Sort By: By Genre  |  By Rating  |  By Year

Kingdom of Heaven

Starring: Orlando Bloom
Director: Ridley Scott
Genre: Action
Year: 2005
Rating: 4 / 5

In what surely must be described as a gross understatement, director Ridley Scott has had a rather successful career. Beginning with 1979’s Alien and including the likes of Blade Runner, Gladiator, and, most recently, Black Hawk Down, Scott has delivered some of cinema’s most memorable and lasting films. His most recent offering, Kingdom of Heaven, is another worthwhile bullet on his resume, even if it may not have the staying power of those earlier efforts. Critically praised but publicly ignored, Kingdom of Heaven is another epic tale in the vein of Gladiator, a tale of one man overcoming tremendous odds to fight for justice and for a people in need. Of course, there is one small difference between the films – one stars Russell Crowe while the other is headlined by Orlando Bloom.

Balian (Orlando Bloom) of Ibelin is a mere village blacksmith when he is approached by Godfrey (Liam Neeson), a knight claiming to be the young man’s father. Godfrey is on his way to Jerusalem during the crusades, and he wishes for Balian to join him. One need not be a seer to know that tragedy will invariably fall Godfrey on this voyage, leaving Balian to assume his father’s important role in the Holy Land. With the king in failing health, factions are already lining up to rule Jerusalem. With religious tensions high and nobles jockeying for power, Balian finds himself allied with Tiberias (Jeremy Irons) and the king in a battle to save the city and its people. He has sworn to be a defender of the city, as his father was before him, and so begins his epic journey.

In the Ridley Scott films mentioned earlier, larger-than-life actors inhabited the noted director’s lead roles. Sigourney Weaver, then a relative unknown, Harrison Ford, and Russell Crowe drove Scott’s earlier tales, while a strong ensemble propelled Black Hawk Down. While this last film did not demand a strong protagonist, Kingdom of Heaven asks a lot of its up-and-coming lead. While Orlando Bloom may someday grow to be one of Hollywood’s most capable actors, he is currently just a pretty face with a bevy of teenage admirers. His casting in this film seemed to be more about box office returns than critical acclaim – although the former never did materialize – but he does manage to earn his stripes opposite a supporting cast that includes Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson. After all, how much can he be faulted for not being Russell Crowe?

Despite any misgiving’s about the film’s lead actor, Kingdom of Heaven is truly an inspiring film. The grand tale follows a man of humble origins to a faraway land where he fights for honor and integrity, values that appear to be in short supply in his world. Removed from his own world, bound to a city and a people he does not know, this man must nonetheless balance his own dreams and ambitions with the duty to which his father’s pledge has bound him. Much has also been made of the film’s evenhanded depiction of both sides of the conflict, with Muslim leader Saladin shown to be as honorable as any man in the film. Through his eyes, we are granted some insight into a battle that has been waged across generations, one which does not easily categorize its participants as right or wrong.

A befits an epic of this scale, Kingdom of Heaven is visually stunning. This is never more evident than during the climactic siege of Jerusalem, as the gripping clash between Christians and Muslims unfolds before our eyes. (It evokes memories of the opening sequences of Gladiator, when Maximus leads his army against nomadic tribes in Germania.) The film also benefits from its veteran supporting actors. Liam Neeson, who appears to have cornered the market on all “mentor” roles, makes the most of his brief time on screen, lending a sense of gravitas to both his character and Balian’s quest. Edward Norton, in an unbilled cameo, also manages to delight as a king with a dream but without the means to make it real. His dream is a Kingdom of Heaven, and while Ridley Scott’s film may not be that, it serves as a pretty good substitute.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence.
Running Time: 145 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
Comments: Send E-mail