KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005) - Movie Review

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Alexander Siddig, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Michael Sheen, Ghassan Massoud
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Writer: William Monahan
Runtime: 144 min (Theatrical); 190 min (Director's Cut)
Rated: Rated R for strong violence and epic warfare
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

From Ridley Scott, the visionary director of Black Hawk Down and Gladiator, comes this spectacular epic of courage, honor and adventure. Orlando Bloom stars as Balian, a young Frenchman in Medieval Jerusalem during the Crusades, who, having lost everything, finds redemption in a heroic fight against overwhelming forces to save his people and fulfill his destiny as a knight.

Review:

Ridlery Scott's "Gladiator" was a masterpiece of blockbuster entertainment, and so, naturally, expectations were high for the director's follow-up historical epic "Kingdom of Heaven". However, the big-budget take on the Crusades tanked at the box-office and received a mixed critical reception. I remember seeing the movie in theaters in 2005 and loving it. I bought it on DVD and still enjoyed it immensely. Unlike "Gladiator", it focuses less on action and more on exploring ideas and characters. The film was made during the turbulent post-9/11 time period, and as such offers a modern perspective on the differences between Christianity and Islam, and specifically the brutality and violence perpetrated by fanatics on both sides in the name of their God.

The film is surprisingly mature in the way it handles its themes, if not particularly historically accurate. It's at least less sacrilegious in that regard than "Gladiator". It's also very much a character-driven drama, so don't go in expecting a lot of battle action. Scott used a modern brush to paint an artistic but profound depiction of a time and a place where people found themselves facing some of the same dilemmas that we face even today.

Orlando Bloom caught some flak for his portrayal of Balian, our story's protagonist, but while he may not seem like the square-jawed muscle-bound hero that you would expect to see leading armies into battle, he's very much a thinking man's action hero, favoring brains over brawn. He's meant to be, above all, an intelligent, observant and kind man, and I feel Bloom's pensive, soft-spoken Balian reflects these qualites quite well. And he's not bad in a sword fight, either, which Bloom already proved capable of in "Pirates of the Caribbean".

The supporting cast is especially impressive. Edward Norton offers a riveting performance as Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, also known as the Leper King, who struggles to keep the peace between the Muslims and the Christians in the Holy Land. It's a difficult role to pull off, since the character wears a mask throughout, but Norton does so much with just his voice and body language. He was so invested in this role that he even requested to not be credited.

Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud is a strong, commanding presence as Saladin, the fierce but wise Muslim general who led his armies against the Crusaders. Scott offers a balanced portrayal of the two leaders on both sides of the conflict, depicting them as neither villains, or heroes, but as men who bear the burden of power and responsibility to their people. A brief face-off between Norton and Massoud perfectly encapsulates the essence of these characters, and it's powerful to watch them negotiate as leaders, but also showing immense respect for one another.

Jeremy Irons dominates every scene he's in as the tough-as-nails Tiberias, who in real life was actually called Raymond III of Tripoli. The studio insisted his name be changed to avoid confusion with the character of Raynald de Chatillon, one of the film's bad guys played insidiously by Brendan Gleeson. Marton Csokas is also great as the villainous Guy de Lusignan, a brash but incompetent warmonger who is remembered in history as the king who lost the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Eva Green's Sybilla is perhaps the most complicated and fascinating character, starting off as an apparent romantic interest for Balian, but evolving into a tragic figure. Green does a wonderful job but is let down by the film's theatrical version. A lot of her story had been cut, leaving out scenes crucial for her character development, but thankfully, they were restored in Scott's Director's Cut, finally doing justice to her character.

Just because the movie is all about grand themes, that doesn't mean Scott neglects the epic battles, which look great and show off the film's amazing production values. The battle for Jerusalem towards the end is one of the most impressive set pieces ever committed to film. The $130 million budget was well-spent as every inch of what is on-screen looks amazing. And thanks to cinematographer John Mathieson's fantastic work, it's still one of the best-looking historical epics in cinema history.

I wanted this to be a short-and-sweet review, like my blog title says, but this is just one of those movies that you can endlessly discuss. I guess it's pretty clear I absolutely love this movie, and encourage anyone reading this who hasn't already seen it to go watch it right now. Just make sure you watch the Director's Cut, which adds 45 minutes of additional scenes, vastly expanding the story and characters. It's the only way to watch this movie.

SCORE: 10/10