neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Luther
	Eric Till Joseph Fiennes, Alfred Molina, Jonathan Firth, Claire Cox, Peter Ustinov, Bruno Ganz 2003		Earnest, studious and borderline prosaic, "Luther" is not the usual film fare in an era of vulgar comedies, empty action blockbusters and star-driven dramas. It's a religious-themed biopic, an oft-reverent genre that hasn't been boffo box-office since the days of "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments." Still, director Eric Till went ahead and made this account of the life and struggles of Martin Luther, the German monk behind the Reformation movement in the Catholic Church. As a pious young man, Luther bravely questioned the self-serving policies of the supremely powerful Vatican in medieval times. He published tracts in defiance of the Church and became an outcast with a bounty on his head. But his ideas caught on with the masses, forever changing Christianity. With a front-line cast, this is less of a hard sell. Joseph Fiennes, who set hearts aflutter as "Shakespeare in Love," is Luther; versatile Alfred Molina ("Frida") is Johann Tetzel, a greedy cleric in opposition to Luther; and venerable Peter Ustinov ("Spartacus") is Prince Friedrich, one of Luther's noblest supporters. Yet "Luther" is a slow-moving two hours that glosses over theological complexities and simplifies a significant figure in history.