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[[File:KoHposter.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Kingdom of Heaven]]
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ICLRIE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000ICLRIE&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=9c4ccbf03b28480046f0dc3cc1b739e4 The Kingdom of Heaven ] is a 2005 historical epic directed by Ridley Scott, who directed some of the most memorable movies of recent decades such as Gladiator. The historical epic was produced in Spain and Morocco. The movie starred Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson, and Jeremy Irons, among others. The movie was scripted by Academy Award winner William Monahan. It was one of the most anticipated releases in 2005 but the theatrical release did not live up to expectations. The motion picture was something of a box-office flop and was not liked by the critics who complained that felt incomplete and fragmentary.
Most of the movie's problems because Ridley Scott was forced to cut his original version of the picture by the studio executives. He did this against his will and these cuts gutted the movie. Later, Scott was allowed to release a director's cut of the movie on Blu-ray and DVD. The new cut included many scenes that Scott was forced to delete and is fifty minutes longer than the theatrical release. The director's cut was a dramatic improvement and was widely praised by the critics. It is now regarded as the definitive version of the movie. This article evaluates the director’s cut of Kingdom of Heaven and its historical accuracy instead of the dramatically inferior theatrical version.
To the movie's credit, it does a good job accurately portraying the defense of Jerusalem by Balian and his forces. In the movie, Balian was shown as an outstanding swordsman, a brave leader, and an outstanding tactician. Bloom's character became the commander of the Christian garrison of Jerusalem before the Battle of Hattin and he devised the defense of Jerusalem that effectively beat off countless attacks by the Muslims. Balian was the commander, but the movie diminishes the importance of other leaders who were also pivotal in the defense of Jerusalem. Balian is essentially a composite character for the purposes of this battle.
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Balian and Saladin reaching a negotiated settlement that ended the bloody siege. This was actually the case and the Christian did agree to surrender the city on terms in 1187. In one of the most memorable scenes, we see the main character as leading the Christians safely out of Jerusalem as he hands it over to Saladin. This actually happened and the Muslims did allow the garrison and the Christian population to leave the city unmolested. In the movie after the surrender of Jerusalem to the Muslim Sultan that he returns to Europe with Sybilla. In one scene he is shown as living happily as a blacksmith in his native village and refusing the entreaties of English knights to go on the Third Crusade. In fact, after the fall of Jerusalem Balian stayed in the region and he became one of the leaders of the Crusader states. He actually participated in the Third Crusades and was a key advisor to the legendary Richard the Lionheart. Scott shows the main character as having good relations with Muslim and indeed in real-life Balian of Ibelin had a good relationship with Saladin.
==== Sibylla of Jerusalem====
In <i>Kingdom of Heaven</I>, Balian has a passionate affair with Sibylla of Jerusalem. She was a real-life character and a sister of King of Jerusalem and later became Queen of the Kingdom after she married Guy Lisignan.<ref>Bernard Hamilton, "Women in the Crusader States: The Queens of Jerusalem", in Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker. (London, Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978), p 17</ref> She was a very powerful woman and had an extraordinary amount of influence among the Crusaders. I
In real life, she was married to Guy de Lusignan (1150-1194), but Sibylla did not have affair with Balian . Additionally, Sybilla did not return to Europe and Saladin reaching live in a negotiated settlement that ended remote village as shown in the climax of the bloody siegemovie. This Balian was actually married to a Byzantine Princess and Sibylla remained married to Guy and never left him. Ultimately, she succumbed an epidemic while campaigning with Guy in 1190, dying at the case age of thirty.<ref> William of Tyre, p. 178</ref> The love affair between Sibylla of Jerusalem and Balian while an important part of the Christian did agree to surrender the city on terms movie was completely fiction.<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'>====Related Articles===={{#dpl:category=Medieval History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=6}}</div>==== Guy de Lusignan====[[File: Kingdom of Heaven four.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Ridley Scott in 1187. In one 2015]]One of the most memorable scenes we see key characters in the main Kingdom of Heaven is Guy de Lusignan. He was a real-life historical character as leading and critical in the fall of the Christians safely out Kingdom of Jerusalem as he hands it over to Saladin. This actually happened He is the villain in <i>Kingdom of Heaven</i>, and the Muslims did allow the garrison that's essentially correct. He had been expelled from France for murder, and the Christian population he had fled to leave the city unmolestedKingdom of Jerusalem. In the movie Guy later married Sibylla and became King of Jerusalem after the surrender death of Jerusalem to the Muslim Sultan that he returns to Europe with SybillaSibylla's brother. In one scene the motion picture, he is shown as living happily as a blacksmith in his native village radical anti-Muslim and refusing is closely aligned with the entreaties Knights Templars.<ref> Runciman, p 212</ref> In the movie, Guy repeatedly made horrible decisions. Each of English knights the decisions was driven by his hatred of Muslims and his desire to go on expel them from the Third CrusadeHoly Land. In factEssentially, his choices led to the Battle of Hattin, the slaughter of the army of Jerusalem, after and the fall expulsion of the Crusaders from Jerusalem Balian stayed . In one of the key scenes in the region movie, Guy and he became one his allies are to shown attacking a caravan of Muslims. The then kill every man, woman, and child in the leaders caravan in violation of the Crusader statestheir agreement with Saladin. He actually participated in This attack forced Saladin to invade the Third Crusades and Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was a key advisor to disaster for the Crusaders. This attack occurred, and Guy’s massacre of innocent Muslims provoked Saladin. This incident precipitated the legendary Richard capture of Jerusalem by the LionheartMuslims. Scott <ref>Runciman, p 213</ref> The movie shows the main character Balian and Guy as having good relations with Muslim implacable enemies, and indeed this is only partially true. The men in real-life Balian of Ibelin had a good complicated relationship with Saladin. Occasionally, they were enemies and other times allies. In the movie, there is a duel between Balian and Guy. Balian easily defeats Guy and utterly humiliates him. Balian's victory elevated him and disgraced Guy. While it's enjoyable to watch Balian school Guy, it is unlikely that the duel ever took place. There are no records of Balian and Guy engaging in hand to hand combat.
== Guy de Lusignan==Conclusion====The ‘bad’ guy in the movie is the nobleman Guy de Lusignan. He was a real-life historical character and one who was very important in the history of the Crusades. In Scott’s movie he was an evil man, and this was pretty much the case. He had been expelled from France for murder and he had had fled to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Guy later married Sibylla as shown in the movie. In the motion picture he is shown as very anti-Muslim and aligning with the fanatical Knights Templers <ref> Runciman, p 212</ref>. Scott’s movie shows him and his allies treacherously attacking a caravan of Muslims and slaying, every man, woman, and child and this prompted Saladin to invade the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which was a disaster for the Crusaders. This is a historical fact and Guy’s massacre of innocent Muslims did provoke Saladin and this led to the ultimate capture of Jerusalem by the Muslims <ref>Runciman, p 213</ref>. The movie shows Balian and Guy as implacable enemies and this is only partially true. The men in real life had a complex relationship and were at times enemies but occasionally also allies. Guy was captured and later released by Saladin as shown in the movie. In the finale of the scene there is a great duel between Balian and Guy. The hero is shown as defeating his enemy and utterly humiliating him and Scott suggests that Guy was a broken man who was utterly disgraced. The duel probably did not take place and there are no records of Balian and Guy engaging in hand to hand combat. Moreover, Guy after the fall of Jerusalem had a claim on the kingship of the Crusader states through his wife Sybilla. He began a civil war in a desperate bid to become king but was defeated and was forced to flee from the Holy Land. However, this rather unpleasant character was very fortunate. He was able to seize control of the island of Cyprus and become Despite its Lord. Indeedrocky start, he established a dynasty and his successors ruled the islands as kings, until the coming of the Ottomans in 1476 <refi> Edbury, Peter. The Kingdom of Cyprus and the Crusades, 1191–1374 (Cambridge, 1991), p 22 Heaven</refi>. [[File: Kingdom of Heaven four.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Ridley Scott in 2015]]==Conclusion==The 2005 movie especially after the release of the Director’s Cut is now regarded very highly has been hailed by criticsand has been discovered by audiences. With regard to the question of Remarkably, the movie does a good job balancing historical accuracy of the movie it is broadly accurateand telling a story. The historical background and major events such as the Battle of Hattin are portrayed in a very fairly accurate way. It shows very well does a good explaining the decline and fall of the First Kingdom of Jerusalem. The nature of warfare at the time is shown very well. Moreover, it does present a realistic portrait of Saladin. In essence, this the type of historical accuracy most movies should strive for. The main issue Kingdom of Heaven does take liberties with the movie is that while its main characters are based on historical figures they are also involved in the Fall of Jerusalem, but these choices made a lot of sense. Balian, Sibylla, and Neeson's character were either heavily fictionalizedor created specifically for the movie, but each of these characters is critical to tell the story. For exampleBalian, Balian is shown in addition to being the hero, serves as a typical Hollywood hero but in reality he was a much more complex and ambiguous figureguide for the viewer. The love affair between him and Sybilla It is a complete fabrication. The portrayal through his eyes that the viewers are introduced to the Crusades, learn about the history of Guy de Lusignan captures the character Kingdom of this rather repulsive personJerusalem, and are shown the divisions with the Kingdom that lead to its destruction. In real life he did not receive his due deserts as shown in Sibylla also helps connects the viewer to the decaying Kingdom and humanizes the final scenes’King of Jerusalem, played by Edward Norton. Ultimately, but he became <i>Kingdom of Heaven</i> does a powerful Lord he even founded a royal dynastypretty good job telling an exciting and surprisingly historically accurate story. {{MediaWiki:AmNative}}====Further Reading====
Bernard Hamilton, "Women in the Crusader States: The Queens of Jerusalem", in Medieval Women, edited by Derek Baker. (London, Ecclesiastical History Society, 1978).
Hillenbrand, Carole. The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives (London, Routledge, 2000).
====References====<references/> [[Category: Historically Accurate]] [[Category: Middle Eastern History]] [[Category:History of the Middle Ages]] [[Category:Wikis]]
