Kingdom of Heaven

Film Review by Ekow Daniels

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I'd almost forgotten how good a film Ridley Scott's 2005 epic 'Kingdom of Heaven' is.  Scott is a true master of the art form whether he's dealing with the past in 'Gladiator' or the future in 'Blade Runner' or 'Alien'.   He, his art director and director of photography put entire worlds on screen in such exquisite detail you can smell the grime, feel the cold, heat and utter disdain between his characters.  

The director's cut, Blu-ray version of this film is damn near perfect.  The characters are fleshed out and the story is clearer than the theatrical version.  The film's one flaw is its lead Orlando Bloom.  Prettier even than Cameron Diaz, he leaves a gaping hole at the center of the film that a more masculine actor such as Heath Ledger could have filled with ease.  Bloom, however, is surrounded by an incredible all-star cast from Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Marton Csokas and Edward Norton to the great Liam Neeson who projects such strength and dignity as well as amazing vulnerability.  That is something very few actors of his size can achieve.    

The historical accuracy of the events portrayed has been questioned by some.  Nonetheless, the film is an exhilarating tale of a man finding his place in the world of violent religiosity and fleeting grace.  Set during the Crusades, its themes are echoed throughout the world today.   I'm almost certain this was Scott's intention.  Although William Monahan's script concerns itself with the lofty goal of pointing out the similarities and equality of the worlds three major religions and the sheer pointlessness of all the warfare and carnage between them, what would a Ridley Scott movie be without rousing, beautifully orchestrated, bloody battle scenes replete with ancient military tech? 

The typical Scott tale is a tale of boy's being boys, but he still manages to create powerful female characters from Alien's Ripley to Gladiator's Lucilla.  We can include in that cannon Robin Hood's Marion Loxley all played by the finest actresses Hollywood has to offer.  Ava Green takes up the challenge here as Sybilla, wife of the craven and bloodthirsty Guy de Lusignan.  Unfortunately, she proves to be a more effective siren than actress yet I didn't find myself complaining. 

All said and done, "Kingdom of Heaven" is a beautifully realized, complex film with a terrific score that includes Patrick Cassidy's sublime 'Vide cor Meum' and pieces by African artists Baaba Maal and Oumou Sangare.  The film features music as diverse as its cast.  I'm not sure why it wasn't a bigger critical and box office hit.  Then again, a big budget studio epic that dared suggest that Muslims are no better or worse than Christians and were, at one point, a superior fighting force released halfway through the Bush administration was always destined to fail.  Watch it anyway. 

Overall rating: 4/5

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