This weekend he came out Gladiator IIthe sequel to the Shakespearean epic with which Ridley Scott managed to win the Oscars in 2001. His biggest challenge, besides managing to transform a 300 million dollar project into something profitable, is to convince the public that this story is still more epic than Roman revenge by Maximus Decimus Meridio. However, the British director has in his filmography an underrated film which, in reality, far surpasses what is popularly one of the most popular films of his career and which has been ignored at the Oscars from 2006.
We refer to the kingdom of heaven. A completely heroic feature film about redemption, faith and justice which nevertheless represents one of the great setback at the box office in Scott’s career. With a budget of 130 million dollars, the film only managed to collect 218 million for the coffers of 20th Century Fox. Circumstances completely contrary to those experienced. Gladiator. But today, thanks to director’s cut of the filmmaker, for many it is about a cult title that with 50 minutes of additional footage, I bring greater coherence to the reduced 2 hour version than the major at first.
What is “The Kingdom of Heaven” about?
The official synopsis of the kingdom of heaven is as follows: In the 12th century, all of Europe was immersed in the crusades to recover the Holy Land, Godfrey of Ibelin began the search for his illegitimate son Balian. A young French blacksmith mourning the loss of his wife and son. Eventually, he convinces him to accompany him on his mission and after the death of his newly discovered father, he ends up inheriting his lands and his title as Knight of Jerusalem. A land where Christians, Muslims and Jews managed to coexist peacefully during the truce between the Second and Third Crusades. Unfailingly loyal, Balian serves his king and also ends up falling in love with Sibylla, the monarch’s enigmatic sister.
The cast was a star-studded cast at the time. With Orlando Bloom as the absolute protagonist, this story of honor, knights and glory had in its cast: Eva Green (Casino Royal), Jérémie Fers (The Man in the Iron Mask), Liam Neeson (Revenge), David Thewlis (The boy in the striped pajamas), Brendan Gleeson (Joker: Folie à Deux), Marton Csokas (The equalizer), Alexander Siddig (Peaky Blinders) and an Edward Norton whose face we never see when he brings life to Baldwin IVknown as the Leper King. Wearing a distinctive metallic mask, Norton’s acting presence is conveyed through his commanding voice and physicality. Something quite complex, considering the difficulty of having your face completely covered.
More epic than “Gladiator”
Gladiator entered celluloid history as a commercial step and a cinematic preference for a large group of moviegoers, but in its current viewing, its entire staging, fighting, and art direction plans have not aged as we remember. Being for many, one of the most overrated films of the career of the man responsible for Stranger And blade runner.
And it is precisely in his spicyOr the kingdom of heaven considerably exceeds the vendetta of its protagonist, even if the monologue of his discovery before the Emperor Commodus has been reproduced ad nauseum by the cinematographic community. The film of the Crusades successfully recreates the atmosphere and the discovery of a holy land through which humanity still continues to destroy lives, through a journey where the realism of the combats and the cultural clash between civilizations build a monumental work which exudes proximity to the earth, despite the name the piece bears. In the kingdom of heaven there doesn’t seem to be a more righteous God than the honesty of men and the chivalrous oath that will capitulate the glorious attitude of the protagonist to obtain peace and forgiveness for his past:
“Do not show fear before your enemies. Always tell the truth even if death strikes you. Protect the helpless and do no harm. This is your oath.
the kingdom of heaven is available in Disney+ and it is both a perfect option to discover and one of those stories that must be revisited to be valued. In the catalog of the house of the mouse you will find the version projected in the cinemas of 144 minutes. Of course, from here we strongly recommend that readers try to visualize the director’s cut which Scott introduced to the domestic market in 2006. Gladiator is available on the SkyShowtime, Movistar+, Filmin and Prime Video platforms.
