Reluctant Crusader: Chivalry where you’d least expect it(National Review reviews Kingdom of Heaven)

Deceit vs. valor, murder vs. mercy, courage vs. cowardice, faith vs. uncertainty. Throw in a horrendous case of leprosy, brutal sword fights, the cross of Christianity, and the crescent moon of Islam, and you have a glimpse into Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven — a 130-million-dollar epic about the Crusades.

Set in 1184, between the second and third of eight crusades, the film focuses on a time of uneasy truce in Jerusalem when Christians, Muslims, and Jews were able to worship and pray at their holy sites. Not intending to be a documentary, Kingdom of Heaven is an elegant drama drawn from real-life characters and historical events.

The story follows the remarkable ascent of Balian (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith who becomes a reluctant Crusader and valiant defender of Jerusalem. Through the gut-wrenching loss of his family, Balian set off to the Holy Land in search of forgiveness and redemption "to erase my sins and those of my wife," he says.

According to historians, there were many reasons that men and women went on the Crusades. There were those who went for deeply devout reasons — forgiveness of sin, defending their brothers and sisters in the faith, and protecting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher that was built where Christ is said to have been buried and then resurrected. "Remission of sins will be granted to those going," Crusaders heard from their priests.

Famous Christian leaders of the time such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Catherine of Siena, and Thomas Aquinas were very supportive of the Crusades. Although he is most well known for writing On Loving God, Bernard was passionate about defending Jerusalem: "Evil men have begun to occupy this land of the new promise, and unless someone resists them, they will be feasting their eyes upon the sanctuary of our religion and will try to stain that very bed, on which for our sake slept our life in death; they will profane the Holy Places — the places, I say, purpled with the blood of the immaculate Lamb."

There were other reasons that people traveled thousands of miles to face uncertainty and possible death in the Holy Land. Sometimes, the idle rich had nothing else to do. They went on a crusade like wealthy New Yorkers head to the Hamptons. The number-two son of a castle may go in order to prove his manhood. Others simply went in search of land, riches, and adventure.

But for our story, "Balian is on a spiritual journey to actually reinforce — or not — his doubts about the existence of God," observes Ridley Scott. It does not appear that Balian is as uncertain of the existence of God as much as he is worried about his status with Him. "God, what is it that you want of me?" he asks. "I am outside God's grace," he says in a fit of desperation. "God does not know me," he later confesses.

Balian discovers that it is nearly impossible to find a relationship with God on such a bloody sectarian battlefield. Instead, he finds a vast supply of pompous and bloodthirsty warriors ("I am what I am. Someone has to be," says one), religious zealots ("To kill an infidel is not murder, it is the path to heaven," says another), and underhanded political wrangling ("There will be a day when you will wish you had done a little evil to gain a greater good," says yet another).

As if that were not enough, he is enticed by the charms and beauty of Princess Sibylla (Eva Green), King Baldwin's sister. Of course, things become more complicated when he discovers that she was given away in marriage at a tender age to Baron Guy do Lusignan, an all-around despicable ignoramus.

Some may attempt to fault Ridley Scott and screenwriter William Monahan for portraying Muslim characters with distinct chivalry and humanity while portraying some of the more zealous Christian Crusaders (such as the Knights Templar) in a less favorable light. However, the balance of the story portrays power-grubbing imperialists and religious nutcases on both sides of the battlefield, as well as honorable and virtuous Muslims and Christians.

Viewers will be justifiably intrigued by Saladin, a Saracen (Crusader word for Muslim) general of considerable military ingenuity and uncommon civility — sometimes brutal, other times merciful. This role is masterfully portrayed by the Syrian actor and director Ghassan Massoud.

Whether you believe the Crusades were justified or not, the movie seems to promote the need for interfaith tolerance and respect, especially in a place like Jerusalem — namely that we should be able to agree that it is not God's will for us to kill one another over "God's will."

"It celebrates goodness, the chivalry of human beings," said French actress Eva Green about the film. "It's about people finding love and understanding for one another, no matter what the race or the religion is. It is more about being tolerant and listening to each other....People use religion as an excuse for bad behavior."

Regrettably, too often that is true. The film actually goes to great lengths to make a distinction between heart-felt faith and institutional religion. There are those who use Balian's leadership skills to press forward with a political agenda and there are others who genuinely care for the welfare of his soul.

He has lost his wife and unborn son — a true dark night of the soul. "I know that anyone in that situation would ask, 'Who is this God?'" observed Orlando Bloom. Balian actually climbs the hill of Golgotha in order to find peace. "God does not speak to me on the hill where Christ died," he tells the Hospitaler (David Thewlis), a monastic military priest who cared for religious pilgrims, the sick, and needy.

"I haven't heard that," the Hospitaler replies. "I have seen rage and madness in the eyes of many men who are religious. Godliness is what is here [pointing to the head] and here [pointing to the heart]. It is about what you do each day to your fellow man."

So much has changed and so much has stayed the same since that era. Nations still go to war over the region and tensions never seem to relax in the Holy Land. On another level, however, I was reminded how different things have become. The screening I attended of Kingdom of Heaven was shown on the night before the funeral for Pope John Paul II.

In May of 2001, he became the first leader of the Catholic Church to set foot inside a mosque. Although no one doubted his profound theological differences with Islam, the pope visited the Ummayad Mosque — one of the oldest mosques in the world — in Damascus, Syria. The site holds special significance to both Muslims and Christians because it is believed to contain the tomb of John the Baptist (Prophet Yahya to Muslims).

While in Damascus, Pope John Paul II said, "It is my ardent hope that Muslim and Christian religious leaders will present our two great religious communities in respectful dialogue, never more as communities in conflict." In some ways, that is the message of this movie.

With the current political-socio-religious tensions between the West and the Islamic world, making a film about killing one's enemies in the name of God can be carelessly incendiary or politically correct mush. This movie fell into neither trap. Instead, Kingdom of Heaven is a majestic triumph in portraying the passionate fanaticism, religious zealotry, and uncommon chivalry that marked the dark and fascinating era of the Crusades.

— Steve Beard is the creator of www.Thunderstruck.org — a website devoted to faith and pop culture.

still seems to be a bit too pc to bother with the theater or buying the DVD. If it does well it will be free tv intwo years. If it does bad, six months.

Thanks for posting. Other comments made on FR had almost convinced me not to see it. I trust NRO's judgement. I have been wanting to see a good Crusade movie for a while now - not for a history lesson but for entertainment.

I was going to see it. The trailers looked very good with lots of 12th action. As of now I will not see it nor will I miss it. My mind may change but this film by admitted agnostic Ridley Scott, falls far short of being fair to Islam's opponents

In May of 2001, he became the first leader of the Catholic Church to set foot inside a mosque.

I have yet to hear the Muslims apologize for their insatiable desire for expansion by way of war that began with Abu Bakr's invasion of Syria, fueled by Muhammed's seige on Mecca.

When Christian lands are beseiged, and a Muslim orders the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all Christian sites in Jerusalem (1009 A.D.), the world turns a blind eye.

When Christians fight to defend land taken from them and to protect such holy sites, its barbaric, uncalled for, intolerant, and a terrible evil.

Makes perfect sense to me...

Ridley Scott has made Blade Runner, Gladiator and Alien. I will see any movie he makes simply because of his track record of making really great films.

When Christian lands are beseiged, and a Muslim orders the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all Christian sites in Jerusalem (1009 A.D.), the world turns a blind eye. When Christians fight to defend land taken from them and to protect such holy sites, its barbaric, uncalled for, intolerant, and a terrible evil.

Welcome to the post-christian worldview.

I recommend:

Angels in Iron

Have you seen his first (I believe it was his first) movie, The Duellists? Oddly, of all Scott's movies, I like this one the most. Some have criticized Harvey Keitel's (sp?) accent, but frankly it didn't bother me because there was much else that I found exquisite. The cinematography and music are something else, but an old VHS copy doesn't do justice to the photography.

With Keith Carradine as the confused object of Harvey's decades long sabre-hatred? If that's it, great movie.

The crusades also offered uneducated young men the chance to gain a step up in society. The crusades created a new class of men who in the service of a noblemen were able to transcend societies locked in concept of "who" they were and "what" they were to do in life. Like the seafarers a few hundred years later, these were the first men to leave their isolated villages for foreign horizons. Is it coincidence that the concept of an individual "I" also emerged at the same as the crusades?

My public school education sort of skimmed the crusades. I know very little detail. Can you recommend an objective book on the Crusades?
Although I side with the Christians, and wouldn't mind seeing a Crusades revival, I also realize not every single muslim is bad. It would be nice to read an account with some sensiblity to the Muslim side, (even though I assume it was quite weak).
I guess what I'm saying is: I know much evil has been done over the years in the name of Christianity. I would not enjoy a book that portrayed every move, every battle as the virtuous Christians vs. the evil Muslims.

I am a military history buff. I will go to this movie to see knights on horseback charging into battle. The rest is just Hollywood drivel.

Me too. The trouble is, I end up scritinizing the anachronisms and stupid screenplays so much that a lot of the enjoyment goes out of it.

The only Ridley Scott movie I genuinely enjoyed was Gladiator. Though I grimmaced at the historical fudging, the special effects were fantastic enough to pull me through. Plus, there was no bashing of Christianity.

I'll probably end up seeing this on video--or borrowing it from someone if I can avoid sending Hollyweird a dime.

My public school education sort of skimmed the crusades. I know very little detail. Can you recommend an objective book on the Crusades?

Here's one written by eminent Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc in the 1930s:

I found this quote in it that was particularly prescient:

"There is with us [in the West] a complete chaos in religious doctrine.... We worship ourselves, we worship the nation; or we worship (some few of us) a particular economic arrangement believed to be the satisfaction of social justice....Islam has not suffered this spiritual decline; and in the contrast between [our religious chaos and] the religious certitudes still strong throughout the Mohammedan world ... lies our peril."

>>"It's about people finding love and understanding for one another, no matter what the race or the religion is. It is more about being tolerant and listening to each other.<<

Oy - more grey-area, pop-Christianity nonsense.

Sheep vs. goats, light vs. darkness, hot vs. cold. The Bible is very clear on such things.

I'm stopping at Blockbuster! I was just thinking of that movie the other day. To my recollection Keitel's character took position he had been slighted (over a woman?) and everytime Carradine turned around, there he was with an invitation to cross swords. Great lighting, photography.
Say no more.

"Here's one written by eminent Catholic historian Hillaire Belloc in the 1930s"

Interesting, and not expensive either! I like that. While I'm at it, I've been threatening to get an objective book on Islam. Not sure what you know about that. Short of reading the Koran, do you have any suggestions?

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