normal
bold
narrow
normal
bold
Kingdom Of Heaven

Kingdom Of Heaven

20th Century Fox (May 02, 2005)
Action | Adventure | History | Medieval | War
USA | English | Color | 03:09
Director's Cut
Blu-ray
R (Restricted)
024543396109
| 1 disc
Region A
Custom Case

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. 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.
- Written by Sujit R. Varma




In 1184, French village blacksmith Balian just lost his wife trough suicide grief-stricken by their child's death; the crusader lord Godfrey, baron of Ibelin, reveals himself as Balian's father and offers him a crusader life, which the youngster spontaneously rejects but after the local priest taunts him till his sword strikes fatally accepts, fleeing the French bishop's bloody justice and seeking divine forgiveness as promised to crusaders in Jerusalem. On the way, Balian is instructed the skills of war and chivalric honor code and dubbed a knight in Messina by his father, who was fatally wounded fighting off the bishop's men. After shipwreck on the Levantine coast, Balian soon proves himself a superior knight as fighter and noble idealist in the loyal service of leper king Baldwin, whose pragmatic right hand, the count of Tiberias, fails to convince Balian the ruthless knight Reynald de Chatillon and his traitorous master, candidate-heir to the throne Guy de Lusignan, must be stopped by all means before they plunge the crusader kingdom in a fatal war against the noble, militarily far superior Saracen king Saladin. When Tiberias is proven right, he leaves for Cyprus, brave Balian stays to defend besieged Jerusalem against impossible odds.
- Written by KGF Vissers




Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.
- Written by Mac Svan





SYNOPSIS

In a remote village in France, Balian (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith, is haunted by his wife's (Nathalie Cox) recent suicide. A group of Crusaders arrive at the small village and one of them approaches Balian, introducing himself as his father, Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson). Godfrey, asks Balian to return with him to Jerusalem. Balian refuses and the Crusaders leave. Afterwards, the town priest (Michael Sheen), Balian's younger brother, reveals that he had ordered Balian's wife beheaded before burial (a customary practice in those times for people who committed suicide). During the encounter Balian kills him. Balian follows after his father in the hope of gaining forgiveness and redemption for him and his wife. After he catches up to his father, soldiers led by Godfrey's nephew arrive to arrest Balian. Godfrey refuses to hand him over and during the subsequent fight most of Godfrey's men are killed and Godfrey himself is mortally wounded.

In Messina, Godfrey knights Balian and orders him to serve the King of Jerusalem and protect the helpless then succumbs to his injuries. On Balian's journey to Jerusalem, his ship is run aground by a storm, leaving Balian and a horse as the survivors of the wreck. When Balian releases the horse from the wreckage it flees in panic. Tracking the horse into the desert, Balian is confronted by a Muslim cavalier and his servant. A fight over possession of the horse follows and Balian slays the horseman, but spares the servant, asking him to guide him to Jerusalem. Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, Balian gives the horse to the servant and releases him. The man then tells him his slain master was an important knight amongst the Saracens.

After being accepted as the new Lord of Ibelin by Godfrey's retainers, Balian soon becomes acquainted with the main players in Jerusalem's political arena: the leper King Baldwin IV, Tiberias, Marshall of Jerusalem, Princess Sibylla, King Baldwin IV's sister, and Guy de Lusignan, Sibylla's husband, who supports the anti-Muslim activities. Guy is determined to rule after Baldwin's death and seeks to provoke a war that will allow him to dispose of the Muslims and claim the Kingdom for the Christians.

Guy and his co-conspirator Raynald of Châtillon massacre a Muslim trade caravan with the aid of the Templars. Saladin, leader of the Muslim forces attacks Kerak, Raynald's castle, to bring him to account for his crime. Balian decides to protect the villagers as they attempt to enter the castle from Saladin's cavalry. Though outnumbered, Balian and his knights charge Saladin's cavalry, allowing the villagers time to flee to the castle; Balian's knights are soon defeated resulting in their capture. In the enemy camp, Balian encounters the 'servant' he freed, Imad ad-Din, learning he is actually Saladin's Chancellor, who then releases Balian to enter Kerak. Saladin arrives with his army to besiege Kerak and King Baldwin IV approaches with his. The two rulers successfully negotiate a Muslim retreat and Baldwin swears that he will punish Raynald for his crimes. The exertion of these events cause Baldwin to collapse, weakened beyond recovery.

Baldwin asks Balian to marry Sybilla (Eva Green), knowing that the pair have affection for each other, but Balian refuses to be associated with the necessary murder of Guy. After Baldwin dies, Sibylla's six year old son Baldwin V becomes King of Jerusalem. It quickly becomes apparent that he is also infected with leprosy. Grief-stricken and unwilling to condemn her son to a life behind a mask, Sibylla gives him poison. Sibylla succeeds her son and names Guy King of Jerusalem. Guy releases Raynald asking him to give him a war, which Raynald does by murdering Saladin's sister. When Saladin sends an emissary to demand the return of his sister's body, the heads of those responsible, and the surrender of Jerusalem, Guy answers by decapitating the emissary and sending his head back to Damascus.

In council war is agreed upon "because God wills it" and against sound advice they march into the desert away from adequate water supplies to fight Saladin, leaving Jerusalem unguarded except for Balian, his knights, and the townspeople. Saladin's army attacks the Crusader army near to the city of Hattin, and at the Battle of Hattin, the Crusader army is annihilated. Guy and Raynald are captured; Saladin executes Raynald, and then marches on Jerusalem, sparing Guy out of tradition but stating that he is not worthy of this. Balian prepares the defences, challenging the Patriarch's advice to flee, and then knights a number of men-at-arms because "making a man a knight makes him a better fighter." Knowing they cannot defeat the Saracens, they hope hold their enemies off long enough for the Saracens to offer terms; after three days and having proven their resolve, Saladin offers terms: Balian surrenders Jerusalem when Saladin offers all the inhabitants safe passage to Christian lands. Balian points out that when the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem a hundred years previously, they massacred the Muslim inhabitants, but Saladin assures him that he is a man of honor and releases Guy back to Jerusalem where Balian encounters him in a fight. Balian tells him "When you rise again, if you rise again, rise a knight."

In the marching column of citizens, he finds Sibylla who has renounced her claim as Queen of Jerusalem and other cities. Saladin's forces destroy many of the Christian books and replace the cross on the top of the church with a crescent. Privately, Saladin is shown refusing to step on the stones carved with crucifixes, and later picks up a cross and gently puts it back on the table.

Balian returns to his village in France and a column of English knights ride through looking for Balian, defender of Jerusalem. Balian replies that he is the blacksmith, and the man identifies himself as King Richard I of England, and they are commencing a new Crusade to retake Jerusalem from Saladin. Balian responds that he is still the blacksmith and Richard rides off. Balian is joined by Sybilla, and passing by the grave of Balian's wife, they ride towards a new life together.

An epilogue states that "nearly a thousand years later, peace in the Kingdom of Heaven remains elusive."


Cast View all

Martin Hancock Gravedigger
Michael Sheen Priest
Nathalie Cox Balian's Wife
Eriq Ebouaney Firuz
Jouko Ahola Odo
David Thewlis Hospitaler
Liam Neeson Godfrey de Ibelin
Philip Glenister Squire
Orlando Bloom Balian de Ibelin
Bronson Webb Apprentice
Kevin McKidd English Sergeant
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Village Sheriff
Steven Robertson Angelic Priest
Marton Csokas Guy de Lusignan
Alexander Siddig Imad
Velibor Topic Almaric
Michael Shaeffer Young Sergeant
Eva Green Sibylla
Brendan Gleeson Reynald de Chatillon
Nasser Memarzia Muslim Grandee
Jeremy Irons Tiberias
Jon Finch Jerusalem
Edward Norton King Baldwin
Lotfi Yahya Jedidi Old Ibelin Housekeeper
Samira Draa Sibylla's Maid

Personal

Owner Kerry & Dawn
Location Movies-02
Storage Device TD 16
Purchased Jan 24, 2012
Quantity 1
Seen Jul 03, 2021
Added Date May 17, 2015 05:42:45
Modified Date Apr 17, 2024 00:47:11

Edition details

Screen Ratios Theatrical Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 [English]
Dolby Digital Surround [French]
Dolby Digital Surround [Spanish]
DTS [English]
DTS 5.1 [English]
Subtitles English | English (Closed Captioned) | French | Spanish
Distributor 20th Century Fox
Layers Single side, Dual layer
Edition Release Date Nov 14, 2006

Notes

VersionRun Time
Theatrical Release2:24
Director's Cut3:09
Director's Cut Roadshow3:14


The 194 minute Director's Cut is a roadshow format presentation with an Overture, Intermission and Entr'acte. In all, 45 minutes of new scenes have been added, with the biggest addition, as Ridley Scott acknowledges in the introduction, being the subplot of Sibylla's son. Also, there is now more graphic violence in all the battle scenes, with newly added shots of spurting blood and new close-ups of wounds being inflicted. The primary additional scenes in the Director's Cut are:
  • In the opening scene, there is a shot of the Priest (Michael Sheen) splitting open his apple only to find that it is rotten. Also, newly added dialogue with the gravedigger (Martin Hancock) reveals that the woman being buried was married to the Priest's brother, Balian the Blacksmith (Orlando Bloom).

  • There is a new scene where the bishop of the town (Bill Paterson) orders Balian's brother to release Balian from prison so the blacksmith can aid him in completing the construction of the new abbey.

  • There is a new scene of Balian looking at the sapling planted by his wife (Nathalie Cox), coupled with a flashback of her planting it. The guard of the prison (Tim Barlow) then comes in to Balian's cell and releases Balian.

  • There are several newly added shots of the French village as Balian walks away from the prison. These shots help to establish the local geography more clearly than in the theatrical version.

  • After Godfrey (Liam Neeson) and his men arrive, there is a new scene of them having dinner with Godfrey's elder brother (Robert Pugh). While Godfrey is away from the table, the elder brother and his son (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) conspire to kill Godfrey and take the mantle of Baron of Ibelin for themselves, which creates an additional reason for the forest ambush later in the film (in the theatrical cut, the ambush seems based purely upon an attempt to arrest Balian).

  • A new scene shows Balian being verbally abused by his brother whilst sitting at the crossroads looking at his wife's grave.

  • The following day, the Priest gives the Crusaders some background information on Balian, including his role as an engineer and how he used to build towers that could fling "the largest stones." Additionally, Odo (Jouko Ahola) asks Balian if he has ever seen warfare, to which Balian responds that he has, both on horse and on foot.

  • Immediately after Odo's conversation with Balian, there is a brief flashback of Godfrey saying goodbye to Balian's mother before he left for Jerusalem. The subsequent exchange between Godfrey and the Hospitaler (David Thewlis) has been shortened in the Director's Cut, as some of the exposition given in that scene in the theatrical version has already been revealed in other newly added scenes, and their conversation is now much more oblique.

  • Godfrey's line "I am your father" in the theatrical cut is substituted with "I knew your namesake" in the Director's Cut.

  • After Godfrey and his men leave for Messina, there are a few additional shots of Balian's assistant (Bronson Webb) watching them leave and then looking back at Balian.

  • Later that night, the scene where Balian kills his brother is longer, with much more dialogue and additional taunting from the Priest prior to Balian's attack.

  • Several additional shots of Godfrey's men at camp have been added; the Hospitaler brushing his teeth; Firuz (Eriq Ebouaney) shouting at one of the men for urinating upstream of the camp; the English Sergeant (Kevin McKidd) greasing Godfrey's armor (this explains why Godfrey is hurt so badly by the arrow in the subsequent ambush - he is not wearing his chain-mail).

  • The ambush scene has several new additions. Roger's son greets Godfrey as "Uncle" and mentions his father (Godfrey's brother); as Roger's son leaves he says "You are my uncle, I must give you the road" as opposed to the theatrical "You are a knight, I must give you the road"; a new close-up of the horse crossing the river with the Hospitaler hiding by hanging off the left flank; a new shot of Godfrey chasing Roger's son, and saying "Thank my brother for his love"; a new execution scene where the son of Roger de Cormier (Paul Brightwell) is stabbed in the back of the head by the English Sergeant after he demands the right to be held to ransom. The ambush is also considerably bloodier than in the theatrical cut.

  • On the pilgrim's road, the acolyte (Steven Robertson) now says "To kill an infidel, the Pope has said, is not murder. It is the path to heaven." In the theatrical cut, he said "To kill an infidel is not murder. It is the path to heaven." There is also a brief new scene of the Hospitaler speaking to an old pilgrim (Peter Copley) who is leading a group of children to Jerusalem. Additionally, there are a few more shots of Godfrey's tent prior to the arrival of Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas).

  • At Messina, the English Sergeant gives Balian some background information about local trade and why the port is so busy.

  • The morning after Balian has met Almaric (Velibor Topic) in Jerusalem, there is a new scene in Balian's house. After waking up, Balian has a bath, but is embarrassed at having to get out of it naked in front of the servant girls. When he does finally get out, he is extremely uncomfortable in allowing them to dry him, so he grabs the towel and walks off, much to their amusement.

  • Also at Balian's house, there is a new scene where the Hospitaler discusses faith, remarking that he doesn't put much stock in religion anymore because he has seen too many fanatics use religion as an excuse for killing.

  • When the Hospitaler brings Balian to see Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), the title card 'Office of The Marshal of Jerusalem' appears later, closer to the actual introduction of Tiberias himself.

  • After Tiberias has told Raynald de Chatillon (Brendan Gleeson) that one day, his title will no longer protect him, there is a short new scene where the witness (Nasser Memarzia) to Raynald's attack on the caravan complains to Tiberias about Raynald walking free, and Tiberias pays him off to keep quiet.

  • The scene where Balian meets Baldwin IV (Edward Norton) is longer, with several new lines of dialogue scattered throughout. Additionally, there is a new section of the scene where Balian gives the King advice on how best to protect the city from a massive attack.

  • After speaking with Baldwin, as Balian leaves, he stumbles over a small toy soldier. As he scoops down to pick it up, he sees Sibylla's son (Alexander Potts) - although we don't know who he is yet. Balian smiles at the boy and puts the toy back down. After Balian has gone, the boy comes and gets the toy.

  • The close-up of Balian as he looks at the tableaux on the wall in his father's house at Ibelin has been extended, and there are a number of shots which serve to lay out the geography of the house in more detail than in the theatrical cut.

  • As Balian and Almaric survey the land at Ibelin, Almaric has a line not in the theatrical version; "My lord, this is a poor and dusty place." This pays off just prior to the beginning of the Siege of Jerusalem, where Balian tells Almaric that if he survives, he can have Ibelin, to which Almaric replies, "But my lord, it is a poor and dusty place," and they smile at one another.

  • There is a new scene between Balian and Sibylla (Eva Green) where she washes his face after he comes in from working on the land, and she tells him that she is free to do as she pleases due to her being the King's sister.

  • The scene between Balian and Sibylla as Balian watches the Muslim servants performing their prayers has some additional dialogue where she tells him about her son.

  • There is a new scene with Balian where he is walking by the irrigation system and sees the toy boat that the boy used earlier when the water pumps were first set up. He picks the boat up and looks at it for a moment, before returning it to the water and watching it float away.

  • After the battle of Kerak, as the army leaves, Guy looks at Balian and then at Sibylla and notices them looking at one another; the implication being that he knows Balian and Sibylla have been together.

  • After the Mullah (Khaled Nabawy) leaves Saladin's (Ghassan Massoud) tent, there is a short new scene between Saladin and Imad (Alexander Siddig) where they discuss what is likely to happen when Baldwin IV dies.

  • As the Saracen doctors enter Baldwin's chamber, there is a newly added scene of Guy practicing with his sword in the hallway.

  • Immediately after this, there is a new scene of Raynald walking around in circles in his cell repeatedly shouting out his name. The jail-keeper is trying to have his dinner and looses patience, slamming the inner door of the prison shut.

  • Following this, there is a new scene showing Baldwin IV refusing the last sacrament from Patriarch Eraclius (Jon Finch). Eraclius leaves the chamber in disgust and meets Guy outside.

  • After the departure of Eraclius, there is another new scene in which Guy (rather unceremoniously) seduces Sibylla's maid (Samira Draa).

  • There is then a new scene between Balian and Sibylla where Sibylla points out that, as Regent, she is going to have to run the Kingdom until her son is ready to do it himself. Balian asks what role Guy will have in this new government, but Sibylla doesn't answer him.

  • After leaving Balian, Sibylla arrives at the palace in the early morning. Once inside, she sees Guy with her son, followed by a scene in which Guy attempts to force her to accept his knights' allegiance, threatening that if she does not, her son's reign as King will be "brief and bloody."

  • The scene where Guy brings Raynald some food is slightly longer; Raynald now makes Guy eat some of the food before he eats any himself.

  • There is a new scene of Sibylla teaching her son about England and France. Tiberias arrives and tells her that if she wants to say goodbye to her brother, she had better do it now. At first, she is reluctant, but Tiberias persuades her to go. After she and Tiberias leave, the boy places his palm on top of the fire lamp and feels no pain, despite blistering his flesh - thus indicating that he, like his uncle Baldwin IV, has leprosy.

  • Baldwin IV's death scene is slightly longer than in the theatrical cut, with some additional moments of silence between him and Sibylla.

  • When Guy confronts Sibylla after Baldwin's death, an additional line of dialogue has been added; "If my son has your knights, you have your wife."

  • The scene where Sibylla visits Baldwin's body is slightly longer. In this version, after she removes the mask to look at his face, she then gently places the mask back on, and tucks it in under his hood.

  • There is a new scene showing Baldwin V's coronation.

  • Immediately after the coronation, an interesting new scene between Balian and the Hospitaler has been added. Balian is throwing a stone at a bush, trying to get a spark so as to make the bush ignite. As the Hospitaler arrives, Balian succeeds, and suggests this is proof God doesn't exist. The Hospitaler disagrees. They talk briefly, and as the Hospitaler rides away, a bush several feet away from the burning one suddenly ignites in flames without any apparent cause. Balian turns around in amazement, and then turns back to the Hospitaler, but he is gone; the plains are deserted for miles around. As Balian looks around, his horse seems to jump in fright.

  • A series of new scenes follow the bush scene. We see the new King signing various documents, and there is a close-up of some wax dropping onto his hand without him feeling anything. Eraclius and Sibylla both see this, and realize that something is wrong. There is then a short scene of a physician pricking the boy's feet with pins, without him feeling anything, and Sibylla beginning to cry. Next, Tiberias tells Sibylla that rumors are spreading that the boy is ill, and that he needs to be seen publicly to dispel such gossip. Sibylla breaks down and Tiberius comforts her. Finally, there is a scene between Sibylla and her son in the palm orchard, where she pours poison into his ear so as to euthanize him, whilst singing him to sleep.

  • The scene where Guy comes to let Raynald out of jail is slightly different. There is some additional dialogue at the start of the scene where Raynald inquires as to whether Baldwin V is dead. Raynald then asks if Guy has had Balian killed. However, in the theatrical cut he asked, "Have the Templars removed your problem?", whereas in the Director's Cut he asks, "Have the Templars killed Balian?"

  • Another interesting new addition involving the Hospitaler occurs after Guy has been crowned King-Consort. Balian is lying on the ground after the attack by Guy's assassins, unconscious (or possibly dead; blood is coming from one of his ears), and the Hospitaler walks over to him and touches him on the cheek with his finger.

  • As well as stabbing Saladin's messenger (Karim Saleh) in the throat, Guy now also decapitates him.

  • After Guy's army leaves for war with Saladin, additional lines have been added into the exchange between Tiberias and Balian regarding Baldwin V's death and how Jerusalem has lost all hope of peace.

  • Saladin now decapitates Raynald as well as cutting his throat (there is also more blood when his throat is slit).

  • As he knights the men in Jerusalem, there is a new scene where Balian meets the gravedigger from the opening scene of the film and exchanges a few words with him.

  • During the siege, there is a new scene in the infirmary where Sibylla is tending to the gravedigger. They exchange some dialogue, and the gravedigger reveals that he knows she is the Queen. He then smiles kindly at her and leaves.

  • The scene where Balian wakes up the morning after the final battle is longer. Instead of waking and then immediately standing up, he wakes and looks around, seeing the body of the gravedigger nearby. He looks at the body and says, "Remember me in France, Master Gravedigger." He then stands up.

  • During the negotiation of terms between Balian and Saladin, an additional line has been added, said by Saladin: "As for your king, such as he is, I leave up to you." There is a brief shot of Guy at this point.

  • A new scene has been added after Balian has surrendered Jerusalem, but before the Christians have left the city. Balian is washing his face in an alleyway, and is approached by Guy, who challenges him to a sword fight. Balian wins, sparing Guy's life and simply walking away.

  • When Balian arrives back in France, he sees the tree planted by his wife is now beginning to bloom.

Tags

Archers Assassins Camels Castles Chickens Deserts Donkeys Forests France Goats Gory Heights Horses Mountains Rats Sheep Swordplay Vultures Watercraft