Misunderstood Orlando Bloom War Epic Is One of Ridley Scott’s Best Work
If you're looking for a perfect movie night with an underrated historical drama, we've got your back. This one has everything we wish for and more, but one mistake has ruined its chances at being mainstream.
Ridley Scott loves period dramas and we love period dramas directed by Ridley Scott. He really mastered the art of teleporting us through time and space. Scott's meticulous attention to detail and ability to tell human stories through historical events have given us some of cinema's most memorable moments.
When Kingdom of Heaven first hit theaters in 2005, you couldn't quite call it a success. It still sits at just 39% on Tomatometer. Unfortunately, this has likely scared away some potential viewers over the years. Yet we've always thought that critics can miss the mark from time to time, and this is definitely one of those cases.
Let's look closer at this early 2000s epic and figure out the best way you can enjoy it.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005): Orlando Bloom’s Search for Faith
Kingdom of Heaven follows Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom), a humble blacksmith who finds himself in the middle of epic Crusades after still not quite recovering from his wife's suicide. The movie is a very nuanced exploration of faith and it feels refreshingly modern despite its 12th-century setting.
The casting of Eva Green as Sibylla was genius. Green's chemistry with Orlando Bloom creates some of the most interesting moments in the film, even though their storyline isn't the main focus of Kingdom of Heaven.
Speaking of Bloom, let's address the elephant in the room–this was right after his Pirates and Lord of the Rings fame, and some critics weren't sure about him carrying such a heavy dramatic role. But we think he nails it. His Balian is a thoughtful, conflicted character trying to figure out what's right and what’s wrong.
The initial box office numbers might have been disappointing ($47 million domestically against a $130 million budget), the film's reputation has grown substantially over time, and there's a very real reason behind it.
The Director’s Cut of Kingdom of Heaven Is a Game-Changer
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With the theatrical version (144 minutes) of Kingdom of Heaven, you're only getting half the story. The Director's Cut (189 minutes) is what you should be looking for.
Redditor Lost-Cockroach-684 made a really great point:
“If they re-release Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut in theatres it’ll make $50 million easy.”
And we cannot stress this enough: if you want to really enjoy the movie, you NEED this extended cut. The theatrical version is a fever dream compared to the rich, layered storytelling of Scott's intended version.
As Klondike307 on Reddit wrote:
“The director’s cut is absolutely amazing! It’s crazy looking back at the theatrical cut and seeing how much they cut out of the film including entire characters and storylines.”
This extended version transforms an okay film into an extraordinary one, so take our advice and watch this version. You can find the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven on Amazon Prime. Just remember to clear your schedule beforehand.
