Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Product of Twentieth Century Fox, Scott Free Productions, Cahoca Productions
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Liam Neeson, Orlando Bloom, Alexander Siddig, Eva Green, Brendan Gleeson, and Jeremy Irons.

A young blacksmith mourning the loss of his wife is driven to join the ranks of the Crusaders after learning that he is the son of a Baron whose lands in Jerusalem are in danger.  When his father is killed, he is thrust into a world of warfare and incivility, laced by shining spots of humanity.  He alone must defend Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven, where his wife's sins were promised to be absolved by the very men who have betrayed and left him for dead.


Liam Neeson plays a Crusading Lord, just like a medieval Qui-Gonn Jinn.  Ironically, he pulls the "I am your father" card in the beginning, just like Qui-Gonn trained the future Dark Lord of the Sith, who we all know eventually plays the very same card.  Also included in this feature film is a King who wears an iron mask with a breathing problem, yet is the farthest thing from Vader.  But anyways.  Though his character is short lived, his badassery is second to none with lines like "I once fought for two days with an arrow through my testicle."  Now, modern medicine was probably not what it was back then, but I was surprised to hear the word "testicle" being used in a movie based in the 1100s.  Orlando Bloom plays none other than a blacksmith-turned-warrior sporting talent in guerrilla tactics and swordplay, much like a medieval - erm - just like Will Turner of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame.  (Fun fact: One of the painters whose work inspired the cinematography of this film is named William Turner)  The only difference is that he plays a quiet, soft-spoken, anger-driven blacksmith named Balian trying to absolve his wife's sins.  All the while donning a Prince of Persia style haircut.  Irony?

This movie is about the Crusades and fighting in the name of Jesus, though I cannot help but notice how much Bloom's character acts and appears as Jesus would himself.  I also see it as odd that many of the titled men know who his character is without even meeting him and how he is a key player in just about every scene.  Though this has more to do with the story than anything, I still cannot help but wonder.

The battle scenes are terrific.  Hands down terrific.  I do not see these as regular sword and shield confrontations a la the massive battles of movies such as "Braveheart" or "Troy," rather they are focused on choreography and creative combat.  Gore is seemingly never an issue in this movie, being very thin and a bright red, almost pink.  The siege of Jerusalem is my favorite siege I had seen to date.  This is actually the first movie I have seen to feature siege towers a trebuchets in a battle scene, and it is indeed a positive.  Balian's tactics are brilliant, maybe even revolutionary for the time.

There are some interesting characters in this movie, most notably the leprosy-stricken King Baldwin, played by a iron-masked Edward Norton.  His is a wise character, and probably a wiser King.  Because of his ailment, he does not eat dinner at the table with his countrymen and nobles.  Another favorite is Reynald de Chatillon, the French Templar.  He acts an eccentric Lord and commander of the Templars, using sarcasm and humor as he brushes off insult after self-induced insult. 

I enjoyed the direction of this film as much as any other well-led movies.  His portrayal of the bustling Crusader Jerusalem and even the unimportant transition scenes are very well shot.  The cinematography is very busy, however, catching some unimportant but very interesting filler shots.  There are many great shots at night as well, including the burial scene after the siege of Jerusalem.

"Kingdom of Heaven" is a Crusade epic that borrows elements from several iconic and influential movies depicting historic conflicts.  Though the Crusades were fought over the question of religion, there are plenty of instances in this movie where faiths are doubted and motives are questioned.  Even the sense of good and evil is difficult to discern.  I am a man who respects history and conflicts such as this one, as "Troy," another of Orlando Bloom's siege epics, and "Braveheart," the story of Scottish independence, are among my favorite movies.  This one ranks up there with my favorites.

I give this movie an A-, though in part because it uses smart humor and historical focal points as its main emphasis.  Everything in this movie serves a purpose.  There are cold killings, yet warm-hearted and honorable conversations between enemies.  It is a very touching story, one that relates to none of us but affects us all.