Posted By: Don Vercetti
Kingdom of Heaven - 05/11/05 12:26 AM
I know at least me, Omar, and Irishman have seen this. I'd love to hear comments.
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“At first, I thought we were fighting for God, I realized we were actually fighting for wealth and power.”
***1/2
The above quote is not in exact wording, but is what my memory serves. It’s the quote that sticks in my head the most in the entire film. It’s a fact that while many people claim to be doing God’s will; they are simply trying to advance their own agenda. I’m sure God didn’t want the Christians to rip the Holy Land from the Muslims. Pop Urban who said “God wills it” was pretty much working on his own reasons. He could care less what God thought; he wanted Jerusalem in Christian hands, not the Muslims.
‘Kingdom of Heaven’ is Ridley Scott’s new Crusade epic. I can definitely see references from both ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Hannibal’ but I don’t think it’s as big a rehash as everyone thought. It has its differences with ‘Gladiator’ that work in its favor. It’s a beautiful film that even had its potential to succeed ‘Gladiator.’ The film’s characters are heavily dramatized, but there is still much accuracy. Some relationships are brewed up to make the story more compelling such as Balian and Sibylla’s relationship. Balian is a blacksmith whose wife has committed suicide. The priest beheads her corpse because she will be in hell and takes her cross. Godfrey of Ibelin (Barisan in history) comes to reconcile with his estranged illegitimate son. Balian kills the priest and takes his cross back and sets out to catch up to his father he refused to go with. A battle ensues when men come to arrest Balian and Godfrey is wounded.
Balian is knighted and sets out to the Holy Land, where an ambitious young man can prosper. What the film focuses on isn’t the facts. There are many inaccuracies. What the film seems to be concerned with is the violence between religions. The extremists cause the problems. This is probably the big parallel in the film to today’s world, if the last subtitle didn’t give it away. In the first crusade that happened before the movie, the Christians conquered Palestine from the Muslims. Now it is ruled by King Baldwin IV, a 24 year old king with leprosy who wears a silver mask to conceal is disfigured face, which oddly enough is a reminiscence of a certain wheel-chair-bound Hannibal victim in Scott’s ‘Hannibal.’ Baldwin believes all religions have the right to worship. Tiberias (Raymond III of Tripoli in history) agrees. However there are extremists who despise the Muslims such as Guy de Lusignan and Raynald of Châtillon. They attack Muslim caravans killing many of them, which angers Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria.
One of the film’s strong points is that the film is pushed without the assistance of constant violence, although there is enough violence to satisfy even the dullest of minds. The first half of the film is supported by acting and breathtaking cinematography. The film opens with a beautiful French view with a large crucifix erected in the side. Jerusalem is also an amazing piece of work. The battle scenes are done very well, although they are nothing new. The first is particularly great to look at due to the snow blown around during it.
This film while great does have its weaknesses. Orlando Bloom is dreadful, not only butchering the good lines he has but he also fails to change his dull emotionless expression in the whole film, save for his screaming scenes. His character is a very good one with conflicting, but honorable views that become hindered by the performance. The best acting in the film is by Jeremy Irons, who makes his presence known and has a real force in himself. Liam Neeson is also very good in his role. His role doesn't have the depth of past roles but he is still good. The supporting cast does its job and nearly compensates Bloom. The beauty, message, and most of the acting are the strengths. The film could’ve been somewhat longer as well. The first part of the film seemed to be rushed, unlike ‘Gladiator,’ which developed itself more fully taking its time. I believe in what Ebert said about the overall meaning for the film. All religions can coexist easily; it’s the extremists on both sides that complicate things. In one scene I truly love, King Baldwin in his beautiful mask meets Saladin in a field one on one while their armies are at opposite sides as Sibylla watches from a castle in the back of the shot. They are honorable men who don’t want bloodshed, and at the end of their discussion Baldwin becomes tired for traveling with his advancing leprosy. Saladin closes by saying he will send him some of his physicians. This is between a Muslim leader and a Christian leader, and I think to myself, “Why can’t we all be like this?”
--------------------------------
“At first, I thought we were fighting for God, I realized we were actually fighting for wealth and power.”
***1/2
The above quote is not in exact wording, but is what my memory serves. It’s the quote that sticks in my head the most in the entire film. It’s a fact that while many people claim to be doing God’s will; they are simply trying to advance their own agenda. I’m sure God didn’t want the Christians to rip the Holy Land from the Muslims. Pop Urban who said “God wills it” was pretty much working on his own reasons. He could care less what God thought; he wanted Jerusalem in Christian hands, not the Muslims.
‘Kingdom of Heaven’ is Ridley Scott’s new Crusade epic. I can definitely see references from both ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Hannibal’ but I don’t think it’s as big a rehash as everyone thought. It has its differences with ‘Gladiator’ that work in its favor. It’s a beautiful film that even had its potential to succeed ‘Gladiator.’ The film’s characters are heavily dramatized, but there is still much accuracy. Some relationships are brewed up to make the story more compelling such as Balian and Sibylla’s relationship. Balian is a blacksmith whose wife has committed suicide. The priest beheads her corpse because she will be in hell and takes her cross. Godfrey of Ibelin (Barisan in history) comes to reconcile with his estranged illegitimate son. Balian kills the priest and takes his cross back and sets out to catch up to his father he refused to go with. A battle ensues when men come to arrest Balian and Godfrey is wounded.
Balian is knighted and sets out to the Holy Land, where an ambitious young man can prosper. What the film focuses on isn’t the facts. There are many inaccuracies. What the film seems to be concerned with is the violence between religions. The extremists cause the problems. This is probably the big parallel in the film to today’s world, if the last subtitle didn’t give it away. In the first crusade that happened before the movie, the Christians conquered Palestine from the Muslims. Now it is ruled by King Baldwin IV, a 24 year old king with leprosy who wears a silver mask to conceal is disfigured face, which oddly enough is a reminiscence of a certain wheel-chair-bound Hannibal victim in Scott’s ‘Hannibal.’ Baldwin believes all religions have the right to worship. Tiberias (Raymond III of Tripoli in history) agrees. However there are extremists who despise the Muslims such as Guy de Lusignan and Raynald of Châtillon. They attack Muslim caravans killing many of them, which angers Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria.
One of the film’s strong points is that the film is pushed without the assistance of constant violence, although there is enough violence to satisfy even the dullest of minds. The first half of the film is supported by acting and breathtaking cinematography. The film opens with a beautiful French view with a large crucifix erected in the side. Jerusalem is also an amazing piece of work. The battle scenes are done very well, although they are nothing new. The first is particularly great to look at due to the snow blown around during it.
This film while great does have its weaknesses. Orlando Bloom is dreadful, not only butchering the good lines he has but he also fails to change his dull emotionless expression in the whole film, save for his screaming scenes. His character is a very good one with conflicting, but honorable views that become hindered by the performance. The best acting in the film is by Jeremy Irons, who makes his presence known and has a real force in himself. Liam Neeson is also very good in his role. His role doesn't have the depth of past roles but he is still good. The supporting cast does its job and nearly compensates Bloom. The beauty, message, and most of the acting are the strengths. The film could’ve been somewhat longer as well. The first part of the film seemed to be rushed, unlike ‘Gladiator,’ which developed itself more fully taking its time. I believe in what Ebert said about the overall meaning for the film. All religions can coexist easily; it’s the extremists on both sides that complicate things. In one scene I truly love, King Baldwin in his beautiful mask meets Saladin in a field one on one while their armies are at opposite sides as Sibylla watches from a castle in the back of the shot. They are honorable men who don’t want bloodshed, and at the end of their discussion Baldwin becomes tired for traveling with his advancing leprosy. Saladin closes by saying he will send him some of his physicians. This is between a Muslim leader and a Christian leader, and I think to myself, “Why can’t we all be like this?”
