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Kingdom of Heaven Stars: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Marton Csokas, Liam Neeson and Ghassan Massoud Director: Sir Ridley Scott Scriptwriter: William Monahan Music: Harry Gregson-Williams Photography: John Mathieson, B.S.C. 20th Century Fox Running Time: two hours and 20 minutes Rating: R Website: <http://www.kingdomofheavenmovie.com/>www.kingdomofheavenmovie.com Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings fame) stars as a 12th century crusader in this Ridley Scott film. There are enough battles to satisfy action fans and the dialogue is kept to a minimum. The question has been answered as to whether Bloom can carry a major film. He can. However, he is hampered by sparse dialogue and deficiencies in the script. Also, the battle scenes so closely resemble those of any Lord of the Rings film that the audience may wonder if they have gone back in time a few years. There are catapults with flaming bundles, burning oil, rows of archers and clanking swords. Romance, in the form of Eva Green as a Muslim princess, is fleeting, though she certainly wears enough flowing robes to mark her presence. Photography is very good, as is the soundtrack. The basic story begins in France about 1186 A.D. where the village blacksmith (Bloom) has just buried his wife, a sad suicide. Along comes his long-lost father, Liam Neeson, who is going back to Jerusalem and wants to take his new-found son with him. After a rapid training session, Bloom becomes a sword expert and joins the crusaders to Jerusalem where there is an uneasy peace held together by the King of Jerusalem, a leper. The villains turn out to be the Knights Templar, led by Marton Csokas and his henchman, Brendan Gleeson. They deliberately stir up trouble between Christians and Muslims, though little is explained as to why and the history of this particular time. Sure enough, Marton has a beautiful wife (Green) who catches the eye of Bloom. The larger problem is keeping the peace especially when the Muslim leader, Saladin (Massoud), and his army await in the wings. The title Kingdom of Heaven refers to a time of peace and that is something Bloom's character is striving for, plus trying to be the perfect knight. He turns down Green's plea about her evil husband and she replies, "You will wish that you had done a little evil for the greater good." A few battles later, perhaps this made sense to Orlando. What is shown by the script is that some men go by a code of honor and others don't. It doesn't matter what your religious beliefs or nationality, there is a time to kill and a time to spare life. Revenge can sometimes be bitter, indeed. The king who has leprosy (actor's name not given), apparently, is a real figure from history. This is a sympathetic side story to the battles and handled quite well. Another side story, though somewhat implausible, is that of Orlando and his horse. The horse manages a sea ride from France, a ship wreck, a few battles and comes back to Bloom. Another oddity is that everyone speaks English, except for a few Arabic phrases. Liam Neeson says something puzzling when first speaking to Orlando in France, "The way to Jerusalem is to keep speaking Italian until the language changes." OK, then what? Sir Ridley Scott certainly knows how to put together a battle scene, after all, he did Gladiator" Despite the grime and armor of battle, you can place the major characters. Unlike Colin Farrell's Alexander, where everything was obscured by dust. This was a time of warfare, and after seven years of peace, both sides of the fray were ripe for battle. Kingdom of Heaven may not bring religious answers to fans. Orlando is seeking peace for the soul of his late wife and his version of God is someone who has brought grief to Orlando. Muslims are seen peacefully at prayer and the Knights Templar, though unexplained, are the ones causing problems. This film may make the audience read about this period in history to gain knowledge for themselves. I admired battle strategy, but the only actor making an impression was the king who wore a mask. Copyright 2005 Marie Asner 5/16/2005 
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