The Film
The film focused on the crusading movement in the Levant in the years shortly before the calling of the Third Crusade [c. 1187]. The highlight of the film is Saladin's siege of Jerusalem and the events leading up to the capture of the city from the crusaders. Viewers are guided through both historical and fictional events from the perspective of the film's main character, the historical Balian of Ibelin.
While many Muslim groups ultimately expressed praise for the film, many crusades scholars did not. The traditional battle between scholarly and popular views of the crusades flared as a result. Interestingly, a number of prominent scholars denounced the director's claim to historical reliability. Consequently, judging by the nature of most news stories released during and after the production of the movie, the debate over the film's depiction of historical events became a much bigger story than the release of the film.
Comments on the film:
Jonathan Riley-Smith- University of Cambridge
Kingdom of Heaven will feed the preconceptions of Arab nationalists and Islamists. The words and
actions of the liberal brotherhood and the picture of Palestine as a Western frontier will confirm for
the nationalists that medieval crusading was fundamentally about colonialism. On the other hand the
fanaticism of most of the Christians in the film and their hatred of Islam is what the Islamists want
to believe. At a time of inter-faith tension, nonsense like this will only reinforce existing myths. (1)
Jonathan Riley-Smith- University of Cambridge
It sounds absolute balls. It's rubbish. It's not historically accurate at all. They refer to The Talisman,
which depicts the Muslims as sophisticated and civilised, and the Crusaders are all brutes and
barbarians. It has nothing to do with reality. (2)
Jonathan Riley-Smith- University of Cambridge
It's Osama bin Laden's version of history. It will fuel the Islamic fundamentalists.(3)
Jonathan Phillips- University of London
The Templars as 'baddies' is only sustainable from the Muslim perspective, and 'baddies' is the wrong
way to show it anyway. They are the biggest threat to the Muslims and many end up being killed
because their sworn vocation is to defend the Holy Land. (4)
Thomas Madden- St. Louis University
As a historian it naturally irritates me that there are people who will leave theaters certain that Scott and
his writer, William Monahan, have served up something that approximates reality in the Middle Ages.
They haven’t. In fact, there is very little that is medieval about The Kingdom of Heaven. It is instead a
mixture of 19th-century Romanticism and modern Hollywood wishful-thinking. (5)
Thomas Madden- St. Louis University
Ridley Scott has repeatedly said that this movie is “not a documentary” but a “story based on history.”
The problem is that the story is poor and the history is worse. Based on media interviews, Scott,
Monahan, and the leading actors clearly believe that their story can help bring peace to the world
today. Lasting peace, though, would be better served by candidly facing the truths of our shared past,
however politically incorrect those might be. (6)
Vincent Ryan- St. Louis University
For Scott, the avowed agnostic, religion seems to be inherently problematic. His presentation
of it in the movie is just as problematic. In the film, the heroes are those who have either lost
their faith or consider religion a very private, personal matter. The villains, on the other hand,
are the devoted believers (Christian and Muslim). Scott’s description of the Templars — who
serve as the primary villains in the film — as “the right wing or Christian fundamentalists of
their day” further illustrates both his failure to grasp the role of religion in the medieval period
and the simplistic and modernist lens with which he chooses to depict it.(7)
Amin Maalouf - French Author
[Before seeing the film] It does not do any good to distort history, even if you believe you are
distorting it in a good way. Cruelty was not on one side but on all.(8)
Amin Maalouf- French Author
[After seeing the film] The film goes against religious fanaticism very clearly. All that goes against
hatred, fanaticism and systematic opposition between those two worlds is welcome. (9)
Dr Khaled Abou El Fadl- University of California
In my view, it is inevitable that there will be hate crimes committed directly because of it. (10)
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl- University of California
I believe this movie teaches people to hate Muslims.(11)
Ridley Scott- Film Maker
I showed the film to one very important Muslim in New York, a lecturer from Columbia, and he
said it was the best portrayal of Saladin he's ever seen.(12)
Council on American-Islamic Relations
A balanced and positive depiction of Islamic culture during the Crusades.(13)
Additional Links on the Film
Official Kingdom of Heaven Web Site
Kingdom of Heaven Page at DeReMilitari.Org
Crusades on Film and Television- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Saladin- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Balian of Ibelin- Crusades-Encyclopedia
Articles About the Film
Jonathan Riley-Smith Truth is the First Victim U.K. Times Online May 5, 2005
Thomas Madden Onward PC Soldiers National Review May 27, 2005
Vincent Ryan The Crusades: Hollywood vs. History, Catholic Exchange, May 2005
Vincent Ryan The Crusades: Ridley Scott vs. Riley-Smith Ignatius Insight, June 2005
Susan Brinkman The Crusades According to Hollywood The Catholic Standard and Times
G. Jeffrey MacDonald Medieval Historians Give 'Kingdom' Mixed Reviews USA Today
Charlotte Edwardes Historians Say Film 'Distorts' Crusades Washington Times
Charlotte Edwardes Ridley Scott's New Crusades Film 'Panders To Osama Bin Laden' U.K. Telegraph
BBC: Crusades Film Will Help Muslims April 8, 2005
BBC: Arab Critics Back Crusades Movie May 10, 2005
BBC: Crusades Movie Is UK Cinema Hit May 10, 2005
BBC: Highly Charged May 4, 2005
BBC: Jonathan Marcus A Small Matter of Crusades History May 13, 2005
BBC: Neil Smith Film Maker Defends Crusade Epic April 28, 2005
BBC: Crusader Epic Copy Claim Rejected March 30, 2005
BBC: Ridley Scott Film Row Talks Start January 14, 2004
The Guardian When Worlds Collide April 29, 2005
Bob Thompson Hollywood on Crusade The Washington Post May 1, 2005
Amina Elbendary Heaven on Earth Al-Ahram 12-18 May 2005 Issue No. 742
Peter T. Chattaway Kingdom of Heaven Review Christianity Today May 6, 2005
1. Jonathan Riley-Smith Truth is the First Victim [Review of Kingdom of Heaven] U.K. Times Online May 5, 2005
2. Charlotte Edwardes Ridley Scott's New Crusades Film 'Panders To Osama Bin Laden' U.K. Telegraph, January 18, 2004
3. Charlotte Edwardes Ridley Scott's New Crusades Film 'Panders To Osama Bin Laden' U.K. Telegraph, January 18, 2004
4. Charlotte Edwardes Ridley Scott's New Crusades Film 'Panders To Osama Bin Laden' U.K. Telegraph, January 18, 2004
5. Thomas Madden Onward PC Soldiers [Review of Kingdom of Heaven] National Review May 27, 2005
6. Thomas Madden Onward PC Soldiers [Review of Kingdom of Heaven] National Review May 27, 2005
7. Vincent Ryan- Crusades: Hollywood Vs. History. Catholic Exchange, May 2005.
8. Charlotte Edwardes Ridley Scott's New Crusades Film 'Panders To Osama Bin Laden' U.K. Telegraph January 18, 2004
9.Al-Jazeera Muslim Groups Praise Crusades Film May 9, 2005
10. BBC: Neil Smith Film Maker Defends Crusade Epic April 28, 2005
11. Bob Thompson Hollywood on Crusade The Washington Post May 1, 2005
12. BBC: Neil Smith Film Maker Defends Crusade Epic April 28, 2005
13. BBC: Neil Smith Film Maker Defends Crusade Epic April 28, 2005
(c) Andrew Holt, August 2005- Permission is granted for electronic copying and distribution in print for educational purposes. No permission is granted for commercial use.