The term "kingdom of heaven" takes on many meanings in the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" as it did in reality, referring both to the city of Jerusalem, and the border-less kingdom on earth that belongs to Yahweh or Allah (depending on your religion). Inspite of media reports that suggested that Ridley Scott's film was jumping on the bandwagon of religious films that began with "The Passion of the Christ," the "Kingdom of Heaven" is not really a religious film. While the city means a great deal to certain people on both sides of the Christian/Muslim conflict, to most of the characters in the movie its just a piece of land that they happen to reside on. When the opportunity arises to exit it peacefully, the news is greeted with cheers.
The story revolves around Balian, a young French blacksmith who finds out at the beginning of the film that he is the illegitimate son of a crusading knight, Lord Godfrey (Liam Neeson). Balian has just lost his child, and his wife in despair has committed suicide, condemning her (in the eyes of the Catholic church) to eternity in hell. After Balian takes revenge on a despicable priest who abuses Balain's wife corpse and steals her cross from around her neck, Balain is forced to flee his village. His father invites him to join him in a crusade to defend the holy land from Muslim attack, promising wealth, and salvation for Balian and his dead wife. So father and son set off for the holy land, but Godfrey dies in route, leaving Balain with his title and his lands; as well as knighting him in what is one of a few morally significant scenes. Before he dies, Godfrey commands his son to defend the king of Jerusalem, and when the king dies, to defend the people. This is an oath which Balian takes to heart, and it becomes his "golden rule" throughout the film.
Although the audience in lead to believe by the first few minutes of the film, as well as by the religious significance of Jerusalem that Balian is going to undergo some spiritual awakening by the end of the movie, in reality he does not really develop "a personal relationship" with God. His social awakening occurs with his knighting by his father, and his moral outlook remains the same throughout the rest of the movie. Godfrey, the Hospitaler, Baldwin IV ("the Leper King") all seem to share Balian's philosophy, which I would describe as secular humanism. No one seems to have genuine religious beliefs, neither on the side of the Christians nor on the Muslims. Other than shouts of "God wills it" and "may Allah give us victory," which serve more as arrogant slogans than genuine expressions of faith, there is little reliance on God. In fact, if not for the political significance of the holy land, I think that the film could have been set in any town in the world, and the ending would not have been any less powerful.
Sybilla in turn does not really seem to have a philosophy other than to try to survive in a world in which women are given in marriage to men they do not know when they are fifteen, and true love requires that one sin against his or her religious beliefs. Indeed, of the three major relationships she has in the movie, the one between her brother and her is more moving than either of her sexual ones.
The one controversial aspect of this film, which may have made it unpopular with some Christians, is that it points out the harshness of medieval Christianity, which unfortunately included corrupt clergy, holy wars against innocent people, and the declaration that an otherwise good person like Balian's wife could go to hell simply for being desperate enough to kill herself. Not to mention the dilemma that Sybilla faces between abiding by wedding vows she did not consent to take and finding love with Balian.
This is one of those films where no one gives a bad performance, and the visuals are just stunning. I liked it a great deal, although the siege of Jerusalem lasted a little too long.
The story revolves around Balian, a young French blacksmith who finds out at the beginning of the film that he is the illegitimate son of a crusading knight, Lord Godfrey (Liam Neeson). Balian has just lost his child, and his wife in despair has committed suicide, condemning her (in the eyes of the Catholic church) to eternity in hell. After Balian takes revenge on a despicable priest who abuses Balain's wife corpse and steals her cross from around her neck, Balain is forced to flee his village. His father invites him to join him in a crusade to defend the holy land from Muslim attack, promising wealth, and salvation for Balian and his dead wife. So father and son set off for the holy land, but Godfrey dies in route, leaving Balain with his title and his lands; as well as knighting him in what is one of a few morally significant scenes. Before he dies, Godfrey commands his son to defend the king of Jerusalem, and when the king dies, to defend the people. This is an oath which Balian takes to heart, and it becomes his "golden rule" throughout the film.
Although the audience in lead to believe by the first few minutes of the film, as well as by the religious significance of Jerusalem that Balian is going to undergo some spiritual awakening by the end of the movie, in reality he does not really develop "a personal relationship" with God. His social awakening occurs with his knighting by his father, and his moral outlook remains the same throughout the rest of the movie. Godfrey, the Hospitaler, Baldwin IV ("the Leper King") all seem to share Balian's philosophy, which I would describe as secular humanism. No one seems to have genuine religious beliefs, neither on the side of the Christians nor on the Muslims. Other than shouts of "God wills it" and "may Allah give us victory," which serve more as arrogant slogans than genuine expressions of faith, there is little reliance on God. In fact, if not for the political significance of the holy land, I think that the film could have been set in any town in the world, and the ending would not have been any less powerful.
Sybilla in turn does not really seem to have a philosophy other than to try to survive in a world in which women are given in marriage to men they do not know when they are fifteen, and true love requires that one sin against his or her religious beliefs. Indeed, of the three major relationships she has in the movie, the one between her brother and her is more moving than either of her sexual ones.
The one controversial aspect of this film, which may have made it unpopular with some Christians, is that it points out the harshness of medieval Christianity, which unfortunately included corrupt clergy, holy wars against innocent people, and the declaration that an otherwise good person like Balian's wife could go to hell simply for being desperate enough to kill herself. Not to mention the dilemma that Sybilla faces between abiding by wedding vows she did not consent to take and finding love with Balian.
This is one of those films where no one gives a bad performance, and the visuals are just stunning. I liked it a great deal, although the siege of Jerusalem lasted a little too long.