| AS THE CREDITS ROLLED, THERE
was an awkward period of complete silence,
followed by an excited outburst.
"It's fascinating! I knew
nothing about Martin Luther,and now I definitely want
to know more," said a "buyer" representing
a very well-known and well-respected Hollywood studio.
His enthusiastic response came after a private screening
of Luther, the biopic of the great Reformer
that opens in 400 cities this weekend.
The buyer was willing to pitch
the film to his bosses, under one condition:
"All the Christ stuff has got to go."
Distribution by a major studio
was a sure-fire way to generate ticket sales, but
the team behind Luther wouldn't budge, executive
producer Dennis Clauss told WORLD. They made sacrifices
and compromises each step of the way in the film's
production, but no one was going to tear out the core
of Luther. The two-hour epic (rated PG-13 for
disturbing images of violence; it also contains a
small amount of Luther's characteristically coarse
language) is ambitious in scope, particularly for
an independently financed religious movie.
The project was born out of a
desire to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Aid
Association for Lutherans. But not too far into the
development process, the team decided that the script
had enough solid material for a major motion picture.
Luther would leave the relative security of
the Christian arts ghetto and compete at the local
multiplex.
The goal was to balance what Mr.
Clauss called the triptych of "historical
accuracy, theological integrity, and entertainment
appeal." At the same
time, he sought to avoid the two faults that he thinks
alienate most people
from "Christian" entertainment: sub-par
technical achievement and an
evangelistic message that is jarringly disconnected
from the rest of the
story ("altar call time-outs," as he described
them).
What's the final result? Mr. Clauss
doesn't look at Luther through rose-colored
glasses: "I'm not expecting Oscar nominations.
. . . I know everything that's wrong with it, and
think some things could have been done better."
His hope is that the film is still solidly entertaining
and represents its hero well. And on these counts,
he has reason to be pleased.
The highlights of Martin Luther's
life, from his spiritual struggles to his
battle with and eventual break from the Roman Catholic
Church, are vividly
wrought here. A seasoned cast, which includes Sir
Peter Ustinov as Prince
Frederick the Wise, Alfred Molina as Brother John
Tetzel, and the wonderful
Bruno Ganz as Father Johann von Staupitz, does well
with the material
they're provided.
Joseph Fiennes portrays Luther
and is a mixed blessing in the part. He's
suitably intense and speaks with conviction, but his
temperament and even
appearance possess a certain femininity that clashes
with the earthiness and
vigor of the historic Luther.
Luther hits most of its
historical marks. A few liberties are taken, and some
characters and events are shuffled in and out so quickly
that they barely register, including the posting of
the 95 Theses and Luther's relationships with Katharina
von Bora and Philip Melanchthon. But many key moments,
such as the Diet of Worms ("Here I stand. I can
do no other."), ring true.
The production values are mostly
strong. Oscar-nominated cinematographer
Robert Fraisse gives the film a glossy look and utilizes
some inventive
camera work not usually found in bargain-basement
religious productions.
But, at least in the print screened by WORLD, the
dialogue dubbing could
have used more work.
What's most remarkable about Luther,
though, is the weight of its theological content and
the strength of its message. The "Christ stuff"
is fully intact. Mr. Clauss told WORLD that despite
the need to compromise during production, he would
not allow three scenes to be cut: two in which Luther
addresses his congregation in Wittenberg and one in
which he agonizes in his monk's cell, crying out in
despair for a merciful God. These scenes are some
of the most powerful in the film. Christ is central
in all three, not only as the agent of that mercy,
but also as the sacrificial recipient of God's wrath,
justly directed at man's sin.
The overall product is captivating
in a way that most paint-by-numbers
Christian-themed movies are not. The film's ability
to entertain while
dealing seriously (if not comprehensively) with Luther's
life and thought is
commendable.
Mr. Clauss said he isn't
expecting huge profits from Luther. Rather,
the film's much more subjective goal is to be a catalyst
for deep, soul-searching thought. That's a lofty ambition
for a film that will play next to movies starring
David Spade and pro wrestler The Rock. But if people
come out to see it, they're likely to leave the theater
engaged in just that.
©2003 WORLD Magazine. Used
by permission.
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