Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on September 20. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Balian, a French village blacksmith is troubled since his wife committed suicide when their child died. He is visited by Godfrey of Ibelin, a knight on the way to the Holy Land who tells Balian he is his father and asks him to come with him, but Balian refuses. When the village priest reveals that his wife’s body was beheaded before burial, since she was a suicide and that he had taken her cross necklace, Balian kills him and races to catch up with his father. Agents of the priest’s bishop arrive to arrest Balian but are beaten off. Godfrey is wounded. In Messina before he dies Godfrey knights Balian. On the sea voyage to the Holy Land Balian’s ship is sunk in a storm and he and a horse are the only survivors. He meets a Muslim knight who wants the horse. Balian fights and kills him. He makes the knight’s servant take him to Jerusalem and then releases him. In Jerusalem the King, Baldwin IV and Tiberius, his Marshall support peace, while Guy of Lusignan, who is married to the King’s sister Sibylla, and Reynald de Chatillon want war with the Muslims. In Ibelin Balian orders wells dug and has an affair with the visiting Sibylla. Raynald and Guy massacre a Muslim caravan, provoking an invasion by the Muslim leader, Saladin with a huge army. Balian and his knights charge the Muslim army to allow villagers to reach Raynald’s fortress. Balian is captured, but spared by the Muslim servant he spared, who is Saladin’s Chancellor. Baldwin arrives with his army. Saladin agrees to retreat after Baldwin promises Raynald will be punished. Raynald is jailed. Baldwin asks Balian to marry Sibylla, but he refuses as Guy would have to be killed for this to happen. Baldwin dies and Sibylla becomes queen, with Guy as king. Guy releases Raynald. Raynald kills Saladin’s sister and when Saladin wants her body and the bodies of those who killed her, Guy kills Saladin’s ambassador. Balain, having survived an assassination attempt opposes the war, but is outvoted. The Christian army under Guy and Raynald marches out into the desert and is annihilated by Saladin. Balian organizes the defense of Jerusalem. On September 20, 1187 [1:44:52 to 1:47:17] Saladin begins the siege of Jerusalem. After a ferocious three day battle, Saladin offers to escort all the city’s inhabitants to Christian lands and Balian agrees to the surrender. Balian returns to France where he meets Richard the Lion-Hearted on the way to his Crusade. Balian and Sibylla leave together to start over.
An interesting, if historically inaccurate drama. Has plenty of good action sequences. Fabulous cinematography, costumes and sets.
God’s War: A New History of
the Crusades by Christopher Tyerman (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2006) at page 372 gives date of start of the siege
Producer - Ridley Scott
Director - Ridley Scott
Runtime – 2 hours 24 minutes
Released – May 6, 2005
Starring –
Orlando Bloom as Balian of Ibelin
Eva Green as Queen Sibylla
Jeremy Irons as Raymond of Tiberias
David Thewlis as Knight Hospitaller
Liam Neeson as Godfrey of Ibelin
Brendan Gleeson as Raynald of Châtillon
Marton Csokas as Guy of Lusignan
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