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Kingdom Of Heaven Directed by Ridley Scott Starring Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Eva Green, David Thewlis, Edward Norton
“Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Safeguard the helpless, even if it leads to your death; that is your oath. Rise a knight... rise a knight!” Orlando Bloom as Balian of Ibelin
Before I begin this review, I have to inform you that I am a big fan of lavish big budget period films. So going in to see this film, I was suitably jazzed. Ridley Scott directing a film set during the Crusades? This has to be great, doesn’t it?
Kingdom of Heaven is set during the late 12th century, just before the Third Crusade. The battle for control of Jerusalem rages on. The audience is introduced to a young French blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom). Balian recently lost both his wife and newborn child and his only source of release for his overwhelming sadness is to pound away on blistering metal all day.
A knight named Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) approaches Balian at work one day. He introduces himself as Balian’s father and invites him to join him as a Crusader. Balian at first refuses but realizes that he doesn’t have a whole lot to live for so he might as well join his father and at least earn some points with God on the battlefield.
It's no surprise that all is not well in Jerusalem. The king of Jerusalem (Edward Norton) has a nasty case of leprosy and spends his days behind a silver mask with every part of his body swathed in bandages. The king’s marshal, Tiberias (Jeremy Irons) attempts to keep the peace while his King weakens by the day. He not only has to keep those within the Crusdader ranks happy but also has to deal with the tricky sultan Saladin (Ghassan Massoud).
Another headache for all involved is two greedy fanatical knights named Templar Reynald (Brendan Gleeson) and Guy deLusignan (Martin Csokas). Reynald and deLusigan enjoy taunting Saladin hoping to shatter the fragile peace the area is experiencing and both would enjoy seeing the King lose his grasp of the throne so the fields can flow with blood of the enemies of Jerusalem.
If this wasn’t enough, the king has a sister named Sybilla (Eva Green) who is married to Guy but doesn’t hide the fact that she is infatuated with Balian and goes after him unabashedly. As if we needed more drama?
Kingdom of Heaven is fairly balanced in its portrayal of the conflict over Jerusalem between the Christians and the Muslims. Both Christians and Muslims behave in blood thirsty ways that placed neither side clearly in the corner of God or “god-like” behavior. It is amazing what humans are capable of when they believe they have God on their side.
The main weakness the movie is that the screenwriter has the plot juggling so many characters and complications that it can feel a bit cluttered at times. It's because of this that the movie appears detached emotionally. The pacing feels somewhat sluggish as well at a length of over 2 ½ hours.
However, the battle scenes are some of the most spectacular since Gladiator and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I recently read that when you give Ridley Scott a big budget, you can be assured that every dime of the money will be on the screen. That statement is especially true for this film. It is a true feast for the eyes in every frame. From the weaponry and costuming to the lavish set designs and locations, Kingdom of Heaven is pure eye candy.
The performances by Liam Neeson, David Thewlis and Edward Norton are naturally first rate. The performance by Orlando Bloom as Balian is surprisingly solid. He held his own in scenes with Neeson, Thewlis and Norton which is not an easy task. He brings a quiet strength and intensity to his portrayal of Balian. While I still feel that Orlando Bloom has a limited range as an actor, his performance in this film is one of his strongest.
Kingdom of Heaven, despite it’s sluggish pace and plot complications, is a film that is experienced best on the big screen. The epic battle scenes fill every last inch of the frame and are so intense, you can almost smell the smoke and taste the blood which in spite of the film’s flaws, may be enough to put you in a seat at the theater. Especially when your other choices are House of Wax and xXx-State of the Union.
7.5/10
Suzie Lackey |
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Kingdom Of Heaven
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Eva Green, David Thewlis, Edward Norton
Review: 7.5/10
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