Kingdom of Heaven (movie)
Essay title: Kingdom of Heaven (movie)
Kingdom of Heaven
Directed by Ridley Scott
Produced by Ridley Scott
Written by William Monahan
Starring Orlando Bloom
Liam Neeson
Eva Green
Jeremy Irons
Music by Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography John Mathieson
Editing by Dody Dorn
Chisako Yokoyama (directors cut)
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Released May 6, 2005
Running time 145 min.
Language English
Budget $135 million
IMDb profile
Kingdom of Heaven is a movie that was released on May 6, 2005, written by William Monahan, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Michael Sheen and Liam Neeson. Its story deals with the Crusades of the 12th century, and involves a blacksmith who aids the city of Jerusalem in its defense against the great Islamic leader Saladin, who battles to reclaim the city from the Christians. The script is loosely based on the life of Balian of Ibelin. Professor Hamid Dabashi of Columbia university was the films chief academic consultant.
It was reported that the Moroccan government sent hundreds of soldiers to protect the set and crew. However, the Moroccan cavalry were actually on hand as extras in the epic battle-scenes.
Most filming took place in Ouarzazate in Morocco, where Scott had filmed Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. A replica of the ancient city of Jerusalem was constructed in the desert. It was also filmed in Spain, at the Loarre castle, Segovia, Valsaнn, Бvila, Palma del Rнo and buildings in Seville.
Cast/Characters
Many of the characters in the movie are fictionalized versions of historical figures:
Orlando Bloom – Balian of Ibelin
Eva Green – Sibylla
Liam Neeson – Godfrey of Ibelin
Jeremy Irons – Tiberias (the movies name for the historical Raymond III of Tripoli, lord of Tiberias)
David Thewlis – Hospitaller
Brendan Gleeson – Reynald of Chatillon
Marton Csokas – Guy of Lusignan
Ghassan Massoud – Saladin
Edward Norton – Baldwin IV
Alexander Siddig – Nasir
Jon Finch – Patriarch of Jerusalem
Iain Glen – Richard I of England
Brief Outline of Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Kingdom of Heaven follows the story of a blacksmith, who, after finding out the existence of his out-of-wedlock father, Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Neeson), and having to cope with his wifes suicide, goes to Jerusalem in hopes of redemption and forgiveness.
Balian (Bloom), heads off to Jerusalem, after being knighted by his newfound father, to purge his sins and those of his wife (in hell due to her suicide following her delivery of a stillborn child). Following Godfreys death from complications of an arrow injury, and upon arriving in Jeruslaem, he finds that he has the favor of many men who were under his father Godfreys command. He is befriended by the masked King of Jerusalem Baldwin IV (Norton), who suffers from disfiguring, advanced leprosy, and the Marshal of Jerusalem, Tiberias (Irons). He subsequently has an affair with the Kings sister, Princess Sibylla (Green), and goes on to defend Jerusalem from Saladins (Massoud) army. He also contends with the war- and power-hungry men of Guy de Lusignan (Csokas) and Raynald de Chatillon (Gleeson) who want nothing more than to annihilate the armies of Saladin.
As the film progresses, King Baldwin dies from leprosy and is succeeded by his sister Sibylla, whose husband Guy becomes the King Consort. Guy, with Raynalds assistance, provokes Saladin to war and a great battle ensues, in which