Friday, May 06, 2005 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

MOVIE REVIEW: "Kingdom of Heaven"

'Heaven' Can Wait: Epic about the Crusades never captures the imagination because it sacrifices intimacy for combat.

In "Kingdom of Heaven," blacksmith Balian (Orlando Bloom), left, joins his father, Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), on the road to the Holy Land.

East and West collide as impassioned armies, Christian and Muslim, battle to determine the fate of the Middle East.

The 21st century?

Not in "Kingdom of Heaven," epic-minded director Ridley Scott's latest historical pageant, if hardly his most successful. (The Oscar-winning "Gladiator" still claims that title.)

Set in the late 12th century, just before the Third Crusade, "Kingdom of Heaven" casts a sometimes stirring, sometimes stilted glance back to the days when Christian crusaders fought Islamic warriors for control of the territory they called the Holy Land -- and its most sacred city, Jerusalem.

The historical details may be unfamiliar to all but dedicated medieval history scholars. Dedicated moviegoers, however, should recognize the terrain and the characters struggling to conquer it.

There's the noble knight on a moral quest, battling an almost-as-noble enemy while fending off enemies from within -- including himself.

And if you don't recognize him in his original armor, think of all those cowboys fighting all those Indians in all those wide-open-spaces Westerns, providing an all-American variant on the classic chivalric quest.

Ridley Scott remembers. More importantly, he and screenwriter William Monahan (a former Spy magazine editor making his big-screen debut) realize those one-sided recollections need a shift in perspective.

And in that sense, "Kingdom of Heaven" comes through, offering a more even-handed account of the conflict. More importantly, the movie also puts a human face on a traditionally faceless enemy.

If the movie had the dramatic momentum to match its good intentions -- and a leading man worthy of leading the charge -- "Kingdom of Heaven" might have been as powerfully thought-provoking as it is pulse-pounding.

Instead, the movie (and its makers) opt for big moments and big battles, all too often sacrificing character-driven intimacy for epic combat.

At least it's state-of-the-art epic combat.

For all its visual flair, however, you can't help but sense something else in the air, something that never quite materializes.

Something like genuine emotion -- emotion we never quite share, even as we share the sudden, sorrowful quest of a young French blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom).

He's just lost his wife and newborn child, seeking impossible solace in work, when a noble knight (the always imposing Liam Neeson) rides in, on his way back to Jerusalem.

The knight introduces himself as Baron Godfrey of Ibelin. He also introduces himself as Balian's father, inviting his heretofore unacknowledged son to share a Crusader's life in the Holy Land and the chivalric ideals that inspire him, including these words to live (and die) by: "Speak the truth, even if it leads to your death."

But considerably more awaits Balian upon his arrival in the exotic East.

There's the political intrigue surrounding Jerusalem's king, who's afflicted by such a severe case of leprosy he walks about swathed in bandages, his face hidden by a shining silver mask. (Edward Norton, channeling "Score" co-star Marlon Brando, provides the king's haunting voice.)

With the king in such a weakened state, it's up to Jerusalem's marshal, Tiberias (a world-weary Jeremy Irons) to keep the peace -- not only with the wily Saracen sultan Saladin (charismatic Ghassan Massoud) but within the Crusader ranks.

And that's getting more and more difficult, with two greedy fanatics, knights Templar Reynald (Brendan Gleeson) and Guy de Lusignan (Martin Csokas, alias "Lord of the Rings' " Celeborn), forever baiting Saladin, hoping to shatter the fragile peace. Not to mention Baldwin's hold on Jerusalem's Crusader kingdom.

Oh, and did we mention that the king has a sister, the sultry Sybilla ("The Dreamers' " Eva Green), who's married to Guy -- but not above trying to find true passion with Balian.

It might be helpful if theater box offices handed out scorecards to help you keep track of the characters and which teams they play for.

But at least "Kingdom of Heaven" makes it clear that no side held a monopoly on godliness -- especially not the invading Crusaders, whose fanatical followers cheer them on with this rousing reminder: "To kill an infidel is not murder. It is the path to heaven." (If that sounds eerily familiar to our post-Sept. 11, 2001 ears, "Kingdom of Heaven" leaves it up to us to determine why.)

Despite such welcome balance, screenwriter Monahan occasionally falters in the dramatic momentum department, juggling so many characters and plot complications that some can't help but clatter to the ground in all the sound and fury.

And it's in that sound and fury that "Kingdom of Heaven" achieves its most powerful moments, thanks to Scott's visual command. Blending sweeping spectacle with more intimate images, "Kingdom of Heaven" captures the broad scope of battle and its all-too-human costs, creating scenes of such palpable force you can almost smell the smoke, taste the blood and feel the shattered dreams.

A pity, then, that the figure in the middle -- Bloom's Balian -- doesn't quite match the movie's epic scale.

With credits from "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" to "Troy" -- to say nothing of the valiant elf Legolas in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy -- Bloom seems perfectly at home in period garb, brandishing a sword or a bow and arrow.

But those past roles were supporting ones; the one he plays in "Kingdom of Heaven" is the lead, and while he's got plenty of backup, there are times when Bloom still has to handle the heavy lifting by himself.

If he had more help from Monahan's sometimes-sketchy script, he might be able to shoulder the load. Left to his own devices, however, the likable but lightweight Bloom can't muster the strength he needs to seize the screen and hold it against all odds -- and amid everything swirling around him.

As a result, "Kingdom of Heaven" never captures our imaginations the way it should. Watching it, we can see the rising tide of history and admire the skillful way it's depicted. But, somehow, that tide never builds enough power to sweep us away.