 June
2005
This month's review:
Kingdom of Heaven
Let’s face it, folks: there aren’t many new movies out there
right now that seem suitable or likely to appeal to a Christian
audience. One that does have something to recommend it, however, is
Kingdom of Heaven.
Kingdom of Heaven is set at the time of the
Crusades. In the year 1184, a Crusader knight named Godfrey returns
to his home in France and announces to the young man Balian that he
is his father. Balian has just buried his wife, who committed
suicide because of the death of their child. Balian goes with
Godfrey to the Holy Land to seek forgiveness, both for himself and
for his wife, who according to the beliefs of the time was doomed to
Hell. Arriving in Jerusalem, Balian becomes involved in a Crusade to
defend the Kingdom of Jerusalem from the Muslims. In so doing, he
awakens his own untapped potential and becomes a knight like his
father.
On the Plus Side: Based on actual historical characters,
Kingdom of Heaven has a lot to teach us. Many of us
don’t know a whole lot about the Crusades, which, as one reviewer
has said, “are definitely a blot on Christianity.” Orlando Bloom, in
a terrific performance as Balian, embodies the person seeking in his
own way to know the Lord. Many of his actions are admirable, and he
comes to be strong but humble. Director Ridley Scott is said to be
an agnostic and a believer in works. Perhaps inadvertently, though,
Scott makes his main character a true seeker of God. Balian’s motto
is this: “What man is a man who does not make the world better?”
Early on, Balian shows kindness to a Muslim, an action which is
later repaid. Though the story is told from essentially a Christian
viewpoint, the Muslims are complex and not presented as
black-and-white cartoonish bad guy characters.
On the Minus Side: Kingdom of Heaven is very
violent and is definitely not a movie for children. There is no
objectionable language and only one sexually suggestive scene, but
there’s lots of blood, guts, and gore. There are many tedious battle
scenes. The film also lacks a clear and compelling theme.
Bottom line: Kingdom of Heaven is worth
seeing for the history it presents, particularly regarding how the
Crusades are to be seen as part of the history of Christianity.
Rating: 2 ½ stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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