| Kingdom of Heaven |
When GLADIATOR opened in 2000, I was among the critics who were not overly impressed and frankly, I was shocked when the movie went on to win so many Academy Awards. I had admiration for what Ridley Scott and his team created, but the film just didn’t impress me. I generally like sweeping historical epics, but GLADIATOR didn’t exactly do it for me. In the wake of such misguided efforts as TROY and ALEXANDER though, Scott's Oscar winner has begun to take on a brighter sheen. Now the director has realized a long-aborning project dealing with the Crusades, a movie that has undergone various incarnations and was released as KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. I suppose we can all give thanks that original star Arnold Schwarzenegger is now too busy running California, although the choice of Orlando Bloom for the leading role left some scratching their heads. Bloom, best known as Legolas in THE LORD OF THE RINGS movies and as the insipid Paris in TROY, seemed a cynical ploy to bring in the teenage girls. Well, I can report that Scott knew what he was doing when he cast the up and coming actor. While he isn’t in the same league as a Russell Crowe (at least not yet), Bloom manages to acquit himself in the central role of blacksmith turned crusader Balian. As the film opens, Balian has recently lost his son and his wife has committed suicide in her grief. The surprise appearance of his long-lost father, the knight Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) doesn’t even affect him. He turns down an invitation to join Godfrey in Jerusalem, until a disreputable cleric (the oleaginous Michael Sheen) provokes him into committing a crime. With nothing to lose, Balian sets out to join his newfound father on the journey to Jerusalem. Balian’s presence, though, causes problems, particularly as he is a wanted man. When the sheriff’s men arrive, he proves his ability as a fighter, but his father’s men suffer losses. Still, he’s allowed to continue on the treacherous journey. Godfrey suffered a fatal wound, and eventually he dies, allowing the son to inherit his title. On his way to the holy city, he encounters a Muslim (Alexander Siddig) whose life he spares and when he does arrive at his destination, Balian is taken under the wing of Tiberius (Jeremy Irons, playing against type in a more heroic role). At court, the newcomer runs afoul of the Frenchman Guy de Lusignan (Martin Csokas), who happens to be married to the princess Sibylla (Eva Green), sister of King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton, hidden behind silver and gold masks). Balian and Sibylla trade longing looks and eventually manage a romance when she pays a surprise visit to the castle he has inherited from his father. (The love story is one of the weaker links in William Monahan’s screenplay, which takes great liberties regarding historical characters.) Working with much of his award-winning crew from GLADIATOR (director of photography John Mathieson, costume designer Janty Yates, production designer Arthur Max, editor Dody Dorn), Ridley Scott has crafted a stunningly beautiful film to watch. The early sequences pay brief tribute to Ingmar Bergman and THE SEVENTH SEAL and the latter battle sequences hold up against recent efforts such as BRAVEHEART and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. The actors do yeoman work, with Norton delivering a fine turn as the leper king, Irons providing strong support as the voice of reason (in spite of looking and sounding villainous), and Ghassan Massoud brings humanity and dignity to the role of the Muslim leader Saladin. Given the tenor of the times in which we live, making a film about the period in which the Crusades occurred has to be seen as a risky proposition. As with BLACK HAWK DOWN, Scott manages to skirt real controversy in favor of a balanced viewpoint, and that alone is an achievement. Rating: B- MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and epic warfare Running time: 145 mins. Viewed at the Loews 34th St. Theater |
| © 2005 by C. E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved. |