 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
'Kingdom of Heaven' trailer available online Earlier musings on Kingdom of Heaven Comingsoon on "Kingdom of Heaven" A Muslim scholar charges Kingdom of Heaven "will cause hate crimes" An Egyptian actor defends the film A Jewish scholar weighs in on the Crusades and the film Time magazine weighs in on Kingdom of Heaven FILM LIST
|
Making the Crusades Relevant
in KINGDOM OF HEAVEN The Holy Land. A place where the very air seems charged with spiritual power, and the ground is soaked with the blood spilt to control it. It's this contradiction in the history of the Middle East--the holiness with the horror--which Ridley Scott's new Crusades epic, Kingdom of Heaven, sensitively explores. Like all good historical films, Kingdom of Heaven immerses us in the sights and sounds, the prejudices and passions, of a long-past era. But it also makes us think. About religion. And honor. About mercy, and redemption. Here's some background on the real history underlying its story and its message. Q. The film has created controversy among both Muslims and Christians
before its release. Who has more cause to be annoyed with the film's
history? Oh, please. Or to quote an exasperated Ridley Scott, "They haven't seen the bloody movie yet!" Kingdom of Heaven is an honest and fair treatment of the Holy Land during the Crusades. While depicting an admittedly dismal era in Christian/Muslim relations, neither side is painted as the villain. Chivalry-as well as cruelty-is found in characters of both faiths. And, yes, I have seen it. Q. What period of the Crusades is the film's focus? Q. Are all the main characters depicted accurately? Saladin is accurately portrayed. Though he unified the Muslim world against the Crusaders, his nobility and fairness were praised even by contemporary Christians. Also accurate is the depiction of Reynald of Kerak, who serves as the villain, both in the movie and in history. Reynald was known for his wanton cruelty to his enemies, and he particularly delighted in killing Muslims, often in flagrant disregard of truces. His vicious attack of a caravan carrying Saladin's sister actually happened, and earned him Saladin's implacable hatred. The most fictionalized character is the hero, Balian of Ibelin. A man by that name did lead the defenses of Jerusalem (in the process knighting many of the city's young men, as shown) but further details about the actual Balian are scarce. He was an older, married nobleman, who served as a counselor to King Baldwin. But as Orlando Bloom plays him, Balian is a poor boy, an illegitimate son suddenly thrust into nobility. He's gorgeous, humble, an unbeatable swordsman, and ripe for a relationship with the beautiful Sibylla. Balian is -quite literally-too good to be true. Q. The film praises tolerance of other faiths. But how much
of that actually existed in that era? The Christian record is far more troubling. The Crusades unleashed a torrent of hatred directed at non-Christians, spurred by the new teaching that "killing for Christ" was a virtue rather than a sin. Crusading armies massacred Jews en route to the Middle East, and their sack of Jerusalem in 1099 was marked by a horrifying slaughter of all the Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. By their own accounts, victorious Crusaders sang praises to God while wading through streets flowing with their victims' blood. The religious killing carried on so callously during the Crusades is monstrous to today's eyes. Why dredge it up? Why open those wounds? Because the film's message is that one can choose to let go of the memory of past injustices. To embrace peace, and choose tolerance. To break the cycle of violence. When, late in the film, one character opts for mercy over revenge, he is reminded of past atrocities committed against his people. "I am not those men," he replies. Nor are we. Not a bad message for an historical movie. Q. What's a good source for more information? Cathy Schultz, Ph.D., is a history professor at the University of St. Francis in Illinois.
|
|