Religious wars have always been one of the greatest threats to nations and their peaceful coexistence. Such conflicts shaped society and made people take the most provocative steps. For example, in the late 11th century, Western Christians formed military missions and the Crusades to reject Muslim expansionism, recover control of the Holy Land, conquer heathen lands, and reclaim once-Christian territory (Noble et al., 2013). People saw the Crusades as a method of salvation and atonement for sins, and Ridley Scott’s movie Kingdom of Heaven represents one of the interpretations of that period and the Crusade contributions. It is hard to share a particular attitude toward crusaders due to their ambiguous behaviors and interests, and the movie creates an opportunity to see a new perspective on the historical event. By choosing a spectacular portrayal of the main characters to secure relevance in modern society, Scott sacrifices rigid historical and spiritual fidelity, making Kingdom of Heaven weak in providing an accurate representation of the rationale for crusading.
One of the major characteristics of Kingdom of Heaven is the intention to present the Crusaders as righteous people. Still, there are many controversies between the movie and historical facts. For example, King Baldwin IV and Tiberias are described as moderates with a philosophical dedication to religious plurality, although they were not. Reynald, Guy, and the Templars personify the Crusades’ ultraviolent religious fervor. In reality, Guy of Lusignan was little more than an ineffectual ruler who had captivated Sibylla’s heart (Noble et al., 2013). Nevertheless, since the film features a relationship between Balian and Sibylla, the necessity for an enemy for Balian arises, and Guy is made more malevolent to suit the role (Scott, 2005). He is a foil to Balian, a knight who exhibits all of the terrible aspects of knighthood and its significant elements. He gets intimately linked with Reynald, who, in truth, regarded him as a pitiful ruler to establish his villainy.
The necessity to provide a number of characters with specific characteristics can be a reason for the film lacking the essential Crusade belief about violence done in the name of God. Modern audiences regard religious violence as unquestionably wrong, and medieval perspectives that support such violence seem to be abhorrent. This is why most protagonists of Kingdom of Heaven are skeptics, and the Templars are the major antagonists. It is difficult for people to understand that violence and murders can be justified through the prism of religious beliefs and personal attitudes (Noble et al., 2013). Thus, Reynald, Guy, and the Templars constitute both an incarnation of the twenty-first-century perception of the “barbaric” Crusaders and a mirror of their arch-villain, which is the religious zealot (Scott, 2005). For the film to resonate with current audiences, the villains must embody the Crusades as they have come to be perceived in the post-colonial world.
Even the most remarkable meetings and dialogues strengthen the character, not the plot or historical and spiritual accuracy. In addition to spiritual and material motivation, Scott wants to focus on personality. For example, when Balian first meets Tiberias, the latter remarks that Saladin and the King would make a better world (Scott, 2005). Saladin is shown as the Muslim equivalent of Baldwin, who is also portrayed as a skeptical, moderate monarch who leads with honor and fairness. In reality, both Christians and Muslims saw Saladin as gracious but brutal (Noble et al., 2013). Saladin rose to prominence in the Islamic world after unifying Muslim states against the Crusaders. His ambition was to push the Crusaders out of Jerusalem and reestablish Islamic rule over the Holy Land. On a few occasions, Kingdom of Heaven hints at Saladin’s cruelty, and he is generally seen as a romanticized philosopher king. After the Battle of Hattin, Saladin orders his Sufi mystics to kill the Templar prisoners, which is omitted from the movie. His ransom demand for the inhabitants of Jerusalem is eliminated from the film, simplifying the finale and making Saladin appear more benevolent.
Apart from spiritual and material aspects, politics and power can also be a motivator for promoting the movie’s effect. Politics was a primary cause of most religious conflicts in Jerusalem (Noble et al., 2013). As many ethnic communities compete for their riches, they become conscious of their strengths and capacities to obtain what they seek (Noble et al., 2013). In their battle for political power, Muslim and Christian leaders, Selah and Balian, contended over Jerusalem’s ownership. In the film, Christians are portrayed as a group that craves political domination above all else to enlist the assistance of other crusaders from outside their borders (Scott, 2005). The hunt began when Godfrey traveled to France with other crusaders to gain favor with the Balian in defense of Jerusalem. They were unable to persuade Balian, but they left a lasting impression. Balian chooses to embark on a quest to seek his father’s forgiveness after killing his half-brother and being plagued by it. Searching for a powerful source of inspiration and motivation became the goal for the character, not his spiritual controversies.
In conclusion, while addressing the Crusades in the 21st century, it is vital to reconsider the Eurocentric concepts of the 12th century. It was not easy for Scott to create a movie for a modern audience without sacrificing some historical aspects to strengthen the characters and describe their relationships. Therefore, Kingdom of Heaven deviates significantly from historical accounts to present relatable individuals in the world of the Crusades. Every successive civilization has its method of understanding the past, and Scott shows the civilization that seeks power in politics and religion as additional motivators for salvation in the offered spiritual and material world.
References
Noble, T. F., Strauss, B., Osheim, D., Neuschel, K., & Accampo, E. (2013). Western civilization: Beyond boundaries, Volume I: To 1715. Cengage Learning.
Scott, R. (2005). Kingdom of heaven [Film]. 20th Century Fox.