Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

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.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writer:

William Monahan

Stars:

Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson

5 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

crusader | 12th century | jerusalem | templar | knights templar | 

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Taglines:

Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Safeguard the helpless, and do no wrong

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and epic warfare

Details

Country:

USA UK Spain Germany Morocco

Language:

English Arabic Latin Italian

Release Date:

6 May 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crusades

Filming Locations:

Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,793,166 (Spain), 6 May 2005

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,635,996, 8 May 2005, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$47,398,413

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$211,652,051

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox,Scott Free Productions,BK

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min 190 min (director's cut) 194 min (director's cut roadshow)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Dolby Digital 5.1) (5.1 Surround Sound) (5.1) DTS (DTS HD Master Audio 5.1) (5.1 Surround Sound) (5.1) D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1 (D-Cinema prints) (5.1 Surround Sound) (5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Officially, the opening scene, "The Crossroads", was the first scene shot, on January 12, 2004. The little short of Godfrey's flashback, was shot unofficially, two days earlier. Balian's fight with the cavalier over the horse, was the very last scene to be shot.

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Goofs

Throughout the battle scenes, the crescent moon and star are used as symbols of Islam. However, these were only adopted by Muslims in the 14th century, beginning in North Africa. 12th century Arab armies would have carried black, green or white flags.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gravedigger: Crusaders.
Squire: Clear the road, if you will.

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Crazy Credits

The opening 20th Century Fox logo has a ocher-yellow tint added to it.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Director's Cut Special Editions of Movies (2015)

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Soundtracks

CHANTERAI POR MON CORAGE
Composed by Guiot de Dijon
Performed by Estampie (from the album 'Crusaders: In Nomine Domini')
(director's cut only)

User Reviews

I saw a press viewing this morning, this is a good film

First of all, what can beat Gladiator, with lines like "father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife", etc. and Russell Crowe chopping off heads. Kingdom of Heaven is a similar heroic fable yet the good and evil polarity is slightly more ambiguous. I would say it was vastly better than Alexander. Ridley Scott's style (cinematography and music) as seen in Black Hawk Down and Gladiator also lend a wonderful historical ambiance. Orlando Bloom does a fine job as the lead, and the French actress is fantastic (and beautiful), but my favorite lead was the Leper King and the wise nobility of his character. The battle scenes are excellent (including one in falling snow in which the snowflakes seem to hang in the air) and the armies look very historically realistic - this is a very good-looking epic. Formulaic perhaps, but well-executed. Kingdom of Heaven made me feel like leaving the "blacksmithy" that is our dull modern urban existence and finding a cause worth fighting for, but Crusades just aren't what they used to be =D