Loosely based on the events surrounding the Muslim siege of Jerusalem during the Second Crusade, Kingdom of Heaven follows Balian de Ibelin (Orlando Bloom) as he joins his father (Liam Neeson) on a crusade in order to atone for his sins and the sins of his deceased wife. Along the way, he deals with political intrigue and a love triangle that all find their culmination at the siege of Jerusalem.
Unlike other modern epics, this film takes its time getting to the epic action scenes. Sure, there are some action scenes earlier on in the film, but they are more like small skirmishes. The reason for this is that the film is more focused on telling the stories of the characters involved than setting up epic fight scenes. In this way, the film flows in the same vein as Charlton Heston's historical epics like Ben-Hur and El Cid, not that that's a bad thing. It's a very good thing as a matter of fact. Considering that many historical war films these days are filled with action scenes, it's nice to see one that is more focused on the characters involved than the war they are fighting.
Another place where the film deserves praise is its excellent handling of the manipulation that was involved in the Crusades. The clergy is often depicted in this film as a manipulative lot; something I normally would not have cared for, but in this case that is how the clergy actually were at the time. Furthermore, we see the manipulation present in the hero's motivations. Balian is fighting in the Crusade to get his wife out of hell and to atone for his own sins. As all true Christians know, only Jesus' atoning work on the cross can do that. But during the time of the Crusades, the church was telling the people that if they went on a crusade, they got a free pass into heaven. It was a gimmick to convince people to help the church accomplish its political goals. And the film deals with this issue, but without dwelling on it or being preachy. It shows rather than tells.
Of course, the film is not without its problems. Since this is a Ridley Scott movie, the violence can be graphic - though the violence presented here is tamer than that which is shown in other Ridley Scott movies like Gladiator. There is also some problematic sexual content (though it can be seamlessly removed via VidAngel's filtering features). It should also be pointed out that this is a loose adaptation of historical events, so not everything depicted is totally accurate. This will undoubtedly frustrate any historians in the audience.
Nevertheless, this is an excellent look at the era of
the Crusades. It is an enjoyable epic with great performances, beautiful
cinematography, and a sweeping score. It is a shame this film has fallen into
obscurity, because it is a great film that is well worth your time.
Note:
This blog is in no way associated with VidAngel. I am not being paid to mention
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