mini review..
At its heart Kingdom of Heaven is really a story of redemption. It's not a simple action flick with some nudity thrown in, which seems to be what Fox wanted (thus the TC). It is romantic and political, thrilling and thought provoking. Bloom's character Balian seeks to repent for his sins as well of those of his wife, who commits suicide - by becoming a holy knight. This goal is achieved rather quickly in the film after Balian's estranged father returns and takes him under his wing. It seems like Balain is taught a few things and BAM he's a knight, but as the film progresses it becomes clear that being a knight is far more than just being a good fighter. It is a spiritual and moral commitment, one of selflessness and honor. Interestingly many of the more tested knights in the film are devoid of these moral characteristics; they aren't interested in protecting the people or keeping any type of oath. Instead they demonstrate a level of religious fanaticism still seen today in many (but certainly not all) Christians and Muslims. It's fueled by a disturbing lack of understanding or respect for those of different viewpoints. This political drama between Balain and the lords of Jerusalem is absolutely engrossing, and perhaps more interesting than the action to me.
Along with redemption, compassion and understanding are major themes. I thought the film did a great job of having a social message without feeling preachy. In the film the area where Christ was killed is buried deep in the city, almost as an after thought compared to the larger bureaucratic structures littered throughout Jerusalem. I found it metaphorical, for the Church of the crusades wasn't concerned with anything that Christ preached, and instead was solely focused on senseless war carried out by selfish men. On the other hand Balain seeks to understand his enemies and treat them like humans. They may be of a different religion, but that does not determine whether they deserve to die. The film really reminded me of my problems with organized religion. In so many cases the organization becomes more important than the message. People wind up going to church three times a day and attempting to physically validate their own alleged righteousness thought works - totally oblivious to what the faith should actually be about.
Technically the film is pretty impressive. The environments seem visceral and authentic; CGI is used solely to compliment this feel, not to manufacture a period of time. And the cinematography brings everything to life beautifully. Battles are shot well overall, but there are instances where the editing confuses things a bit. I also noticed a mixture of sped up action and slow motion - somewhat like 300, but not nearly as stylized. While the action scenes are definitely superior to Gladiator in terms of "action", I'd say Gladiator's battles were shot better overall. They are definitely brutal, and more similar Braveheart than LOTR.
The score perfectly compliments the cinematography also. Once again, you get the feeling that it's realistic, perfectly fitting the period piece. There's definitely a lot of variation in it, for at times it feels almost operatic, while at other times subdued.
If I were to make any criticisms I'd start with some of the acting. As I said earlier Scott does a great job of hiding Bloom, not requiring him to emote too much. Yet it still seems odd that a character as emotionally complicated as Balian would be played by someone with such limited range. There are also some strange scenes with generally great actors like Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson where their acting doesn't seem to match the physical state they're attempting to portray. Neeson especially: we're to believe he's mortally wounded and on the edge of death, his voice extremely weak...yet his face suggests he's simply got a bad cold or something. But that's nitpicking, for overall both performances are great. Edward Norton as the Christian king especially stands out despite him wearing a mask. His first scene is simply brilliant, in part due to some amazing writing; like Balian, Norton's character stresses understanding while constantly fighting against the religious fanaticism which grips his kingdom.
Overall the film is simply amazing. At more than 190 minutes it is a very, very long film, yet it doesn't really drag much; in fact, outside of the last few minutes which seem a bit repetitive there are no pacing issues.
9.5/10...
So yes, I WAS WRONG. I'm anticipating Nottingham now, hoping for lighting to strike twice (well three times) for Scott with epic historical period pieces. In the meantime, I owe Blade Runner a second chance...
