KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005)

Cast

Plot

Balian's a blacksmith, his mum's dead, as is his young wife and until a knight on the way to the crusades comes clip clopping along he's had no idea who his dad is either. Invited to join the crusades, Balian, after a disagreement with the church, decides to join his new found father and so begins legend. Settled in the Holy Land, Balian swiftly proves himself a fierce warrior and a man of integrity, earning the respect of not only his men but his Moslem foes…and the love of a princess. Surrounded by a great cast and a director who keeps his "inspirational" oratory down to a minimum, Bloom makes for a surprisingly convincing hero and considering the road kill that has past for historical epics recently ‘Kingdom Of Heaven' is genuinely entertaining. History itself of course reads like a long deeply unlikely apology, but hey, if that bugs you put this back on the shelf and go read a book (Bible, Koran…the choice is yours, though I recommend both…obviously).