Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I will divide this review based on TDC and TTC, respectively. The score above is my score for TDC.TDC of Kingdom of Heaven is in my Top 10 Films of All Time. I love the characters, the sets, the costumes, the script, the direction, everything. It's Orlando Bloom's best performance by far, and the rest of the cast is excellent. Edward Norton is flawless as King Baldwin, perfectly combining his fragility (he's a leper) and his commanding precense. Eva Green is great in one of her earliest roles, being the most emotionally raw of all the characters. I love the epic feel of this movie. It feels like one of the epics of old (it even has in Intermission like the old movies), like Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, etc. Absolutely perfect in my opinion, even though there are historical inaccuracies.TTC, on the other hand, is one the messiest films I have ever seen. Nearly an hour is cut, and it's a dagger to the heart of the film. It is a abomination. The biggest example is when Baldwin asks Bailin (Orlando Bloom) to kill Eva Green's husband, Guy, (who is an absolute asshole), who wants to kill Saladin, king of the Muslim, which Baldwin does not want to happen and wants only peace between the two sides. Bailin says no, even though he loves her. Keep in mind that Eva Green, Baldwin's sister, has a son who, since Baldwin has no heirs of his own and is dying of leperecy, is the heir to the throne. At least, that's how it is in TDC. In TTC, there is no son, which means the throne goes to Guy. In TDC, Bailin doesn't want to kill Guy for moral reasons, and not knowing Eva Green's son (who is discovered to also have leperecy), will die soon. This is very understandable. TTC makes Bailin looks like a complete idiot, since not killing Guy will mean open war and the deaths of thousands. WHY WOULD THE STUDIO DO THIS?!?!?!?! TTC is riddled with these stupid choices, and is an irritating film to watch, espiacally if you've seen the greatness that is TDC. Overall, Just watch the glory of TDC and stay away from the abomination that is TTC.

Wanna see a movie about the Crusades cuz I'm feeling extra Deus Vult latelyFind that there is literally only one Hollywood film that depicts the Crusades called Kingdom Of HeavenBuy it & watch about an hour.. start to see that all the Templars are ultra evil villains & the Muslims are oppressed victimsWTF...look up online the historical accuracy of the filmEveryone saying it is not at all historically accurate but its fantastic because all the Christians are portrayed as villains & Saladin instead of being a savage tyrant, aka real life, is depicted as a compassionate, wise ruler0 Deus Vults out of 10

Based on a clear-minded screenplay by William Monahan, Director/Producer Ridley Scott had everything to build on, which became a picture of majestic proportions. Adding a rock solid cast starting with Liam Neeson in the role Godfrey de Ibelin, searching for his abundant son in a French village of the 12th century. Cinematography by John Mathieson in symbiosis with Arhtur Max production design and harmonic digital color correction in cold-steel-blue brings the atmosphere for medieval Europe to the screen.The Director at the age of 66, when producing "Kingdom of Heaven" shows with calm and artistic executive hand what he is worth in a demanding profession by arguably Ridley Scott's best picture to this day at least in the 190 Minutes running Director's Cut version. Scene after scene indulge the spectator's senses, going of a journey with the character of Balian de Ibelin, portrait uneventful retreaded by Orlando Bloom. But the lacking passion for this picture does not harm the film. It just seems that it had been too many historical movies in five-year stretch for the actor. He professionally interacts with the ensemble of performers, especially Eva Green, playing the character of Sibylla with self-determined feminine conviction. Bloom & Green are able to create balanced chemistry in the intermediate scene, making their relationship a key factor for the main character's survival instincts in warfare environment.The pace of the Director's Cut is a close to perfect editorial by Dody Dorn. Every scene interweaves to the next as one streamline, combining extreme wide shots with close-ups and shutter-speed-adjusted battlefield shots with slow-motion-character-studies which makes "Kingdom of Heaven (DC)" a pleasure to watch. Director Ridley Scott avoids to take any particular stand in the religious war over the Mecca city of Jerusalem, which benefits an open-minded international audience. Releasing the picture to an English audience on May 2nd 2005 and rolling out to world-wide audience within the next two weeks had been a fair marketing move, if there were not the major drawback of studio executive's running time regulation with 20th Century Fox to have a 150 minutes movie instead of 180 minutes movie, which gave a U.S. domestic box office revenue from under 50 millions U.S. Dollars by an 130 millions production value a bitter aftertaste for a Director, who had everything under control on this show with his U.K. based production company Scott Free productions, but this crucial final cut issue.In film business as well in life it is impossible to turn back time. Statements and actions are chiseled into stone. There is only the choice of correcting or letting go of matter, which for Ridley Scott seems to be the boogie man since a disastrous production line experience with completing "Blade Runner" in season 1981/1982. Despite "Kingdom of Heaven" has been extraordinary prepared for historical event action drama, it fell into the trap of multiple version available for spectators. The film in its 3-hour epic state has to be the only choice to watch, translating all the ingredients of a classic Hollywood movie into an contemporary technically demanding cinematic event for the 21st century. Nevertheless if the release date might have been put to a fall / winter time period (September 15th to December 15th) in combination with a 180 Minutes release print slowing expanding from a U.S. domestic limited release to the world market, "Kingdom of Heaven" would be the classic it deserves to be in any distribution from re-releases over DVD/VOD to TV showings.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend

well, i extremely rare to write a review..but then after watching this director cut worth 3 hour++ i feel like to make some comment. firstly yeah iam a Muslim whose some of you guys think bad. but the truth is the bad Muslim is not religion itself but the person. as in this film story. what got my attention is how they view Islam in this movie. rarely Hollywood movie Islam guy as nice and moderate guys. mostly i watch that Muslim leader is a blood hunger killing men woman and child. so what catch my attention is how they accept the salahuddin fact on how he act of kindness on their enemy. iam not saying that all Muslim leader before is good. when a kingdom rise there will be a downfall. same as Islam kingdom, there have been a proof where hundred year of ruling a kingdom make slowly they Islam kingdom fall to become bride and power hunger. this also happen to Christian, this what the movie show, is not only Islam but Christian also the same. hundred years of ruling then someday will come the fall. where everyone hunger for power and fight among them self resulting to loss to enemy.This is what i exactly in my view, most Hollywood movie will only make Islam as bad person and view Christian as good. but in reality both has a downfall. but bear in mind that downfall not come from religion itself but from a man that hunger for power and use religion as excuse. what make me satisfied about salahuddin is how they show he give mercy to surrender survivor, and how he respect other religion. you can see that he pick up the cross that have fallen, and he avoid from stepping the cross sign. this is exactly how our religion (Islam) is promoting. respect other religion. that what exactly what salahuddin do. and when he answer jurusalem worth nothing, everything. it means thousand word. for both jews, Christian, Muslim jurusalem is a holy place. but the truth is it has nothing. it only in the middle of sand that why its nothing. but its everything worth fighting for that is because is the holy land.its maybe has nothing but its have everything. that why the crusader at last scene travel to jurusalem to claim. because its everything for jews, Christian and Muslim.lastly come to my 1st point, some Christian will telling that this movie is awful. they only show the bad side of Christian, but sometimes you gotta admit it, there also the time dark age where that time people abuse religion to their suit. but look at the bright side while maybe ballian not a loyal to Christian but he do believe in god earlier and want to go to jurusalem to repent for his crime and her wife. while he gave up his life then come the light. and the last conversation that he get is why he get all that experience if no god to help him. and then this view that religion is not at fault but the person does, why the bishop and priest view as not good person. the same can be view from the salahuddin adviser which he really want a war to get jurusalem while salahuddin still want peace negotiation. you can see that salahuddin adviser really happy when they war with Christian. while salahuddin himself respect the jurusalem king earlier. this is the message that this movie to deliver, the religion is not at fault for a person actand sorry for my bad English