Kingdom of Heaven (Film Review)

I went to this movie with some expectations, given that it was directed by Ridley Scott, who happens to be one of my favourite directors. I am content that he is responsible for classics such as Alien and Blade Runner to such an extent that if he never made another movie again, I would still be happy. Given this, I rarely miss one of his new releases. Kingdom of Heaven follows the rise of a blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) from obscurity to a knight of the crusades and eventually to defender of Jeruselem. Scott has been planning his Crusade movie for years and finally brings his vision to the big screen. So - does the movie live up to the hype? Is it an epic worthy of attention?

To some extent you know what you are in for with Ridley Scott. Excessive attention to detail is a trademark, and this film is no different. The cinematography is wonderful and the set pieces (large battle scenes, siege scenes etc.) are outstanding. The one-on-one fight scenes are however very reminiscent of the style used in Gladiator, which I suppose is no bad thing in itself, but it does force you to draw comparisons instead of taking the film on it’s own merits.

The acting from some quarters is on the button. David Thewlis turns in an excellent character piece as a Hospitalier and Jeremy Irons delivers a subtle performance as the Marshall of Jeruselem which was spot on. Orlando Bloom seems to have beefed up for the role and looks more rugged than his LOTR days, but still feels a little wooden in parts. It’s as if he doesn’t yet have the confidence to pull off a leading man role and feels more comfortable in a supporting or ensemble cast position. Liam Neeson delivers a powerful, if short, performance where the only criticism I could find was his accent, namely that it was still his native Irish brogue - which is odd when playing a English Lord.

The sound editing in this film is professional and I was also impressed with the musical score. In particular the mix of classical as well as eastern music seemed to work well. There were occasions when the music evoked memories of Black Hawk Down, but I’m not sure if the same musicians were used. The effect was the same - a perfect blend of ambient sound and music to drive the scenes along.

I was very impressed with the way Scott dealt with the religious aspects in this film. Both Islam and Christianity are treated with equal respect and derision at various parts in the film, and at no stage did he drop into ‘safe’ territory and go with the old trusted cliches. This religious treatment has been applauded by both sides of the divide as noted here in this article from CNN. There were also some nice supporting roles here as well from numerous cast members which helped the plot bounce along, but I couldn’t help feeling that the editing was rushed.

It’s as if the film (which I think comes in at approximately 2.5 hours) was squeezed into an acceptable viewing time for cinema audiences. There were individual scenes and character moments that were just odd, due to the way the film was edited. I hope that there is another 30 minutes or 1 hour of footage lying around somewhere and we are going to be treated to a directors cut at some point, because the current cut just misses on several occasions.

Is the film epic? Yes. Is it worth seeing? Again, yes. However, it’s not perfect. I came away at the end feeling unsatisfied and ultimately confused about why. Normally I leave a film knowing instinctively whether I will see it again, purchase it on DVD or cast it into the oblivion of ‘popcorn’ movies and rainy day entertainment. This one however I think will require a second viewing before I decide which category to leave it in. Right now it’s a hell of a lot better than Troy as historical epics go, but not quite as good as Gladiator, nevertheless it is entertaining. Is it worth the price of a cinema ticket? Absolutely