For me the process began early in 2000 when I met the scriptwriter in Princeton and discussed her concept of the story. She emphasized the importance of lively scenes, believable characters, a simple narrative, and dramatic tension...[Hendrix felt that...] some of the acting was good, at the Diet of Worms Luther said more than "here I stand," the sets were impressive, and the story conveyed some of what was politically at stake. Joseph Fiennes captured Luther's intensity... There is room for creativity in the popular presentation of history since history itself is storytelling that mixes reliable information with interpretation…I cautioned against a heroic portrayal of Luther [but] when I read the first draft of the screenplay, I found that little of what I had said seemed to be heard…it appeared that the script had completely escaped the influence of historians...Even if our advice had been well received, its effectiveness may well have been blunted by the complex political and financial undertaking that films become and over which, unlike their own books, historical consultants have no control... either they did not want us to function as professional historians or they did not understand our critical approach to the past.