T
The_Catholic
Guest
How accurate is the new movie “Kingdom of Heaven” about the crusades?
- Status
W
wisdom_3_5
Guest
The Catholic:
. Here is an article on the Crusades.
http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm
They got the costumes right
. Here is an article on the Crusades.http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm
A
Anonymous_1
Guest
i liked the movie alot
H
Hesychios
Guest
Me too!
S
SemperJase
Guest
Couldn’t stand it. How does someone raised with the limited experience of a blacksmith become an expert swordsman after a two-minute lesson? With no lessons, how did he become an expert in agriculture? And then suddenly it turns out he knows all about engineering when defending the walls of Jerusalem as well as being a master in military tactics.
It just wasn’t a believable movie.
It just wasn’t a believable movie.
A
Anonymous_1
Guest
he was gifted
S
Sherlock
Guest
I didn’t see it, but I heard that it was not an accurate depiction of history.
1
1ke
Guest
It’s purely fiction. Hollywood rarely, if ever, has an interest in historical accuracy.
Even the “based on a true story” movies take huge liberties.
Even the “based on a true story” movies take huge liberties.
S
Sherlock
Guest
I went to Catholic film reviewer Steven Greydanus’ website (decentfilms.com) and read his review. Here are a few snippets:
"Still, the film cross-examines the Christians in a way it doesn’t the Muslims. “At first I thought we were fighting for God,” says Tiberias, “but then I realized we were fighting for wealth and land.” Oh. What are the Muslims fighting for? What were they fighting for when they captured Jerusalem in the first place?
More than once we see Muslims engaged in daily public prayers, but we never see Christians similarly engaged. Prayer for the Christian characters is only a solitary struggle with the sense of God’s absence.
Despite these contrasts, Kingdom of Heaven makes an uneven effort to bring a measure of even-handedness to the religious divide. The film’s perspective, though, is ultimately more secular than religious. Even the Hospitaler, the most positive religious character, is more a spokesman for conscience than for faith per se. Kingdom of Heaven isn’t anti-God or even necessarily anti-faith, but there’s an element of anti-religious sentiment at work here. “Thank you, your Eminence, you’ve taught me so much about religion,” Balian sneers after the Jerusalem Patriarch has alternately suggested abandoning the Christian populace of Jerualem to slaughter or converting to Islam and repenting later as a means of saving their necks."
"Still, the film cross-examines the Christians in a way it doesn’t the Muslims. “At first I thought we were fighting for God,” says Tiberias, “but then I realized we were fighting for wealth and land.” Oh. What are the Muslims fighting for? What were they fighting for when they captured Jerusalem in the first place?
More than once we see Muslims engaged in daily public prayers, but we never see Christians similarly engaged. Prayer for the Christian characters is only a solitary struggle with the sense of God’s absence.
Despite these contrasts, Kingdom of Heaven makes an uneven effort to bring a measure of even-handedness to the religious divide. The film’s perspective, though, is ultimately more secular than religious. Even the Hospitaler, the most positive religious character, is more a spokesman for conscience than for faith per se. Kingdom of Heaven isn’t anti-God or even necessarily anti-faith, but there’s an element of anti-religious sentiment at work here. “Thank you, your Eminence, you’ve taught me so much about religion,” Balian sneers after the Jerusalem Patriarch has alternately suggested abandoning the Christian populace of Jerualem to slaughter or converting to Islam and repenting later as a means of saving their necks."
L
Loy
Guest
My thoughts exactly (although I agree with wisdom’s post above that the costumes were pretty authentic).
L
Loy
Guest
I’d have to watch the movie again to be fair, but the first (and last) time I saw it, the movie seemed to promote either religious indifference, or it exalted doing good deeds as being more important than Christian faith. It was, undoubtedly, anti-sectarian.
- Status