KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005)
[
IMDb ] Director: Ridley Scott
I haven't seen the "real" version but only the Extended Directors
Cut of KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
The film is about a blacksmith-turned-knight who finds himself
fighting both Christian knights as well as Saladin's Muslim
warriors.
If I was a Christian American, I might have found this concept
extremely interesting in times like these, but now I am Swedish and
not particularly interested in the conflicts between Christians and
Muslims, so for me it becomes a bit dull and partly obvious.
I love knights and films that try to portray knights within a true
heraldic sense, and KINGDOM OF HEAVEN actually does a pretty good
job there. The costumes, weaponry and armory are all very true and
the heraldic symbols nicely put together.
Also the casting and acting is very nice.
The bad things - which is also this films largest problems - lies
within the story itself and the directing. Sure, it is a visually
nice (not stunning) movie, but it is extremely overlong and parts of
it are just repeating itself and feels unnecessary and out of place.
The first hour and a half, would have, in any other film, been
concluded within 10-30 minutes. I am not particularly found of the
super-slow pace in the films start, which makes the ending too feel
slow since you're pretty tired then and wants it all to end.
The end battle is not very well done. Scott wants to show a siege
over a few days, but it doesn't work in the movie. It just makes the
battle feel like a cut-up action-sequence and completely ruins the
battle pace. This is truly not a new GLADIATOR and if you have any
needs for cool action, then this flick will be a great
disappointment.
For anyone who wants to watch a 3-hour drama with knights and dust,
then this is your kind of film. Especially if you're interested in a
movie that shows Christians and Muslim as equally stupid and equally
brave. The film does a very good job to show that neither side is
evil or good - but that there are good and evil people among them
both. This is a nice break from the regular slur you get from lower
budgeted movies, and this is also the reason why I give it a 6 out
of 10 instead of a 4 or 5.
The action sequences - few but nice - are entertaining.
Historically, this is just a piece of bull, but as a tired piece of
entertainment, with good actors, it is a fine film.
I am not sure on what Scott's intentions were with this movie, and I
sure won't try to find out. This is not a film you will watch again.
Watching it once is nice, but lets leave it with that. Not a
classic, but at least average.
Score: 6
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