Kingdom of Heaven

[Horrorfan]

I saw this yesterday....it has it''s flaws but I quite enjoyed it.

It did feel a little too fast paced for it's type of film though....Balian meets his father, kills a priest and is in his first battle all withinin 15 minutes! It's a shame because you never really get the sense he had any faith to begin with, so when it doesn't really delve into his faith too much, you kinda feel ''so if he doesn't even believe that strongly, what's he fighting for again?'' and it feels too fast past and without a compelling reason for Balian to be fighting, but a very strong cast and exciting battles carry it through. I thought the leper king was particularly very good. The only low point was Brendan Gleeson. He is normally excellent, but in this he is way too over the top and campy, and should have been reigned in more. as it is, he seems like a placement just to have a token villain.

Gammy, you mentioned a director's cut....can you elaborate on what else is added on and built upon? I definitly agree with you that if anything this probably needed to be a bit longer than the theatrical cut's running time because it's too fast paced for a film of it's style.

 

[블라스]

I really don't want to spoil it, but let me add the following plot points directly from the wikipedia...

Spoiler

The village priest who taunts Balian and is killed by him is revealed to be his half-brother (his mother's son by her lawful husband), although the brothers are not initially aware of this. The animosity between them is shown as originating from the priest's coveting of the firstborn Balian's meager inheritance.

Godfrey is not only the father of Balian but the younger brother of the village Lord who believes that Godfrey is looking for his own son to be Godfrey's heir in Ibelin. It is the Lord's son and heir who organises the attack on Godfrey's party in the forest and is subsequently killed.

Both subplots above hinge on the firstborn son's right to exclusive inheritance: this is what apparently drove Godfrey to the Holy Land and the priest to his scheming against Balian.

Baldwin IV is shown refusing the last sacrament from Patriarch Heraclius.

Another major change is the re-insertion of the character of Baldwin V (who was shown in some of the trailers), the son of Sibylla by her first husband (William of Montferrat, not named in the film). The boy is crowned King after Baldwin IV's death, but is then discovered to have leprosy, like his uncle. His death is depicted as an act of euthanasia by his mother, using poison. Only then is Sybilla crowned queen and has Guy crowned, as in the theatrical version.

Balian also fights a climactic duel with Guy near the end of the film, after Jerusalem is surrendered and Guy has been released by Saladin (an act intended to humiliate Guy in the eyes of his former subjects). Guy is humilated furthermore by challenging Balian to a duel, being defeated, and then spared by Balian.

More violence, blood and gore is re-inserted.

A scene with Balian discussing his situation with the Hospitaller, which included the line "I go to pray" (featured in most trailers) is re-inserted.

It is made clear that Guy de Lusignan knows that Sybilla is having an affair with Balian. He is however interested in her only for political reasons.

It is explained in detail how Balian is so good at strategic fighting and also building siege engines.

Saladin decapitates Raynald de Chatillon instead of only cutting his throat.

Sybilla is portrayed much more as a corrupt princess and un-predictable as she stated herself.

What you saw was, basically, a broken and incomplete movie.
You really need to buy the director's cut. It's fantastic.