I first saw this in a theatre in 2005 and inspite of owning a dvd (theatrical version) i never revisited it but revisited the 194 mins Director's Cut few days back.
The film has amazing visuals, the landscapes n the battle scenes are stunning.
While these kinda movies are enjoyed on the big screen, the Director's Cut makes more sense and has many scenes included, battle scenes are depicted with more violence than in the theatrical cut and the subplot involving Sybilla's son Baldwin V, is added but its very poignant.
Also more scenes with Hospitaller offering guidance to Balian are present in the Director's Cut. But a scene where Hospitaller guides Balian after Balian survives an attack by Guy's men looked a bit supernatural.
I am generous with a 9 cos the movie is very entertaining.
Wud have easily rated it a 10 if the makers wud have given more footage to the character of Saladin, a true chivalrous knight.
It is equally true that his generosity, his piety, devoid of fanaticism, that flower of liberality and courtesy which had been the model of our old chroniclers, won him no less popularity in Frankish Syria than in the lands of Islam - René Grousset (writer).
Despite the Crusaders' slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099, Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics and even to the defeated Christian army, (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated even better, because they often opposed the western Crusaders).
Kingdom of Heaven
2005
Action / Adventure / Drama / History / War
Kingdom of Heaven
2005
Action / Adventure / Drama / History / War
Keywords: religionepicknight12th centuryswordsman
Plot summary
It is the time of the Crusades during the Middle Ages -- the world-shaping 200-year collision between Europe and the East. A blacksmith named Balian has lost his family and nearly his faith. The religious wars raging in the far-off Holy Land seem remote to him, yet he is pulled into that immense drama. Amid the pageantry and intrigues of medieval Jerusalem, he falls in love, grows into a leader, and ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city against staggering odds. Destiny comes seeking Balian in the form of a great knight, Godfrey of Ibelin, a Crusader briefly home to France from fighting in the East. Revealing himself as Balian's father, Godfrey shows him the true meaning of knighthood and takes him on a journey across continents to the fabled Holy City. In Jerusalem at that moment--between the Second and Third Crusades--a fragile peace prevails, through the efforts of its enlightened Christian king, Baldwin IV, aided by his advisor Tiberias, and the military restraint of the legendary Muslim leader Saladin Ayubi. But Baldwin's days are numbered, and strains of fanaticism, greed, and jealousy among the Crusaders threaten to shatter the truce. King Baldwin's vision of peace--a kingdom of heaven--is shared by a handful of knights, including Godfrey of Ibelin, who swear to uphold it with their lives and honor. As Godfrey passes his sword to his son, he also passes on that sacred oath: to protect the helpless, safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. Balian takes the sword and steps into history.
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Definitely deserves to be seen on a big screen but the Director's Cut is top notch.
Listen to the other reviews when they say get the Director's Cut of this movie
I watched the Director's Cut of this movie, which is why I rate it so high. Truly one of the best medieval movies of all time, just do yourself a favor and watch it. Sure, the movie is very long, but trust me, the movie is very well worth your time. Don't waste your time on the theatrical version, it's missing essential minutes that are include in the DC. So yeah, basically, if there was a movie to get the DC for instead of the regular cut, it's this one.
Watch the 3+ Hour Director's Cut, not the Studio's 2+ Hour Butchered Cut
There are two versions of this movie that are strikingly different in their impact and emotional meaning. The theatrical release is a 2-plus hour-long studio edit. The director's cut is 3-plus hour-long edit that was released later. I watched both versions back-to-back, and without question, the director's cut is the superior. It's not just a matter of additional footage putting more meat on the bone--more heart is added to the film as well.
The movie is a violent and gritty portrayal of the Crusades era in medieval times, but wrestles artfully with complex issues of faith, morality, justice and diversity and what it means to live a godly life. Apparently, the studio decided such thematic depth was a drawback and that audiences are mostly superficial morons, so they insisted on an edit that presented it as an action movie, leaving in just enough character development to feebly sew the action scenes together. In the process, not only character motivation was lost, but important plot developments in the story.
After watching the shorter edit first--which seemed disjointed and filled with holes in the way of crappy edits--I had to go look up the movie's synopsis online to understand what the hell I had watched. In the director's cut, it was much clearer. But the biggest difference is the thought-provoking character development and dialogue scenes throughout that bring an intelligence to the primitive times being depicted.
At the end of the studio edit, I felt uninspired and filled with a sense that the movie had many missed opportunities.
At the end of the director's cut, I felt I had seen a real movie with real ideas. And I was left thinking about it.
Ridley Scott has had some bad luck with studio interference in his edits, most memorably with the two versions of "Blade Runner." You would think they'd trust his instincts after all this time.