Review of Kingdom of Heaven (2005) by Francisco G — 19 Sep 2012

(I'm reviewing the Director's Cut, I hadn't seen the original, nor do I have a clue of what was put onto the theatrical cut, so I'm judging the movie for what it is).

A very nice and detailed take on the Crusades, both on an emotional level, on the themes it shows and just on the plain spectacularity of the art direction.

Each character on the story have enough depth to affect outcomes towards the last act of the movie and that is a really good thing to see on a movie with such scale and with such a huge budget, nothing feels rushed and everything has a nice resolution. Not only do the actors do a good job on portraying these characters but Scott's eye for detail also helps to tell the story on a visual level like he has never done before.

The themes of tolerance towards religion might seem a bit heavy handed but I actually read them as a message towards tolerance in general and that is showcased with the vast cast and their interactions. It falls a bit on not adding a bit more depth to other interesting themes to be explored given the context but all is in favor of the story. It's a bit of a shame but what you have is gold and further viewings could help to improve the movie. It also stalls a bit towards the middle section when Bloom's character reaches Jerusalem and tries to find it's place in there. I felt it was a bit aimless and unnecessary, nevertheless the way the city is shown is truly glorious, blending perfectly detailed set designs and CGI.

A fantastic visual work from Scott on top form, with each frame being something stupendous to look at, never forgetting it's core message and never mistaking forced spectacularity for storytelling.