Thread by @JasonKirell

Alright folks, time to deep dive into the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven.

Its gonna be a long one, so if this doesn't interest you, just mute this thread now.

Before I get into it, a little backstory:

Some of you may have seen this movie before. Its not on cable often, so it's probably been years. It was released in 2005, right when the Iraq war was going all to hell.

The allegory between the Crusades and the Iraq war weren't subtle.

The thing about this movie is that a lot of people felt it was just okay-to-good.

They felt that way because what was released in theaters was so heavily chopped up by the studio the character motivations made little to no sense.

The director's cut fixes all of that and more.

Ridley Scott, coming off another historical epic, Galdiator, had been wanting to make a film about the Crusades.

What he created was brilliant, but it was 194 mins long. 20th Century Fox felt audiences wouldn't be able to sit through it, so he forced Scott to edit out an hour.

An hour is a lot to take out of the film, which is why characters seem to pop in and out with no explanation as to who they were or what relationship they had to the main character, Orlando Bloom's Balian.

This version re-inserts all of those relationships and the film soars.

Now, one of the biggest issues people had with the film when it was released is something that can't be fixed by additional scenes, namely, casting Orlando Bloom as Balian in the first place.

Its not that he's bad in this. This is probably his finest work as an actor. Its just that Orlando Bloom's finest work isn't on the level of what's needed in an epic set piece like this.

Had Scott cast someone like Michael Fassbender in the role it would have added a lot.

Scott won an Oscar bc he cast Russel Crowe as Maximus. The guy was perfect for the role. He was big, strong, looked like a soldier.

Bloom wasn't perfect for this, even though he tried, adding 20lbs prior to filming to at least try to look like a guy who could wield a sword.

But what the film lacked in a perfect lead actor it made up for in literally everything else. The set pieces were amazing. The writing was tight. The supporting cast is one of the best ever put to film:

Liam Neeson
Eva Green
Edward Norton
Jeremy Irons
David Thewlis
Brandon Gleeson
Martin Csokis
Michael Sheen
Alexander Siddig
Kevin McKidd

Even some Game of Thrones actors make a brief appearance, Nicholaj Coster Waldau and Ian Glenn.

But the finest performance was from a guy for whom this was his only American film, Ghassan Massoud, a Syrian actor who absolutely killed it as Saladin.

The film itself wasn't the total flop you might suspect. It cost $130m to make and brought in $211m at the box office.

It was a hit in Europe & kinda unsurprising, Egypt.

Scholars are, to put it kindly, divided on the film. Its not a documentary and shouldn't be viewed as such.

Some of the criticisms include the way the film portrays Muslims as enlightened and honorable and the Christians as brutish and ignorant.

I'm not a historian, so I'm not going to speak to the validity of the claims, but throughout this review I'm going to point out inaccuracies.

I'm also going to point out some parts the film got historically right, and some of them are really surprising, which kinda makes me understand why so many nerds are into history. Occasionally it's cool!

Okay, now that we have the backstory we can dive into the film itself.

The year is 1184, about 100 years after the first Crusade that saw the Christians take control over Jerusalem.

Our story begins in France, where (historically inaccurate) Balian is working as a blacksmith.

A woman is in the process of being buried, through narration we find out it's Balain's wife, who had a stillborn child and in her grief, committed suicide.

This scene is longer in this version & explains that the priest who was overseeing the burial is actually Balain's brother.

He's played by Martin Sheen and is great.

He's basically a giant dick. He's burying the wife in the middle of the road next to a statue. He steals the cross off her neck and instructs the two gravediggers to chop off her head before finishing.

We see a group of Templar knights riding towards the castle. One flips the priest a coin for the burial.

Later we see the priest & a bishop talking (another cut scene) where the bishop says he hopes the priest left her body in tact bc he doesnt think that's what Jesus would do.

The bishop says Balian has gone mad from grief & the priest should help heal his brother. The priest says his brother is possessed by the devil and should be examined. The bishop says to try, hands him some money and says to let Balian know he's at the center of his prayers.

The first time we see Balain is a flashback to a sunny day, w/ him looking over at his wife tending crops. That fades out to the grim, gray toned color of modern day, where Balian is chained up in a small hut. Its hinted at he was chained so he wouldn't be present at the burial.

Cut to a scene from inside the French lord's castle. Men are sitting around a table talking about the Saladin & the Arab army he's created.

The Lord lifts a finely crafted cup & talks about the blacksmith who made it. This piques the interest of Godfrey, Liam Neeson's character.

Another bit of stuff added here, we find out Godfrey is the French lord's brother, which is how he ended up here in the first place.

The theatrical version made it seem as if Godfrey had traveled from Jersusalem to France just to find Balian, which doesn't make sense.

Cut back to Balian at his wife's grave. The priest brother is with him, taunting him about how he doesn't know exactly where she is buried. He's trying to make Balian angry, but Balian feels nothing.

"You never fight back," the priest tells him, hitting him on the side of the face. "You always turn the other cheek. I think you conceive yourself without sin. THAT IS A SIN."

Balain turns his head slowly towards his brother, who quickly gets up and scurries away.

We cut to back inside Balain's home, where he looks over baby clothes his wife sewed before the stillbirth. He gatheres them up and tosses them into a fire before grabbing his blacksmith apprentice and telling him it's time to get to work.

The next day the priest comes back, leading the Knights, who ask him to shoe their horses and provide them with food.

One of the Knights asks Balian if he's ever been at war.

"On horse," he says. "And also as an engineer."

This was also cut from the theatrical version

Which is a shame because it helps explain why a blacksmith knows seige defense tactics and is able to lead the defense of Jerusalem later in the movie.

Godfrey walks into the hut and looks out over the valley where he has a flashback to himself as a younger man, wooing a young woman.

He turns and tells the other knights to leave them. Godfrey then reveals to Balian he knew his mother.

"I knew your Mother. A little discourteous, I should say. Against her objections. But I was the Lord's brother and she had no say. But I did not force her. I have forgiveness to ask you."

Balian walks away without replying.

Godfrey says he's the Baron of Ibelin, and he's going to Jerusalem and wants him to come with them. He says men find forgiveness there.

Balain says his place is here.

Godfrey says what made this his place has died.

Balain again refuses to go and Godfrey and his men ride off.

In a great line before leaving, Godfrey says to Balain, "if you change your mind, Jerusalem is easy to find, go until the men speak Italian and keep going until they speak something else."

As they rise off the priest brother glares at Balain, upset he didn't take the offer to leave he had arranged at the dinner the night before.

Later on Balain is in work but, blowing the furnace and doing blacksmith stuff with a sword.

His brother walks in and scolds him.

"The village does not want you. When the old Lord is dead they will drive you out. When the bishop is dead it is certain. They would have taken you to Jerusalem, away from all this. I arranged it. I swear to you, you will have no peace so long as you stay here."

Martin Sheen is fantastic here. Fantastic.

"No man ever needed a new world more. Imagine all your sins erased. All."

Balain is uninterested. He just keeps pounding the white hot piece of metal.

Then his brother says something that genuinely gets through to Balain...

"If you take the Crusades you may be able to relieve your wife's position in hell. I put it delicately, she was a suicide, she is in hell."

Balain pauses, his brother takes a step towards him and fucks up big time.

"Though what she does there without a head..."

Balain turns his head to look at his brother for the first time. His brother smiles, knowing Balain never reacts to taunts.

But Balin notices something around the priest's neck. He reaches for it. It's his wife's cross.

Balain becomes enraged and takes the sword he was hammering and shoves it through his brother and pushes him into the fire pit.

This scene was cut to hell in the theatrical version, making it look like some random priest was being a dick for no reason and Balain just mercs him.

All the backstory of their relationship, that they're brothers, that the priest feels emboldened by Balain's refusal to engage his taunting, that was removed. Adding it back in really fleshes out why he killed him & how much suffering he had to endure before he got to that point.

The fire eventually burns down the blacksmith hut and Balain takes a horse and rises out after his father. He eventually meets up with him and his knight's and his father starts training him on his to use a sword.

In a funny scene, Balain, whose hand is injured from reaching into the fire to pull out his wife's cross, gets woken up by his father to begin training.

"His hand is hurt, my lord," one of Godfrey's men says.

"I once fought for two days with an arrow through my testicle."

Like, damn. I want to see a movie about that.

Godfrey is a badass.

Anyway, we get a training montage in the woods that's basically the same as in the theatrical cut, except this big German dude steps in and trains with Balain for a bit before they get rudely interrupted.

Jamie Lannister, looking almost unrecognizable bc he's wearing full chainmail, rides up with some other men & orders them to hand over Balain bc he killed the priest.

In this version it's fleshed out Jamie is Godfrey's nephew, not just some random soldier sent to collect Balain.

Godfrey refuses. The Lannister forces ride out and a massive volley of arrows come out from the treeline. The big German dude it hit in the neck, a few other men go down. Godfrey is hit in the side.

It's a good, if heavily edited fight scene.

The best parts being the big German guy getting up and killing three guys while an arrow is still lodged in his neck and the warrior priest riding on the side of a horse to fool an enemy into thinking he was locked off, only to circle around him and strike him down moments later.

The fight ends, Godfrey's forces gather the dead.

In a cut scene, Godfrey's men have one enemy left alive, the son of some Lord.

"I have the privilege of being ransomed," he says confidently.

"You do," Godfrey replies.

Then one of his men jab a spike through the guy's head.

Later that night we see Godfrey getting attended to. The arrow has broken off inside him. The warrior priest says if he's broken a rib the wound will fester and he'll die, or if he hasn't he'll develop a cyst and he'll live. It's in God's hands now.

Balain inches closer to his father. Godfrey says "it was not that they had no right to take you, it was the way they asked."

Balain replies "they had the right to take me."

"So do I," says his father.

We next see them continuing on the road to Jerusalem, eventually joining a mass pilgrimage that includes poor people, the devout, and other Templar knights

It's here we first meet Guy de Lusignan and his knights.

Guy is played by Marton Csokas, who some of you might remember as the bad guy in literally every movie he's in, maybe most famously as the leader of Anarchy 99 in the Vin Diesel movie XXX.

Very few actors pull off smarmy as well as him. And he's playing a French guy...

Dude just chews scenery. He goes 110% in this movie and really makes you hate him.

He and Godfrey have a brief mashup where he introduces him to Balain. He and Godfrey appear to have a history.

Eventually they make it to Messina. Godfrey is on his death bed. He's talking to Balain about Jerusalem.

Neeson gives a great speech about what's so attractive to those flocking toward the holy land...

"Do you know what lies in the holy land? A new world. A man, who in France had not a house is, in the HL, a master of a city. A man who was a master of a city begs in the gutter. There, at the end of the world you are not what you were born but what you have in yourself to be."

Godfrey tells Balain he's of his house and as such will be required to serve the king of Jerusalem.

Balain asks what a king would ask of him.

"A better world than has ever been seen. A kingdom of conscience. A kingdom of heaven. There is peace between Christian and Muslim. We live together. War between Saladin and the king may try. Do you want to see that at the end of the crusade?"

Balain shakes his head no.

"My son, you are all that survives me. Do not disappoint me."

And that sets up Balain's motivations later in the film to why he's so set against going to war with Saladin. Its not that he believes they can't win, but that his father saw the potential that a peaceful world had.

Next we get one of my favorite little scenes. Balain and Kevin McKidd, who plays an English sergeant, discussing Muslims being allowed to pray in Christian-controlled territory and Guy making his intentions known as someone who will not tolerate those who do not hate Muslims.

We transition to later that night. Balain is called in front of his father, who is in his final moments.

Godfrey, with barely any strength left, knight's his son & names him the new Baron of Ibelin.

"Protect the king," Godfrey says. "If the king is no more, protect the people."

The warrior knight asks Godfrey if he repents all his sins.

"All but one," he states, looking at Balain. He's then anointed with oil and dies offscreen.

Balain then sails from Messina to Jerusalem, but a storm tears apart his ship. He washes up on a beach, dead bodies and broken ship parts all around him.

He crawls out and finds a horse trapped in a piece of cargo hull. He releases it, but it escapes.

He wanders the desert until he finds a pool of water. He dips down to drink and finds the horse doing the same. He captures it and rises out a bit until he finds a tree to take shelter under.

Just then two riders approach him.

Its a master and a servant. The servant says Balain must give the horse to his master. Balain refuses, they fight. The master throws a spear, Balain deflects it away. Another mounted sword attack and Balain deflects that as well.

"Fight me fairly," Balain cries.

"Why should he," the servant says. "He is a knight."

"And I am the Baron of Ibelin."

The servant translates this to his master, who says the Baron of Ibelin is old, he knew him in Damascus.

"I am the new one," Balain replies.

The master dismounts his horse and starts fighting him on foot.

Once it appears Balain can actually fight, the servant starts screaming for the master to stop, but he's ignored. Balain slices his throat, blood sprays into the face of the horse the servant is on & he falls off.

The servant looks up as Balain stands over him w his sword. He prepares to die, but Balain just sticks his sword in the sand.

"You're taking it very well that I've just killed your master," Balain says.

"It was the end of his time. All is as God wills it," the servant replies.

The servant asks him to kill him, but Balain refuses, instead he asks the servant to take him to Jerusalem.

The servant gives Balain a quizzical look.

They ride out and eventually arrive at Jerusalem, which looks gorgeous.

They stop to water the horses. The servant remarks, "this is a good horse."

Balain offers it to him and tells him to be on his way. This shocks the servant.

"This is your prize for battle. I am your prisoner, your slave, should you wish it."

Balain responds, "I have been a slave, or very near to one. I will never keep one, nor suffer any to be kept. Go."

The servant takes the horse and as he's mounting it, says "The man you killed was a great cavalier among the Muslims, his name was Mumadelfeis."

"I will pray for him," Balain says.

Then the servant, played by Alexander Siddig, delivers one of my favorite lines in the film:

"Your quality will be known among your enemies before ever you meet them, my friend."

This becomes HUUUGE later on in the story.

Later on Balain goes to the hill Christ was crucified. He buries his wife's cross.

In the extended version we see he stays on the hill all night, thinking about and talking to his wife.

The next day Balain walks through the Jerusalem market when he's followed by some knights. They question him about his sword, the one Godfrey gave him w a ruby in the hilt.

He proves that he knew him by correcting a knight who said he had green eyes. They ask him to follow.

In an extended scene, we find they took him to some executive suite where he's given a bath, complete with servants and some really gorgeous women who towel him. He looks uninterested in them.

Cut to a courtyard where Balain is attempting to wrangle a horse. In rides Sibylla, who is looking for Godfrey. She asks Balain for water.

Fellas, fond yourself a girl who looks at you the same way Eva Green looks at Orlando Bloom in this scene.

By the way the costume designs in this move are fabulous. Everything from the chainmail to the knights templar uniforms seem legit.

I have no idea how accurate they are, but it looks bulky and awkward and I'd imagine that's what midevil military garb looked like.

Passing through a courtyard Balain and the priest knight pass a public hanging of templar knights who killed Arabs, showing, briefly, how much the king of Jerusalem really wants to maintain peace between Christians and Muslims.

They go through until they arrive at the office of the Marshall of Jerusalem, played by Jeremy Irons.

We're introduced in this scene to a major player in both the film and the historical events behind the film, Reynald de Chatillon, whose knights were being hanged.

He's played by Brendan Gleeson, whom some of you might remember as the sheriff who got brained by Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York.

He's a sick man in this movie, but so so good.

Look at this dude.

Reynald leaves after arguing with Irons' character Tiberius. He can't be touched bc if his title.

Balain meets Tiberius and the two discuss the fight he had earlier. Word reached Saladin, but the Sarasan king doesn't consider it a breach of the truce bc Balain had cause.

Here we learn Saladin has 200,000 troops in Damascus, which is probably an exaggeration from history as the size of his actual army was probably closer to 50,000 or less.

Tiberius says Saladin can win a war if he wants to, which is why he's trying so hard to keep the peace.

Tiberius asks Balain if he's eaten and the next scene is a dinner where Guy shows up with Sibylla (his wife, if that wasn't clear) and he's disgusted to see Balain at his table. He abruptly leaves, but not before taking a dig at Sibylla....

"My wife does not lament my absence. That is either the best of wives, or the very very worst."

Damn, sometimes this movie has really good writing.

Moving on, during the dinner a messenger arrives stating the king of Jerusalem wants to meet with Balain.

Sibylla escorts him. They flirt a little bit before she sends him off to meet with King Baldwin.

Now, here's where the movie begins to pick up as we get into more established historical figures.

Baldwin IV was actually a leper king and the job Edward Norton does portraying him with just his voice is astounding.

He's one of the top two or three things about this film.

Baldwin explains to Balian how his father was the one who discovered something wasn't right with him as a child (not accurate) and how the Sarasans believe that his leprosy is punishment from God and what awaits him in hell is even worse.

This scene is extended and shows the two playing chess, Baldwin asking Balian what he dreams of for his life and the two just getting to know each other.

"When I was 16 I won a great victory," Baldwin says. "I thought I would live to be 100. Now I know I will not see 30."

In real life he won that victory at 13, when he attacked Damascus, forcing Saladin out of Aleppo.

Baldwin actually died before 30, though. He died at age 24 after being king for 11 years.

The extended scene keeps going. Baldwin asks Balian to take a look at the defensive fortifications around Jerusalem. Balian suggests improvements, Baldwin is very impressed.

He orders Balian to go back to Ibelin and protect Jews and Muslims on the pilgrim road.

Again, this is just another scene that fleshes out how the king of Jerusalem came to trust and admire a dude who just became a Baron a few days ago.

In the theatrical cut Balain just monologues about his life, his death and what to tell God when you die.

This extended version establishes the trust and respect Balian was able to instill in the king and why the king took such an interest in him.

And also how Balian ended up back at Ibelin.

We get to the part of the film I like least, where Balian goes back to Ibelin, finds it's mostly worthless bc there's no vegetation.

He then tells a bunch of ppl living in the desert to dig for water, as if these folks who've lived there all their lives never knew to do that.

Anyways, he orders some holes dug, they find water, set up irrigsgtion trenches and transfirm the land into a beautiful lush paradise.

Sibylla comes to visit him, they flirt. My god is Eva Green beautiful.

They extend this scene out where she appears to spend weeks with him here, as her husband is off doing crusader stuff with Reynald. There's a PG rated sex scene and then we cut to somewhere close to Reynald's castle in Kerik.

Reynald and Guy ambush a Sarasan caravan.

This scene is extended out as well, a bit more focus on the massacre, with lots of gory slicing of bodies and slow motion blood splatters.

Before the ambush Guy was worried about incurring the wrath of Baldwin, but Reynald said he would be blamed for it and gave Guy an alibi.

Back to Ibelin for a quick extended scene between Sibylla and Balian where she wakes him up, gets partially naked and starts feeding him grapes.

I'm not complaining.

Then we're back in Jerusalem with King Balwin, where he's holding court with the two factions.

One one side you have Guy and the Knights Templar, who want to go to war with Saladin, and in the other you have Tiberius and his knights, who want to maintain peace and are accusing Guy of attacking the caravan and breaking the king's peace treaty.

They argue. Tiberius says Saladin will attack now. Guy says Tiberius knows more about Saladin's intentions than a Christian should.

Tiberius says they don't want a war, that they may not win.

The Templars say that's blasphemy.

A templar steps up and says any army bearing the cross of Jesus cannot lose.

GOD WILLS IT.

Lots of "God wills it" in this movie. It almost becomes a punchline.

Or at least a meme.

Next is one of my personal favorite scenes. While bith sides are fighting, screaming at each other, Baldwin receives a message. He inspects it and raises his hand.

Tiberius notices and the way Jeffrey Irons asks for silence in this scene just cracks me up.

Saladin is marching a 200,000 strong army across the river Jordan. Baldwin says he must meet him before he reaches Reynald's castle in Kerik.

He calls for the army to be assembled.

Baldwin sends word to Balian to protect the surrounding villages. He leaves for Kerik.

Kerik being the largest stronghold, is where all the surrounding villagers flee to. Balian takes it upon himself and his men to hold back the Sarasan cavalry until King Baldwin's forces arrive.

Then we get an epic cavalry charge, and this one is worthy of the cavalry charge from Return of the King or the Battle of the Bastards episode of Game of Thrones.

I love how they show them assuming different formations.

So Balian gets routed bc his men were outnumbered like 5-1 in that cavalry charge.

The next we see of him his seemingly lifeless body is being carried towards the Sarasan cavalry commander.

He stands over him, picks up his sword...

...and puts it down next to him, saying "Your quality will be known by your enemies before you ever meet them, my friend."

Holy shit, it's Alexander Siddig, the servant. He wasn't the servant at all. He was the master!

Great misdirection by Scott here.

Siddig tells Balian he can go into Kerik, but he will die there. Just then we see the full Saladin army of 200,000 appear over the hill in the background.

Before Balian can reply he hears a rumbling. He looks over his shoulder & then the most beautiful scene in the film happens:

"Tell Saladin Jerusalem has come."

Everything about this scene is perfect, the way the Christian army slowly appears through the dust, first with the giant gold cross and then just wave upon wave of soldiers. The music is stunning. The slow coming together of the two huge armies.

I can't say enough about it.

Then the armies halt, and the two kings ride forward to greet each other and we get our first real look at Saladin.

The way Edward Norton and Ghassan Massoud perform this scene together is short but it's sooo good.

These are two kings who have fought numerous battles. Both have won and lost. They have a tremendous amount of respect for one another.

Both knew neither side would get a decisive victory. Saladin may have wanted revenge, but he wasn't going to sacrifice his army.

Baldwin also knew he couldn't win, and he meant what he said about punishing Reynald. Saladin respected him enough to accept this.

The next scene, once the Saladin forces disperse, is Balain riding into Kerik to meet Reynald.

Baldwin rides in, struggles to get off his horse, starts breathing heavy, but still has enough strength to punish Reynald.

"On your knees," he commands, as he takes out his riding crop.

Reynald gets on his knees.

"Lower," orders Baldwin.

He's practically groveling now.

"I am Jerusalem," Baldwin says. "And you, Reynald de Chattillon will offer me the kiss of peace."

Baldwin ungloves his left hand and extends it out.

It looks like this, remember, he's a leper.

Reynald then goes all in on that hand like an incel at the Playboy mansion.

Baldwin pulls his hand away and starts beating the crap out of him with his riding crop in one of the most satisfying moments of the film.

Baldwin collapses right after and is carried off. Tiberius places Reynald under arrest as Guy stares daggers through Balian and then Sibylla.

And now we've reached Intermission.

Seriously, I've only covered half the movie so far.

I'm gonna make dinner and pick this back up in a bit. Hope you're enjoying this so far, folks.

Okay, I'm back. Time to jump into the second half. Let's go!

We pick up at Saladin's camp. He s talking to his commanders. One commander questions Saladin and why he didn't engage Baldwin's forces.

"Why did you retire? Why? God did not favor him. God alone determines the results of battles."

"The results of battle are determined by God, but also by preparation, numbers, absence of disease & the availability of water. One cannot win a siege w the enemy behind. How many battles did God win for the Muslims before I came, or that is, before God determined I should come?"

"That is because we were sinful," the commander responds.

Saladin: "It is because you were unprepared."

Commander: "If you think that way you shall not be king for long."

Both Saladin and Siddig stand up.

"When I am not king I shall quake for Islam. Thank you for your visit."

This brief inner turnoil in the Muslim camp really doesn't go anywhere, but it's nice to see things from what would traditionally be considered the villian's side.

But Saladin is not presented as the villian in this movie. He's arguably the most noble person in the film.

Guy and Reynald are the villians. And after that scene we transition to a jail cell in Jerusalem where Reynald is being held.

He's banging on the bars, screaming about his title.

We go back to king Baldwin, who begins to make plans for the succession of his nephew.

In a probably appropriate deleted scene, Guy walks into a room and rapes a random servant woman.

Then in a scene that shouldn't have been deleted, Guy threatens to kill Sibylla's son if she doesn't support his claim to the throne once Baldwin dies.

This explains a lot about her decision later in the film to support him as the new ruler of Jerusalem.

We move on to Baldwin as he tries to convince Balian to accept his offer to make him ruler of Jerusalem and protector if his nephew.

He accepts, but Baldwin has a condition.

He must marry Sybilla after the execution of Guy and all the Knights who don't swear allegiance to him.

Balian refuses, not wanting to be responsible for so much death. Baldwin accepts this and Balian leaves.

Tiberius tracks him down and asks why he would defend Guy.

"Jerusalem has no need for a perfect knight," Tiberius says.

"Jerusalem is a kingdom of conscience, or it is nothing at all," Balian replies.

Later on in the evening Sybilla visits Balian, pleading with him to accept Baldwin's offer. She tempts him with power and riches.

She goes to kiss him and Balian pulls away.

"Do you think I'm like Guy, that I would sell my soul?" Balian asks.

"There will be a day," Sybilla says, walking away, "where you will wish you did a little evil to do a greater good."

Back at the jail cell, Guy comes to visit Reynald. He brings him food.

Reynald tells Guy he needs to kill Balian bc Baldwin will never want him to rule Jerusalem.

In another extended scene, Sybilla's 6 year old son, the king's nephew and would-be heir to the kingdom, is drawing at a table. He stares at a candle and puts his hand over the flame. He leaves it hovering over the flame for about 10 seconds, not making so much as a wince.

He has leprosy too, as we see him look at the charred palm of his hand.

Back in Baldwin's bedroom, the king is dying as Sybilla comes to visit him.

He dies at her side, telling her to remember him as he was when he was a boy.

She kisses his golden mask and leaves the room.

Upon exiting Guy is standing there. She says to him, "if I have your knights, your have your wife."

Next we see the funeral for Baldwin. Sybilla goes to his chamber and lifts the mask off her brother's face. She flinches when she sees how far gone his leprosy was.

Quick scene where the boy is crowned future king before we transition back to Ibelin where Balian is sitting by himself, throwing rocks at a shrub.

The warrior priest walks up to him and says he must return and help Jeruslam against what is to come.

"And what is to come," Balian asks.

"A reckoning," the priest replies. "For what happened 100 years ago. The Muslims will never forget. Nor should they."

Back to another deleted scene, Baldwin V (the boy) is stamping letters and proclamations when some hot wax spills on his hand and the boy makes no sign of pain. His mother and the evil priest loyal to Guy notice this.

Sybilla freaks out bc now ppl will know the boy has leprosy.

The following scene is Sybilla poisoning her son by dropping some liquid into his ear while she sings to him. He dies in her arms.

The theatrical version almost completely removes the kid from the movie, and kinda just doesn't explain why he's not there at the end.

This is all fiction, btw. In real life the kid was weak and sickly almost since birth, not the normal happy-looking child he was here.

He "ruled" if you can call it that, for about a year before he succumed to the effects of his leprosy, which he did actually have.

Anyway, we cut back to Balian back at Ibelin, hes sitting under a tree when he's set upon by three of Guy's knights. He manages to get one to be brained by one of the other knights, crushes the throat of the second, before stabbing the third through his visor with a dagger.

We go back to the jail cell. Now with Baldwin V dead, Guy is the undisputed ruler if Jerusalem. He releases Reynald from the dungeon and says "give me war" while handing his sword and armor over.

"That is what I do," Reynald says, clutching his things.

We cut to Guy being crowned king by Sybilla then over to Balian, who is found still alive by the warrior knight.

Then we get to the Reynald scene.

There are questions by historians as to whether this event actually occurred, but if it did, it's easy to see why Saladin marched to war shortly after.

In this scene we see Reynald and his men massacre a group of Warax and. He follows a woman into a field.

Well, a group of Sarasans, not a group of @iAmTheWarax followers.

He is told the woman is Saladin's sister. He dips the viel from her face.

Now, we don't see what happens next, but historians say she was raped by Reynald.

Also in the following scene where Saladin's envoy visits Guy in the throne room it's implied she was killed too.

The envoy asks for the return of the sister's body, the heads of those responsible for her death and the surrender of Jerusalem.

He asks what Guy's answer is.

Guy repkies "this" and sticks a dagger up under the envoy's chin before cutting off his head.

Chaos breaks out as the other envoys drag the body and head out of the room. Guy says *he* is Jerusalem, and with a thunderous cry, says "assemble the army!"

Jerusalem is going to war.

Later on Guy and his war councel are going over final plans. Balian rides up as everyone is agreeing to go out and meet Saladin.

Balian says it's madness to go out and move the army away from water. He says they have a chance to hold the city if they stay.

Guy dismisses him, saying he's the king and if he wanted a blacksmith's opinion he would ask him.

Tiberius says if he's going to war it'll be without his knights. Guy doesn't care.

He's made his decision.

Next we see the Christian army march out en masse.

Now, historically, this actually happened. Guy overruled the advice of those who told him not to move his army away from water.

Next we see the warrior priest go off with the army. When Balian asks him why he's going he says his whole order is going.

"You go to certain death," Balian says.

"All death is certain," replies the priest. "I'll be sure to tell your father what I've seen you become."

Back inside Jerusalem, Sybilla, still in mourning, begs Balian to save the people from Saladin once he gets done with Guy.

"Save them from what I've done," she pleads.

"I will," Balian responds.

Next we see the Christian army out in the desert. One by one soldiers start dropping from heat and dehydration. Reynald pours water on his armor and it sizzles like a frying pan. Guy looks exhausted.

Over in the Sarasan camp men on horses are running in circles out of boredom.

Saladin gives the command and the Sarasan forces attack. We don't see the actual battle - or slaughter, really.

We cut back to Jerusalem where Balian and Tiberius are on top the wall.

"Can you feel it," Tiberius asks.

"There's been no messenger," Balian says.

We cut back to the battlefield where dead Christians are laying everywhere. The giant gold cross is burned.

Guy and Reynald are standing in front of Saladin's tent waiting for his arrival.

Saladin walks in and one of his men open a chest. It's filled with ICE.

Saladin scoops out a cup and hands it to Guy, who can't believe this dude pulled a cup of ice out in the desert.

He hands the cup to Reynald, who drinks it.

I did not offer it to you," Saladin says, before taking a sword & slicing Reynald's throat, as blood splatters onto Guy.

They drag Reynald's body out if the tent and in an extended version, Saladin walks out with his sword and decapitates Reynald.

He walks back and tells Guy "A king does not kill a king. Why were you not close enough to a good king to learn from his example?"

Now, here's the thing. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Saladin's forces routed Guy's and really tormented them, driving them away from every available body of water for weeks. They encircled them and set fires around them to dehydrate his forces even more.

When Guy made his final desperate charge towards water, that's when Saladin finally leveled them. He captures Guy and Reynald and a few dozen of his knights.

Reynald was killed and all his knights were beheaded.

This was the battle of Hattin.

The whole thing with the ice, that happened too. Guy didn't know the cup was a sign that a prisoner was to be spared, that's why he gave it to Reynald.

Anyway, we pick up with Tiberius, Balian and his men approaching the killing field.

Tiberius tells Balian he's leaving to go to Cyprus. Balian says he'll stay and defend the city.

Tiberius says Saladin has to move his army from water to water and has 3 days until he arrives.

Before he leaves Balain sees the decapitated head of the warrior priest.

Back at Jerusalem, Balian is making siege preparations, placing distance markers wil painted rocks out to 400 meters.

He sees a lone horseman on a hill.

"They're here," he remarks.

"It is only one man," a soldier says.

"No, they're here."

We see Saladin's army over the hill.

The bad guy priest tries to get Balian to leave with him. He refuses. He then walks out to give a speech to all those helping prepare defenses:

"It has fallen to us to defend Jerusalem, and we have made our preparations as well as they can be made. None of us took this city from Muslims. No Muslim of the great army coming against us was born when this city was lost. We fight over an offense we did not give..."

"...Against those who were not alive to be offended. What is Jerusalem? Your holy places lie over the Jewish temple that the Romans pulled down. Muslim places if worship lie over yours. Which is more holy, the wall, the mosque, the sepulchre?"

"Who has claim? No one has claim. All have claim. We defend this city, not to protect these stones, but the people living within these walls."

It's a good speech. Nothing wrong with it. Just, Orlando Bloom isn't exactly the person you'd pick first to give a rousing speech.

Balain gets down and the bad guy priest meets him and asks how he expects to defend the city with no knights.

Balain says that's true and then orders every man to get down on one knee so he can anoint them himself, which he does in the same manner his father did to him.

Again, THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Before the siege Jerusalem had no more than 14 knights within the walls, and maybe as few as two.

Balain then went on to anoint 60 men before the battle.

Battlefield commissions, yo.

The bad guy priest is incredulous.

"Who do you think you are. You can't change the order of things. Does making a man a knight make him a better fighter?"

Balain slowly turns around and looks at the priest.

"Yes."

Night gathers and the Jerusalem forces stand watch. Balain and his Ibelin soldier have a chat. In an extended scene, Balian anoints him the new Baron of Ibelin, should he survive the battle.

A Sarasan soldier on horseback approaches. He stops a hundred yards away and shouts in Arabic "There can be no victory except through God. May God be with us."

The Ibelin soldier asks when it will begin. Balain says soon and everyone heads inside.

Lights start to appear on the horizon. Trebuches start sending flaming oil covered boulders over the walls and start setting fire to the inside of the city.

The Muslim commander wonders why they don't fire back. Saladin says "they wait."

Inside the walls men put out the fires and reinforce the walls. Outside the Sarasans are singing and dancing.

Balain says they need to force Saladin to offer terms. To allow the people of Jerusalem safe passage out of the city.

The next morning a commander asks Saladin if he'll show mercy.

"No, I cannot," he says. He then brings out Guy on a donkey and parades him in front of all Jerusalem. He's facing backwards and wearing a dunce cap.

Trebuches fire more boulders as giant seige towers move forward

As the army slowly advances they begin to pass the markers that begin at 400 meters. They fire back with trebuches of their own and as the army gets closer they start using arrows.

A seige tower makes it to the wall, but everyone inside is burned by Molotov cocktails.

A group of soldiers attempting to batter down the gate is beaten back when hot oil is poured on them and then set on fire.

Saladin's forces retreat for the second day. Later that night Saladin has a meeting with his advisors.

He asks whonis leading the defense of Jerusalem. He is told by Siddig it is the son of Godfrey. Saladin says Godfrey almost killed him in Lebanon and he didn't know he had a son.

Siddig says it was Godfrey's son at Kerrik.

"The one you let live?" Saladin asks.

"Yes," says Siddig.

"Perhaps you should not have," Saladin replies.

"Perhaps I should have had a different teacher."

.

God I love every second these two are on screen.

The third day of fighting begins with Saladin's forces climbing the walls. Some have breached and begin planting flags atop towers.

Balain runs over to quickly fight his way through the enemy and tear them down.

Balain then manages to destroy two siege towers by linking them together with a bolt shot through them. They collapse on top of one another and the men underneath as Saladin and Balain make eye contact.

Saladin nods at the impressive fight Balain is putting up.

Sybilla cuts her hair and goes down to tend to the wounded.

Outside the walls the Sarasans bury their dead. Inside the Christians burn theirs.

Saladin meets with his advisors, who tell him a certain part of the wall is weakened and to focus attacks there.

The Sarasans bombard that part of the wall and it begins to crumble. Balain gives one last speech to rally his troops, saying if they get through everyone will be murdered. If they run, they'll be hunted down and killed.

The gate finally falls and both forces rush forward.

Heavy fighting at the entrance to the gate leads to a stalemate of sorts. The Sarasans can't advance and the Christians can't retreat.

The fight at the gate seems to last all day without either side gaining an edge bc only a small number of soldiers can engage at a time.

Once Saladin's forces pull back there's just a ton of bodies everywhere.

Eventually, Saladin sends out an envoy with a white flag.

The Ibelin soldier says they must ask for terms.

The priest hysterically says they should convert to Islam and repent later.

"You've taught me a lot about religion," Balain says to the priest.

Balain goes out to meet with Saladin.

"Will you yield the city?" Saladin asks.

"Before so lose it, I will burn it to the ground . Your holy places, ours, everything in Jerusalem that drives men mad," Balain replies.

"I wonder if it would not be better if you did," Saladin says. "You would destroy it?"

"Every stone. And for ever Christian killed my soldiers will take 10 Sarasans w him. You will destroy your army here & never raise another, I swear to God, this city will be the end of you."

"Your city is full of women and children. If my army will die, so will your city."

Balain knows this is true. He looks away from Saladin.

"You offer terms. I ask none."

"I will offer every soul safe passage to Christian lands. Every soul. The women, the children all your knights and Christian soldiers. And your queen," Saladin says. "Your king, such as he is, I leave to you & what God will make of him. No one will harm you, you have my word."

Balain is skeptical.

"When the Christians took Jerusalem they butchered every Muslim behind the walls in this city."

"I am not those men. I am Saladin. Saladin."

"Then under these terms I surrender Jerusalem," Balain says.

Both men wish each other piece.

Er...peace. I'm really tired.

Saladin starts to walk away and Balain asks him one final question.

Balain walks back into the city to inform his men he has surrendered the city and everyone will be given safe passage to the sea. The men cheer Balain as a hero for saving their lives.

Sybilla and Balain what she should do.

"Decide not to be a queen and I will come to you."

On another extended scene, Balain and Guy have a swordfight in an alley. Balain gets the best of him and when Guy asks for him to finish him off Balain refuses, saying "When you rise again, if you rise again, rise a knight."

Saladin is walking around the destroyed city. He comes across a toppled over gold cross on the floor. He picks it up and places it back on the table.

Getting ready to exit Jerusalem, Balain and Siddig have a chat about how bad his horse is and how Siddig is going to give it to Balain.

The two wish each other peace and they depart.

Christian hoky relics start being replaced by Muslim ones. Our last shot of Saladin is him kneeling to pray in a church.

Balain rides his horse down the trail of people exiting the city. He finds Sybilla and they walk together. She takes his hand.

Balain arrives back in France and visits his old home. He's soon set upon by English knights.

"We crusade to recover the kingdom of Jerusalem," a knight says.

"You go to where the men speak Italian and then continue until they speak something else," Balain replies.

"We come by this road to find Balian, who was defender of Jeruslam," a man wearing a crown asks.

"I am the blacksmith," Balian replies.

"And I am the king of England," says Richard the Lionheart, the actual king of England.

"I am the blacksmith," Balian reaffirms.

King Richard nods and rides away. He was played by Ian Glenn, btw, Jorah Mormont from Game of Thrones.

Finally, we end our film on Sybilla and Balain starting a new life together, planting flowers and living a simple life in France.

The End.

Now, rela life didnt exactly turn out this way. Saladin didnt let everyone go. He made them buy thrir freedom and those who coukdnt pay were kept behind to be sold as slaves.

About 15,000 ppl were sold.

But that really wouldn't make for a satisfying ending, with Balain having to find enough money to pay off everyone, but at least half the people there escaped, though mostly the wealthy and those Balain could raise enough funds to save.

Anyway, that concludes our deep dive of the directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Sorry to those not able to mute this. Sorry about all the spelling errors. My thumbs are kinda numb at this point. I started this at 11 & it's 10:15, so jeez, 11+ hours.

I'm gonna do anything other than type now. Goodnight everyone!