Luther (1973)
Director: Guy Green
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
At school history classes, Luther emerged as one of the more interesting figures of history because of his constipation, the type of detail that posterity often overlooks. But even Fifth Formers should be disappointed with this version of John Osborne's scatological account of Luther, the bowel movements of history, and the rupture with the Catholic Church. Although Stacy Keach occasionally conveys Luther's intensely felt, near physical relationship with Mother Church, the proceedings are mounted in a totally undynamic manner. This leaves Osborne's dialogue in the lurch, either sounding stupidly matey ('Here's the man who did in four of the sacraments') or downright silly ('Look at Erasmus. He never really gets into serious trouble'). What remains is a few tormented ramblings and a sweating, tonsured cast.Author:
Cast & crew
Director: Guy Green
Producer: Ely Landau
Cast: Stacy Keach, Patrick Magee, Hugh Griffith, Robert Stephens, Alan Badel, Julian Glover, Judi Dench, Leonard Rossiter, Maurice Denham full cast
Duration: 112 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
To the letter
Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.
Mind over matter
David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.
Fool's gold
Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.
We are the championed
Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."
A history of violence
Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.
True romantic
James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.
Playing in the dark
MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.
Junk bonds
Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.



What do you think?
Post your review now