Luther (2003 film)
| Luther | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Eric Till |
| Produced by | Brigitte Rochow Christian P. Stehr Alexander Thies |
| Written by | Camille Thomasson Bart Gavigan |
| Starring |
Joseph Fiennes Alfred Molina Jonathan Firth Claire Cox Peter Ustinov |
| Music by | Richard Harvey |
| Cinematography | Robert Fraisse |
| Distributed by | R.S. |
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Release date
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30 October 2003 |
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Running time
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124 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Box office | $29,413,900 |
Luther is a 2003 biopic about the life of Martin Luther (1483–1546) starring Joseph Fiennes. It was an independent film partially funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The film covers Luther's life from his becoming a monk in 1505 to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530.
The film begins during a thunderstorm in 1505, as Luther is returning to his home. For fear of losing his life in the storm, Luther commits his life to God and becomes an Augustinian monk.
In the next scene, it is 1507 and Luther is a monk in Erfurt. During his time at the monastery, he is constantly troubled by viewing God as a God of hate and vengeance. Martin is encouraged by Johann von Staupitz, an older monk who is his supervisor and mentor. Staupitz tells Luther to look to Christ instead of himself.
Later Luther delivers a letter for Staupitz to Rome, where he becomes troubled by the wicked lifestyles of those in the city. He also views the skull believed to be that of John the Baptist and purchases an indulgence. It is during this time that Luther begins to question the veracity of indulgences.
Returning to Germany, Luther is sent to Wittenberg, where he begins to teach his congregation that God is not a God of hate, but a God of love. Luther begins to emphasize the love of God instead of his judgment.
John Tetzel then comes close to Luther's town, where he scares the people into buying indulgences. (The proceeds will be used to build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and to recover the Hohenzollern bribes to the Holy See, advanced by Fugger, for the investiture of Archbishop Albert of Mainz and Magdeburg). In his church, Luther denounces the indulgences, calling them "just a piece of paper." He then posts his 95 theses on the door of the church, calling for an open debate regarding the indulgences. For this act, Luther is called to Augsburg, where he is questioned by church officials.
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