“It Is a Kingdom of Conscience or Nothing”: Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven at 20 Years

      Twenty years ago, 20th Century Fox kicked off the summer blockbuster season with a sword-and-sandals film focused on the Crusades. The pedigree of Kingdom of Heaven was commendable, yet not infallible. Ridley Scott was just five years removed from his Best Picture win for Gladiator, along with immediate commercial successes like Hannibal and Black Hawk Down, both released in 2001. Additionally, popular actor Orlando Bloom had prominent roles in two thriving franchises, one of which had recently won Best Picture. However, it was still a bold venture, especially given the filmmakers’ confrontation of religious truths and customs during a time when fear had often morphed into hatred, with many using their faith to justify atrocious acts.

      The movie follows Balian, played by Bloom, a blacksmith grappling with the grief of losing his wife and child. His father, Baron Godfrey (Liam Neeson), along with a group of crusading knights, arrives to urge him to join them on their journey to the Holy Land. After initially declining, Balian decides to go along after committing an act of revenge by killing someone. A deeply flawed and tormented individual seeking some semblance of God, he travels to Jerusalem but instead encounters conspiracy and conflict. As the righteous King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (Edward Norton) succumbs to leprosy, an evil figure, Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas), who is married to the king's sister Sibylla (Eva Green), seeks to seize power, intent on annihilating Muslims and disrupting the fragile peace that had existed in the region. The narrative escalates to the Siege of Jerusalem, where Balian confronts Saladin.

      Both Fox and Scott were hesitant about the over three-hour version following lackluster test screenings—a decision the director later lamented. (“This is the one that should have been released,” he stated regarding the longer director’s cut.) Even in the edited version that reached theaters on May 6, 2005, one of the most sympathetic figures is Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known as Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). He was the sultan of Egypt and Syria as well as the military leader of Muslim forces during the Third Crusade. Weeks ahead of the film’s debut, Scott penned a column for The Guardian where he mentioned:

      “I aimed for people to perceive events from the Muslims’ perspective too, and the way to achieve that was to create robust, multi-dimensional characters on that side, particularly Saladin, portrayed by the talented Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud. I believed it was vital to cast Muslim actors for Muslim roles. We witness Saladin in private moments; we see his leadership and his attempts to maintain peace. He faced pressure from his people while contending with the radical factions of the Templars and others—what we might call the right-wing or Christian fundamentalists of their time. He is a man with a strong sense of purpose.”

      Those fundamentalists were displeased with the film, and the overall reviews were lukewarm at best. The United States was deeply embroiled in both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. The events of 9/11 were just over three years old, leading to a significant rise in discrimination against Muslims, Sikhs, and individuals of Arab and South Asian descent. A blockbuster highlighting any sympathetic portrayal of Muslims was likely unappealing to many Americans in 2005. Moreover, screenwriter William Monahan took a daring approach by crafting a narrative about a knight who consistently rejects the call to action. In the context of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey,” this “Refusal of the Call” is typically a precursor to the adventure. Here, Balian’s character development ultimately leads to tolerance and a form of Agnosticism; in the film's climax, he hands over Jerusalem to Saladin to ensure the safety of his people. By the conclusion of its domestic box office run, the film generated less than $50 million on a budget exceeding $100 million. Although it fared better internationally, it was still considered a failure.

      Behind the scenes of Kingdom of Heaven

      In a recent, excellent interview with Roxana Hadadi, co-star Alexander Siddig discusses the failure of the theatrical cut compared to Kingdom's eventual extended version:

      “It’s far superior to the original cut. The initial version was criticized heavily, and the one who suffered was Orlando, as critics deemed him a poor lead. Had they grasped the nuances of his character's struggle and confusion about his purpose—reflecting a more complex portrayal—they wouldn’t have sought a Mel Gibson-type. They would have recognized a more intriguing perspective. I don’t think Orlando truly recovered from that.”

      Bloom’s career as a leading man certainly did not rebound. Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown was ridiculed shortly after, followed by a few successful Pirates of the Caribbean sequels over the next two years,