Ridley Scott’s ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ opens in 1184 France during the time of the Crusades and follows a village blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom) who is mourning the death of his wife, who committed suicide after the death of their child. His brother, a priest (Michael Sheen at his hateful best), lets him know that his presence in the village won’t be tolerated by its inhabitants anymore, since his wife was deemed a sinner. This leads to a violent confrontation, resulting in Balian killing him. While trying to flee, he is rescued by Sir Godfrey (Liam Neeson), a knight who discovers that Balian is his illegitimate son. Balian finally makes his way to Jerusalem and meets up with King Baldwin (Edward Norton), the current ruler. But the king doesn’t have much time left as he is suffering from leprosy and keeps his face concealed behind a mask. Baldwin entrusts him with the duty of protecting the city after his death. Balian becomes involved in an affair with Baldwin’s sister Sybilla (Eva Green), who is married to a knight named Guy de Lusignan (Martin Csokas).
Balian gets himself involved in the political machinations and struggles to maintain a peaceful relationship with the Saracens (a generic term for Muslims during that time), led by Prince Saladin. The most impressive aspect of Kingdom of Heaven is that Scott never tried to portray the Muslims in a negative light. There are corrupt individuals on both sides, and it’s their presence that triggers conflict. You can’t call Saladin an antagonist because he cares more about Jerusalem than the Christians do. He is a character you actually root for. Muslims are hoping for peaceful relations as much as the Christians. There is a reason why Scott has a big fan following in the Middle East. It’s the sympathetic Muslim characters that appear in this film. In fact, the one man who stands out the most (apart from Norton, of course) is Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud, who plays the Muslim ruler Saladin. And there is Norton, who can do more behind a mask than some actors can without one. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the fine contributions from Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Eva Green, Michael Sheen, Alexander Siddig, and Brendan Gleeson.
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On close inspection, I found Kingdom of Heaven to be a much better film than Scott’s previous historical epic, the Oscar-winning ‘Gladiator’. And by saying this, I don’t intend it as a dismissal of the Russell Crowe-starrer. However, the story of KoH has more depth and holds more significance in the present climate. I must also add that the film doesn't lack in terms of historical accuracy either.
David Thewlis’ character has a great line in the film: “I put no stock in religion. By the word religion, I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. I've seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness - what God desires - is here [points to his head] and here [pointing to his heart] and by what you decide to do every day you will be a good man...or not.”
I would, however, recommend the Director’s Cut (extended version) of the film. If I have to name one film that makes a strong case for the existence of Director’s Cuts, it would be Kingdom of Heaven. The theatrical cut felt like a lacklustre and half-baked attempt. The extended version, on the other hand, is a much superior film, and it's a pity that they didn't release this version in theatres. No film deserved the Director’s Cut more than this one. I consider it one of Scott’s best films and would even place it alongside The Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner and American Gangster.
This new version is strengthened by an additional 45 minutes of footage and is a significant improvement over the previous one. It’s more coherent, the characters are more fleshed out, and some of the subplots make more sense. There is an overall expansion of scope, and certain scenes carry more emotional heft. Nothing that’s been included in this version feels unnecessary, and the final result is something that's completely different from what audiences saw in the theatres.