Susan Granger’s review of “Kingdom of Heaven” (20th Century-Fox)
With this Crusader epic about guilt and redemption, Ridley Scott misses so many chances for greatness, although he’s dealing with a timely, relevant topic: the sanctity of Jerusalem. In the 12th century, Balian (Orlando Bloom), a French blacksmith, discovers he’s the son of a great knight, Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), whom he joins on a spiritual journey to the Holy City. Jerusalem is ruled by King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), who’s afflicted with leprosy, and his military advisor Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), who have forged a tenuous peace with the legendary Muslim leader Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). But this alliance is threatened by fanatic baron Guy De Lusignan (Marton Csokas) and his army of Knights Templar. So much for the muddled plot. After the success of “Gladiator,” Ridley Scott has reassembled his film crew, minus Russell Crowe. That’s a big minus, since Orlando Bloom (Legolas in “Lord of the Rings”) struts around, more like a model on the runway than a credible hero. William Monahan’s macho script lacks character delineation and development, so the audience has no emotional involvement whatever. And those unfamiliar with medieval history won’t realize how Pope Urban II urged Christians to claim Jerusalem as theirs alone, sowing the seeds of religious conflict for centuries to come. What works are the meticulously executed battle spectacles, as the carnage is photographed by John Mathieson in Spain and Morocco with remarkable CGI and visual effects. The climactic scene has Saracen troops hauling huge siege towers up against the walls of the city. Some 2,000 soldiers look like 200,000. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Kingdom of Heaven” is a swashbuckling 6. Exhausting more than exhilarating, it’s sword ‘n’ sandals style over substance.
