Kingdom of Heaven
Rent & Buy
After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.
What critics thought
Kingdom of Heaven landed poorly with critics on release despite its visual ambition — the theatrical cut was widely seen as spectacular to look at but dramatically hollow, with Bloom's lead performance drawing particular skepticism. Supporting players, especially Edward Norton's masked King Baldwin and Ghassan Massoud's Saladin, fared far better, and audience scores have drifted notably higher than the critical verdict, suggesting the film found its defenders over time.
“You may not leave the theater feeling better educated about history or enlightened about the Crusades, but you will leave satisfied that the filmmakers have delivered 145 minutes of exciting, visceral cinema.”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“The film's underlying antiheroic pessimism fits oddly with a style that aspires to the heroic.”
Geoffrey O'Brien·Film Comment
“not actively bad as Balian of Ibelin”
Boston Globe
Genres
Drama, Action, Adventure, History, War
Cast & Crew
Ridley ScottDirector
Orlando BloomBalian de Ibelin
Eva GreenSibylla
Jeremy IronsTiberias
David ThewlisHospitaler
Ghassan MassoudSaladin
Liam NeesonGodfrey de Ibelin
Brendan GleesonReynald de Chatillon
Marton CsokasGuy de Lusignan
Alexander SiddigNasir
Michael SheenPriest
Khaled El NabawyMullah
Nikolaj Coster-WaldauVillage Sheriff
Harry Gregson-WilliamsComposer
William MonahanWriter
John MathiesonCinematographyKingdom of Heaven
After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.
What critics thought
Kingdom of Heaven landed poorly with critics on release despite its visual ambition — the theatrical cut was widely seen as spectacular to look at but dramatically hollow, with Bloom's lead performance drawing particular skepticism. Supporting players, especially Edward Norton's masked King Baldwin and Ghassan Massoud's Saladin, fared far better, and audience scores have drifted notably higher than the critical verdict, suggesting the film found its defenders over time.
“You may not leave the theater feeling better educated about history or enlightened about the Crusades, but you will leave satisfied that the filmmakers have delivered 145 minutes of exciting, visceral cinema.”
James Berardinelli·ReelViews
“The film's underlying antiheroic pessimism fits oddly with a style that aspires to the heroic.”
Geoffrey O'Brien·Film Comment
“not actively bad as Balian of Ibelin”
Boston Globe
Genres
Drama, Action, Adventure, History, War
Cast & Crew
Ridley ScottDirectorOrlando BloomBalian de IbelinEva GreenSibyllaJeremy IronsTiberiasDavid ThewlisHospitalerGhassan MassoudSaladinLiam NeesonGodfrey de IbelinBrendan GleesonReynald de ChatillonMarton CsokasGuy de LusignanAlexander SiddigNasirMichael SheenPriestKhaled El NabawyMullahNikolaj Coster-WaldauVillage SheriffHarry Gregson-WilliamsComposerWilliam MonahanWriterJohn MathiesonCinematographyRent & Buy