Kingdom of Heaven is the latest epic from Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien) and stars Orlando Bloom. There are also appearances from a number of established actors such as Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Kingdom of Heaven is based between the 2nd and 3rd Crusades, where Jerusalem is currently held by the Christians. There is currently a kind of peace (in that there is not an open war) in Jerusalem and Christians, Moslems and Jews all co-exist fairly well. This is the time just before King Richard (the Lionheart) set of on his Crusade.
THE STORY:
Set in 1186, the story centres around Balian (Bloom), a young French blacksmith mourning the recent death of his wife who committed suicide after their baby died. As a result of this the local priest cheerfully assures Balian that his wife will be at that very moment burning in hell as suicide is a sin!
At this point Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) turns up claiming to be Balian's father and offering him a place in his warband as they undertake a crusade to Jerusalem where a tenuous truce is holding, to provide support for the Christian King.
Balian at first refuses, but is then goaded by the priest (who defiled his wife's body by stealing her crucifix and cutting off her head). Incensed
by the priest's words, Balian proceeds to murder the priest and then flees after his father. Its not long before the local militia chase after to bring him back to be punished.
Of course Balian's father refuses to hand him over and a short bloody battle ensues, leaving Baron Godfrey fatally wounded. He lives to see the seaport of Messina and hands over his title and lands to Balian, as well as making him a Knight and making him swear to protect the innocent people in Jerusalem at all costs. Balian proceeds on board a ship bound for Jerusalem, with his newly acquired men (including a Hospitaler played by David Thewlis) to follow.
All doesn't run smoothly and Balian ends up being shipwrecked. He wakes up on a beach in the Holy Land and makes his way to Jerusalem (after a little skirmish with a pair of Syrians.
He meets the King of Jerusalem (played by Edward Norton) who wears a mask due to the fact that he is a Leper and the disease is extremely advanced.
The King's chief Adviser Tiberias (Jeremy Irons) immediately takes to Balian, as does the King and he is welcomed into the court.
One person who definitely does not like the newcomer is Guy De Lusignan, member of the Royal Council and husband to Princess Sibylla (the King's sister).
De Lusignan does not care about religion or peace and only wishes to assume power for himself, so he and his partner in crime Renald De Chatillon do everything they can to disrupt the uneasy truce between The Moslem leader Saladin and the Christians.
With the King near death from his illness it is left to Balian to uphold the peace and honour that has been fought for for so long.
His task is made a little more difficult by the amorous advances of Princess Sibylla and the underhand tactics of De Lusignan and Renald, as well as the fact that Saladin has more than 200,000 warriors at his disposal and water is scarce i nthe Holy Land so that making war is not easy.
MY OPINION:
I have heard a few negative reviews of this film, but I found it quite enjoyable, if a little long winded at 2 1/4 hours.
The battle scenes are excellently choregraphed and very bloody.
I was suprised that in the reviews I saw, one of the criticisms was that there was not enough action but I disagree. One of the major battles at the end where the Christians go out to battle with Saladin is not actually shown - it cuts from them riding into battle to the aftermath - but I dont think it was really necessary to show it to be honest and it wouldve added about 20 minutes to an already long film.
Orlando Bloom more than makes up for his pitiful roll as Paris in Troy and the supporting cast is excellent, with the exception of Eva Green as Sibylla. I found her character fairly irritating and a bit of a waste of space really. I suppose they had to have some kind of love interest though and she does also pay a key role in the machinations of her husband Guy De Lusignan.
Brendan Gleeson is superb as baddie De Chatillon, as is Marton Csokas as De Lusignan. You really want to see them both get their comeuppance.
Jeremy Irons is always good and his portrayal of the Kings right hand man is convincing enough, though he doesn't really have a big enough role to get his teeth into.
David Thewlis as one of Balian's men is also good and mentors Balian after the death of his father.
The Moslem leader Saladin is played by Ghassan Massond who shows us a different side from the way he is shown in many books and films. Whenever I have read about the crusades, Saladin is made to look like the villan of the piece, butchering Christians indiscriminately with no sense of mercy or honour, however it is a little different in this film which I was quite glad to see.
As I am interested in this period of history anyway, I perhaps found it more enjoyable than others would, but I still recommend it. If you don't fancy sitting in a cinema for almost 2 1/2 hours though then wait for the dvd, though I think for these big epics the dvd doesnt really do them justice!
BEST BIT:
The Siege of Jerusalem - Balian and his motley crew attemot to defend the city against overwhelming odds! Fire bombs and all sorts are catapulted at the walls creating massive estruction and carnage.
THE CAST (with performances rated out of 10):
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
It's hard to believe Ridley Scott's handsome epic won't become the cinematic touchstone of ... more
the Crusades for years to come.Kingdom of Heavenis greater than the sum of its parts, delivering a vital, mostly engrossing tale following Balian (Orlando Bloom)...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Brilliantly shot with lavish sets and costumes and exciting action sequences Disadvantages: Feels a little disjointed, Orlando Bloom doesnt quite work as the lead
Burning_Darkness 12.06.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kingdom Of Heaven (DVD)
Advantages: This is fictionalised history, set between the 2nd and 3rd Crusades - shortly before the time of King Richard the Lionhearted - Balian of Ibelin was historically "the defender of Jerusalem" Disadvantages: It was a harsh, superstitious time - the film highlights this through its bloodiness; although not "anti-God" the film is somewhat anti-religious. NOT FOR THE QUEASY - very gory!
jesi 18.06.2005 (18.06.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kingdom Of Heaven (DVD)
![Kingdom of Heaven (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2005]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78516049.jpg "Kingdom of Heaven (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2005]")
![Kingdom of Heaven [DVD] [2005]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78505779.jpg "Kingdom of Heaven [DVD] [2005]")
![Kingdom Of Heaven (2 Disc Special Edition) [2005] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78501343.jpg "Kingdom Of Heaven (2 Disc Special Edition) [2005] [DVD]")
May 9th, 2005
exceptional by (5%):
very helpful by (95%):
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