Luther

BySep 26, 2003 7:00 AMTags
Monk see, monk do? Not this fiery friar! Joseph Fiennes stars as Martin Luther, the 16th-century dissident who questioned the Catholic Church's authority, helped usher in the Reformation and had a really bad haircut. After pledging his life to God, the priest and theology professor became outraged by the Vatican's financial abuses, and his writings denouncing their "indulgences" shook up things in Rome so much that it resulted in civic unrest and a few political and religious revolutions.
A by-the-textbook biopic, this movie bites off more ecclesiastical history than it can chew in two hours (it shoulda been a miniseries). Fiennes is fine--if a bit too controlled--and the supporting cast shines. But Luther is more educational than engaging and fine if you want to feel like you've just paid $10 to retake high school history.

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