulgences and the abuses of the Catholic church at the time in history. For these reasons alone, I think the movie should be viewed. To understand the times we live in, we must understand the Reformation.However, the movie misses somehow. I am not sure where. The passage of time is confusing. Characters make references to the passage of time, so you know that several years go by, but you are never sure how many years. They usually show it by different lengths of hair of the main characters. The movie misses on an emotional level sometimes, but it does score some direct hits. I think Fiennes is miscast as Luther, but he tries hard. Ustinov is very charming as Prince Frederick. King Charles is not very convincing.I strongly recommend the movie just for the earnest treatment of the subject matter. There is much of Luther's life this movie doesn't cover, but it does a good job of showing what sparked the Reformation.The special features contains interviews with the cast. It also has subtitles available in Spanish.