Kingdom of Heaven Reaction

Kingdom of Heaven- Thank you so much for another amazing movie reaction, dear friend!! Like I said in my comments for The Count of Monte Cristo... I absolutely love period piece movies, especially when they include historical fiction, as well as true events and storylines. And I love learning about the Crusades era. It was a tragic and brutal time, but the history is fascinating. As for Kingdom of Heaven... The messages behind this movie are powerful. Especially the messages within Godfrey's and Balian's oath to protect the people and to live righteously. This is a very deep and emotional movie, and so heartbreaking upon seeing all the deaths, especially Sibylla's son. I understand why she kills him, because she wanted to save his soul and to save him from suffering the same pain that her brother, the King suffered from. And yet, while I do understand her reasons, I can't help but feel angry with her as well. Especially because her actions in killing her son forces her hand to make her husband, Guy, the King, which leads to war and so many more tragic and needless deaths. She definitely makes some mistakes, but I really love her overall character. And she's so beautiful too. Eva Greene is a brilliant actress. This war, and every war and battle fought throughout the crusades are all truly tragic. But these were the crusades. Cruel and bloody, as soldiers and men who fought for Jerusalem for a thousand years without an end to the conflict. Men and women fought for reasons we can hardly understand. Because both sides believed their people were entitled to the land and the city built upon it and that every war was waged because God willed it. When all along, only the people are what matters. Balian is one of the only ones who understood and truly believed in this, aside from those he helped shape into the good men he fought beside. Unfortunately, the wars in the Middle East continue on today. All because people fight for all the wrong reasons, while believing they are better than everyone else against them. Sibylla's husband, Guy, is a fool and I too wanted to see him die, but I'm grateful to see a movie, where the hero is a man who fights to live righteously the best he can thanks to his father's teachings. And Balian is a good man through and through, as he continuously fights for the people, and for the forgiveness for his own sins, as well as those of his wife. I know the church, as well as many other religions, teaches that suicide is a sin. Especially way back then. But I don't really believe this. Suicide is tragic is what it is. I don't believe that someone who commits suicide would be forced down into Hell for eternity. People who commit suicide are in pain and they shouldn't be condemned to eternal damnation simply for wishing for relief from that pain. At least... I truly hope this is so. But I didn't mean to get into religion and such painful and deep subjects. I just wanted to tell you how much I truly love this movie, and I wished to share it with you too. Outside of Godfrey's oath, my favorite dialogue spoken throughout this movie comes from Hospitaler, who is played by David Thewlis (Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter movies). I love the scenes early on when he is talking with Balian about how he has seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers, and that holiness and forgiveness is granted in right actions and courage for those who cannot defend themselves. I love how he expresses to Balian that true goodness comes from his head and his heart, and in his choices to be a good man. I also deeply love the King's words to Balian, when he expresses how his soul is in his keeping alone and then that when he stands for God, he cannot claim that virtue was not convenient should he fail to remain good in the eyes of God. Truer words were never spoken. What we do is on us, and I believe this with all my heart. Orlando Bloom as Balian is phenomenal. He is a man who strives to live up to his father's teachings and high morals just as he vowed to do. And not only this... he is a man longing to be forgiven of his past sins and those of his wife, which I feel is why Balian could not choose love and marry Sybylla no matter how much he might have wanted to. Because he feared that in doing so, he would have condemned his soul to Hell for certain. And he couldn't allow Guy to be killed so he could have what he wanted, even had they been by the orders of the King. Even though his choices might have stopped Guy from becoming the King. War would have been inevitable no matter what and people would have been killed no matter what. Those loyal to Guy and who believed as he did, would have risen up against the King and against Balian. As for the rest of the characters... I love Eva Green as Sybylla, as well as Liam Neeson as Balian's father... Sir Godfrey, Imad played by Alexander Siddig, Ghasssan Massoud as Saladin, Edward Norton as King Baldwin, David Thewlis as Hospitaler, Velibor Topic as Almaric (Balian's right hand man), and Jeremy Irons as Tiberius. Each of these characters are phenomenal throughout this movie, and many of my favorite scenes, as well as quotes come from them all. While most of the characters are fictional characters, and this overall story is fictional as well, Saladin, as well as King Richard (the King who comes to Balian in the very end) were real life people who fought within the crusades seeking to take back and claim Jerusalem as their own. This movie is loosely based on real life historical events. And yes... there were most certainly warmongers on both sides... both Christians and Muslims alike. And this movie is phenomenal at showing as such. In Lucifer season two, episode five, titled... Weaponizer, Lucifer gets fed up with Maze, his mother, and Amenadiel when they're all proclaiming they know and understand what God wishes, until he finally yells at them as he states that no one truly knows what God wants because He doesn't ever come down in person to share what He wants. That human wars have been waged because we humans all proclaim to know what He wants. And Lucifer couldn't be more right. We have guidance and the choice between what is right and what is wrong, along with the teachings we're given through God's messengers, etc... But no one truly does know what He truly wants aside for us to live righteously. Whenever this scene comes up when I watch this episode of Lucifer, I can't help but think about Kingdom of Heaven, which shows exactly what Lucifer speaks of. And religious wars weren't only fought during the years of the crusades, but in the many years since. It's all so tragic. The music throughout this movie is beautiful and powerful. As is the cinematography. And lastly... I own the theatrical version of Kingdom of Heaven on DVD, and have seen both it and the Director's Cut many times because this is one of my all time favorite movies. And I really love both versions very much. In the theatrical version, the entire storyline with Sibylla killing her son to save his soul is cut out. Her son doesn't exist in the theatrical version at all. When the King dies, Sibylla then becomes Queen and accepts Guy as her husband, therefore making him the very next King instead after Balian refuses to allow Guy to be killed in order to make himself King. Also... I believe some of the battles are longer in the Director's Cut, and there might be some added dialogue too. I only know that Sibylla's storyline is drastically changed between the two versions, and while I do love her storyline with her son in spite of its tragedy... I think I prefer the theatrical version a bit more because seeing her kill her own son, even if it is to save his soul, it is just heartbreaking and very difficult to watch. But it's also very powerful too, because it adds so much to Sibylla's character too. I do love both versions. :) So, thank you very much for reacting to this movie for me, Clint! And I am so happy that you really loved this movie as well. Kingdom of Heaven is another one of my all time favorite movies that I love very deeply. I can't wait for your upcoming reactions!!! Both for future movies and more of my favorite shows. :) Until next time, dear friend... Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum