Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" will no doubt be compared to "Troy", "Alexander", "King Arthur" and "Gladiator", but "Gladiator" is the only movie that it is on level with. "Kingdom of Heaven" is more concerned with characters and themes than it is with fight scenes (although those are superb) or attractive faces. It is like "Gladiator" (also directed by Ridley Scott) in that it is a character study of warriors, examining not only their actions, but what beliefs and idealisms lead to them.
The film starts with young Balian (Orlando Bloom), a poor blacksmith in a tiny French hamlet, silently mourning the death of his wife and child. Godfrey (Liam Neeson), a crusading English knight, arrives with his band of soldiers and meets Balian. He claims to be Balian's father, and asks that he come with him.
Balian accepts, but only after he vengefully kills a priest and is on the run from Vatican officials. This leads to a fight scene in a snowy forest that is perfectly paced, filmed, and choreographed, stunning us in the audience.
Tragedy strikes and eventually Balian travels to Jerusalem, where he meets a slew of new characters, some bad, some conflicted, most good. Among these characters are Tiberius (Jeremy Irons), the gravel-voiced marshal of Jerusalem; Hopsitaler (David Thewlis), Godfrey's friend and wise adviser; Guy de Lusignan (Martin Csokas) and Reynard (Brendan Gleeson), trouble making Templar knights; King Baldwin (Edward Norton), a leper with a weak body but a strong mind and heart; and Sibylla (Eva Green), Baldwin's sister and Guy's wife, a dreamer, a romantic.
In Jerusalem there is an uneasy truce between the Muslims and the Christians. Uneasy not because either side hates the other, but because of the small band of Arab-hating Templar Knights and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), the Muslim Sultan, who has a massive army just waiting to strike if the Muslims of Jerusalem are wronged.
Guy and Reynard are the only characters in the movie who want to break this truce. Everyone else the King, Hospitaler, Tiberius believe that killing infidels is not the way to heaven. This creates a divide, and with the death of the King impending, anything could happen.
I won't spoil what does happen; only that most of the characters are forced to ask themselves some moral and spiritual questions, the outcomes of which will affect Jerusalem (and maybe the world entire) on a grand scale. One of the most important themes raised asks us if a little sin is excusable if it prevents terrible things from happening.
The movie doesn't answer all of its questions, but it ends with a massive battle between two armies, neither bad nor good, both reluctant, pulled into the war because the circumstances of the politics, and the brash actions of the extremists around them.
The movie is both a technical and artistic achievement. The location sets, cinematography and choreography work together to make the movie visually compelling, so much so that one watched it and disliked the acting and writing, one could still enjoy the movie. But how one can dislike the acting and writing, I don't know. Great performances comes from Bloom, Neeson, Norton (whose face is never seen, and yet he leaves a lasting impression), Irons, Green, Massoud and Thewlis. We get to know each of these characters pretty well as the movie goes along. We see what they believe, what they think is worth fighting and dieing for, and what they think is not, and how they will compromise these idealisms through politics and loyalty.
Hospitaler is the most intriguing of these characters. Thewlis steals every scene he's in from Bloom, or Neeson or Irons, and we listen intently as he explains his outlook on religion and the world. It's the best performance in the movie, deserving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It teaches and inspires. When Thewlis is marching off to war for a cause the completely opposite from his beliefs and Balian says to him, "You march to certain death," he replies, smiling: "All death is certain," and rides away, waving.
The movie should be seen for its questions, answers, and political statements, but also for its romance and sense of adventure, its lusty heroes and thoughtful dialogue. It's an adventure that pleases the eye, the heart, and the mind, which is hard to find these days.
8.5/10
The film starts with young Balian (Orlando Bloom), a poor blacksmith in a tiny French hamlet, silently mourning the death of his wife and child. Godfrey (Liam Neeson), a crusading English knight, arrives with his band of soldiers and meets Balian. He claims to be Balian's father, and asks that he come with him.
Balian accepts, but only after he vengefully kills a priest and is on the run from Vatican officials. This leads to a fight scene in a snowy forest that is perfectly paced, filmed, and choreographed, stunning us in the audience.
Tragedy strikes and eventually Balian travels to Jerusalem, where he meets a slew of new characters, some bad, some conflicted, most good. Among these characters are Tiberius (Jeremy Irons), the gravel-voiced marshal of Jerusalem; Hopsitaler (David Thewlis), Godfrey's friend and wise adviser; Guy de Lusignan (Martin Csokas) and Reynard (Brendan Gleeson), trouble making Templar knights; King Baldwin (Edward Norton), a leper with a weak body but a strong mind and heart; and Sibylla (Eva Green), Baldwin's sister and Guy's wife, a dreamer, a romantic.
In Jerusalem there is an uneasy truce between the Muslims and the Christians. Uneasy not because either side hates the other, but because of the small band of Arab-hating Templar Knights and Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), the Muslim Sultan, who has a massive army just waiting to strike if the Muslims of Jerusalem are wronged.
Guy and Reynard are the only characters in the movie who want to break this truce. Everyone else the King, Hospitaler, Tiberius believe that killing infidels is not the way to heaven. This creates a divide, and with the death of the King impending, anything could happen.
I won't spoil what does happen; only that most of the characters are forced to ask themselves some moral and spiritual questions, the outcomes of which will affect Jerusalem (and maybe the world entire) on a grand scale. One of the most important themes raised asks us if a little sin is excusable if it prevents terrible things from happening.
The movie doesn't answer all of its questions, but it ends with a massive battle between two armies, neither bad nor good, both reluctant, pulled into the war because the circumstances of the politics, and the brash actions of the extremists around them.
The movie is both a technical and artistic achievement. The location sets, cinematography and choreography work together to make the movie visually compelling, so much so that one watched it and disliked the acting and writing, one could still enjoy the movie. But how one can dislike the acting and writing, I don't know. Great performances comes from Bloom, Neeson, Norton (whose face is never seen, and yet he leaves a lasting impression), Irons, Green, Massoud and Thewlis. We get to know each of these characters pretty well as the movie goes along. We see what they believe, what they think is worth fighting and dieing for, and what they think is not, and how they will compromise these idealisms through politics and loyalty.
Hospitaler is the most intriguing of these characters. Thewlis steals every scene he's in from Bloom, or Neeson or Irons, and we listen intently as he explains his outlook on religion and the world. It's the best performance in the movie, deserving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It teaches and inspires. When Thewlis is marching off to war for a cause the completely opposite from his beliefs and Balian says to him, "You march to certain death," he replies, smiling: "All death is certain," and rides away, waving.
The movie should be seen for its questions, answers, and political statements, but also for its romance and sense of adventure, its lusty heroes and thoughtful dialogue. It's an adventure that pleases the eye, the heart, and the mind, which is hard to find these days.
8.5/10