Kingdom of Heaven - a MTW movie

**caspian** · 03-22-2005, 02:55

I saw the trailer of this new Crusades movie yesterday before watching Neo banish demons.

Its premise:
"Set during the 12th century in the holy city of Jerusalem, a young peasant blacksmith becomes a knight so that he may help repel the Crusaders who took control of the city in 1099. Meanwhile, the young knight also falls in love with the city's beautiful princess."

I thought it was about Richard the Lionheart or the first Crusade, still not sure but Saladin and Guy de Lusignan (King of Jerusalem) is in the cast.

Check it out, its being directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down).
http://www.kingdomofheavenmovie.com

Will it be like Joan of Arc, Braveheart, Gladiator or Troy? What do you guys think?

**Kekvit Irae** · 03-22-2005, 22:58

Cant really be called a MTW movie if it has nothing to do with the Total War series.
That's like saying 'The 13th Warrior' was a MTW:VI movie because it was set in Scandinavia and had an islamic diplomat.

**Wishazu** · 03-23-2005, 01:44

it looks set to be a great movie. the only question is whether Orlando Bloom will be able to carry it.

**Brutus** · 03-23-2005, 11:11

Looks like a fun movie, though the story will probably be highly unrealistic....but that's what you get when you put historical characters in a fictional story, I guess.

Good to see they've put Reynald of Chatillon in it...talking about legendary villains...

**caspian** · 03-23-2005, 15:50

I agree, when I saw the red crosses on the banner and a castle assault in the desert I thought it was about Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Pity its not, hopefully it wont be as bad as Alexander or Joan of Arc.

**Kekvit Irae** · 03-23-2005, 17:44

Originally Posted by caspian

I agree, when I saw the red crosses on the banner and a castle assault in the desert I thought it was about Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Pity its not, hopefully it wont be as bad as Alexander or Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc was a made-for-tv movie. You cant please many people when you are only concerned with ratings. I had high hopes for the movie too...

**Benny Moore** · 04-01-2005, 15:35

Originally Posted by caspian

a young peasant blacksmith becomes a knight

I wonder how he manages to pull that off!

**Hurin_Rules** · 04-01-2005, 19:09

Their making him an illegitimate son from what I hear; so he's not REALLY a peasant (with a patronym like Ibelin, you wouldn't be a peasant in the Middle Ages).

From what I can tell, the film revolves around Saladin's great victory at Hattin in 1187 and the fall of Jerusalem to his armies a few months later. These were the events that sparked the Third Crusade a few years later, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll get to see Richard or any of the Third Crusade (perhaps as an epilogue?).

The battle depicted above is almost certainly Hattin. You can see the Turkish archers circling the remnants of the army of the Crusader States. It was the battle that turned the tide of the crusades and began the Muslim reconquest of Syria and Palestine. I'm eager to see it portrayed on film, though I have my reservations about the historical accuracy, as Scott's Gladiator was rather inaccurate (albeit highly entertaining).

**Brutus** · 04-04-2005, 10:10

[QUOTE=Hurin_Rules]Their making him an illegitimate son from what I hear; so he's not REALLY a peasant (with a patronym like Ibelin, you wouldn't be a peasant in the Middle Ages). [QUOTE]

Indeed. Balian d'Ibelin (died 1193) was one of the great lords of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (he was lord of Nablus). His contingent was the only one to escape from the battle of Hattin, after which he fled to Tyre. He was allowed by Saladin (who seems to have held him in high regard) to go back into the city of Jerusalem to get his wife and son. However, patriarch Heraclius and the people of Jerusalem persuaded him to stay and lead the defenders against the besieging muslem army.

Doesn't look like a peasant to me...

**Hurin_Rules** · 04-04-2005, 17:14

[QUOTE=Brutus]

Originally Posted by Hurin_Rules

His contingent was the only one to escape from the battle of Hattin, after which he fled to Tyre.

Thanks for the info, though I would point out that Raymond of Tripoli also made it out of Hattin alive; I believe he and his retainers made a successful break for it.

**Brutus** · 04-04-2005, 21:03

You are totally right, it slipped my mind. However, Ibelin's contingent didn't actually participate in the battle. When they saw all was lost, the just made a run for it (I would have to check for an exact account). Balian being a good friend of Saladin as well as his (and other's amongst which especially Raymond of Tripoli) reluctance to go to battle in the first place would certainly have been of influence.

By the way, most knights survived, it would have been very uncommon to kill important enemies, since they could bring up high ransom and was against all moral rules. So, apart from the Templars and the Hospitallers, who were given the choice of conversion or death, and Reynald de Chatillon, whom Saladin swore to kill himself, all Christian knights not killed in battle (and that would have been most of them) were simply captured and imprisoned.