"The battle sequences here are actually worth the cost of admission, and there is exemplary supporting work by Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton and especially Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud as the legendary Muslim leader Saladin." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Despite...weaknesses, 'Kingdom of Heaven' emerges an entertaining film...stunningly photographed, set and costumed... grandeur that evokes De Mille" Arthur Lazere CULTUREVULTURE.NET "The textures are rich, the color scheme varied, the action sequences visceral. There is barely a frame in which you don't feel the touch of his strong hand." Shawn Levy OREGONIAN "Scott's interesting but uneven effort doesn't disappoint when it comes to the siege of Jerusalem, which has scale and a truly frightening quality." Robert Denerstein DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS "Director Ridley Scott's account of the fall of Jerusalem in 1187 is a stunning success." Stan James ADELAIDE ADVERTISER

"You may not leave the theater feeling better educated about history or enlightened about the Crusades, but you will leave satisfied that the filmmakers have delivered 145 minutes of exciting, visceral cinema." James Berardinelli REELVIEWS "Genuinely spectacular and historically quite respectable." Todd McCarthy, VARIETY "Kingdom fulfills the requirements of grand-scale moviemaking while serving as a timely reminder that in the conflict between Christianity and Islam it was the Christians who picked the first fight." Kirk Honeycutt HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "An exceedingly well-made, reasonably involving and impressively intelligent movie about political and religious turmoil in 1186." Terry Lawson DETROIT NEWS "The Crusades may seem like a strange source for such an entertaining summer blockbuster, but it's refreshing to see Scott going for something a bit more meaningful." Austin O'Connor LOWELL SUN

The Inside Story Hot on the heels of "King Arthur" comes this tale of crusading Knights, set in 1186AD, who travel to the Holy Land to defend the walled city of Jerusalem against Saladin and the great Muslim army he has gathered. Jerusalum fell into the hands of Muslim conquerors in the 7th century. Men from Kings to peasants responded to calls to free the city and so the great period of Crusades commenced. It would change the face of the Holy Land forever. The decree by Pope Urban II in 1095 once again urged faithful christians to free the city from the heathen Muslims who had over run and captured it. When it was freed it would be ruled over by a number of Christian Princess. From the time that Jerusalum fell, to the period in which Sir Ridley Scott sets "Kingdom Of Heaven", there were eight Crusades. Doesn't sound much different today considering the present conflict between Palistinians and Jews, with the exception that, who today would ever dare call those who follow the Muslim faith a 'heathen horde'. It should come as no surprise then that sooner or later, Director/Producer Sir Ridley Scott, Knighted in 2003 in recognition of his contribution to the arts, would make a movie about the Crusades. After all, like many in his generation, we grew up on the romance of King Richard the Lion Heart and King Arthur with his Knights of the Round Table. "I’d always wanted to make a movie about knights and medieval times, the Crusades especially," says Scott. "Historically, the knight, like the cowboy or the policeman, represents a person on the leading edge of his culture at a particular time. These figures have always given us great opportunities to tell stories that carry the attributes of a hero. And one of the most important is that the character carries with him his own degrees of fairness, faithfulness, and chivalry." The period of the Crusades was ideal for filmmaking it seems. "It’s a very rich time in history," says Scott. "If you examine those 200 years historically, you see every possible shade of human behavior." Academy Award winning actor Jeromy Irons notes that there are parallels to our present day situation. "It is an era which has a lot of parallels in today’s world: how the Christians deal with the Muslims, how the Muslims deal with the Christians, how they use each other, what their real agendas are," Irons says. "This story has reverberations for today." Scott emphasize that the "Kingdom Of Heaven" isn't a documentary but rather "uses historical events as a canvas on which to paint a rich human drama. We’ve chosen a point in history in which we see a state of peace, which we don’t seem to be able to attain today," Scott notes. "That’s what’s fascinating about it. We try to show both sides in a balanced light. The hero, Balian, is a man concerned most with ‘right action’ and what that means. And one of the strongest characters in the film is Saladin, who is played by a Muslim." So what did those who get to play in or help in creating this rich drama have to say about their role in "Kingdom Of Heaven?
"I got to live every boy’s dream," says Orlando Bloom. "A knight, quite simply, gets the girl, gets to be everything he is meant to be. Balian is a reluctant hero on a quest, which is the best kind of hero, for my money."
"Eva is in her early twenties, but she carries an old soul, which I guess is maturity," comments Scott.
"It was everything you want a big action movie script to be," says Jeromy Irons. "I wanted to be a part of that."
"A lot of people will watch this film because Saladin is history," says Massoud. "He is a very rich memory for Islamic culture and the Arab world, but also in the West, in England, France, and America. When people see this film, they will wonder, who is this man?"
"When you have this many actors, they form a community very quickly," Scott notes. "Liam was always a kind of leader to that little group. Even though he’s not that different in age from a lot of the cast, he was very much a father figure to many of them."
And on working with the acclaimed Director/Producer Sir Ridley Scott?
"His films are a feast for the eyes, but they also leave you questioning and wondering, with a sense of purpose," says Bloom. "It’s truly extraordinary and I feel incredibly lucky."
"Ridley is such a humble person," observes Green. "As massive in scope as this film is, he makes it very easy and very simple to work with him. He also understands how vulnerable an actor can be and creates an atmosphere of security around you. His calm and energy make you stronger. He never shows a moment of anxiety or tension."
"If you’re going make a big movie, with heart and with enormous potential for huge things happening, the director you want to work with is Ridley," says Irons.
"Because of the extreme power and scope of Ridley’s visual talent, people lose sight of the fact that he’s a great actor’s director," says screenwriter Willaim Monahan. "You see this from the earliest days with Alien, which is a masterpiece of ensemble playing."
"It is a very special experience for me to work with Ridley on this film," comments Muslim actor Ghassan Massoud. "It must be a very special experience for any actor from the East to play with a director like Ridley Scott. We respect how he thinks about this film, about the characters and the story."
"You have to begin with the interpersonal stories," says New Zealand born actor Marton Csokas. "Otherwise it would just be a big show-and-tell of much bluster. Ridley knows it’s far more interesting to examine the lives that go on in that world."
"Ridley’s canvasses seem to be getting bigger and bigger," comments production designer Arthur Max. "But it seems like the stories are getting more intimate." Kingdom Of Heaven Film Facts "Kingdom Of Heaven" was shot at two Mediterranean locations. Spain and Morocco.
Essaouira, a Moroccan city on the Atlantic coast was once noted for a dye derived from local shellfish, known as Tyrian purple.
Tyrian purple was a favorite for Roman togas.
The city of Ouarzazate, where the film company resides is known as the gateway to the Sahara. In Arabic it means "without problems".
At its height, the production utilized 25,000 to 30,000 extras, sometimes augmented by the Moroccan army.
Scott says they couldn't have made "Kingdom Of Heaven" without the help of the Palace of His Majesty, Mohammed VI.
12th-century fortress Loarre Castle, was used for Godfrey of Ibelin's family castle.
Valsain Forest, an idyllic wood in which wild boar and antlered deer reign, was the setting for the fight in which Godfery is wounded.
To create the 28,000 square metres of the Jerusalum wall required 6,000 tons of plaster.
Set Decorator Sonja Klaushad a staff of 80 craftsmen.
A dozen thatch roofers, all craftsmen, work on the set in the same way their ancestors did in the 12th century.
A genuine Blacksmith was brought in to teach Orlando Bloom how to worke the forge.
In Morocco, there were some 350 construction people made up of Moroccan, Croatian, Italian, Spanish, and English people.
There were over 850 pieces of tack used to dress the horses used in the film.
A dozen different forges, flags, the armor, the thousands and thousands of weapons, Arrows, swords, shields and six 12th-century bathtubs were all scrupulously made by a craftsmen.
Costume designer Janty Yates ran a team of 40 to 80 costumers based in Spain and Morocco.
Eva Green, the only woman in a leading role, had 28 outfits created for her.
15,000 costumes worn by actors and extras in the intense conditions of the Moroccan desert.
The stuntmen in the film all had seven costumes.
Fabrics for the costumes was brought in from India, Italy, Thailand, France, and the UK.
Each costume had thirteen to fifteen components: jacket, shirts, pants, tabards, multiple pieces of chainmail, helmets, boots, gloves, cloaks, scabbards, and sword belts.
The convincing chain mail seen in the film was designed by WETA Workshop of New Zealand who worked on tThe Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The equally convincing helmets seen in the film were made of rubber.
The 1180AD Balian of Ibelin burgundy and gold crest really existed. It was discovered by Janty Yates while she was researching the film.
Casting About "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" stars .......
Orlando Bloom ["The Lord of the Rings I, II & III", "Ned Kelly", "Black Hawk Down" and "Pirates of the Caribbean"]; ACADEMY, Golden Globe, Drama League, Tony Award®, EMMY, Canadian Genie and New York Film Critics Circle Awards winner Jeromy Irons ["The French Lieutenant’s Woman", "Dead Ringers", "Lolita", "Reversal Of Fortunes" and "Being Julia"]; David Thewlis ["Naked", "The Big Lebowski", "Dragonheart" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"]; Boston Society of Film Critics, London Film Critics, and the Irish Film and Television Association Best Actor Award winner Brendan Gleeson ["Braveheart", "Gangs of New York", "28 Days", "Mission: Impossible II", "Cold Mountain" and "The Village"]; Marton Csokas ["Broken English", "Timeline", "The Bourne Supremacy" and "Rain"]; Evening Standard Best Actor Award winner Liam Neesom ["Schindler’s List", "K:19 The Widowmaker", "Gangs of New York" "Love Actually", and "Kinsey"]; Ghassan Massoud ["Memories of the Forthcoming Age" and "The Chant Of Rain"] and Eva Green ["The Dreamers" and "Arsene Lupin"] as Sibylla. Crew Bytes "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" was .......
directed by Two time Directors Guild Award and EMMY Award winner Sir Ridley Scott ["Blade Runner", "Black Hawk Down", "Matchstick Men" and "Gladiator"]; screenplay by William Monahan ["Mazar-e-Sharif." and "The Departed"]; costume design by Janty Yates ["De-Lovely", "Charlotte Gray", "Hannibal" and "Plunkett & Macleane"]; production design by Arthur Max ["Seven", "Panic Room", "Black Hawk Down" and "G.I Jane"]; edited by Dody Dorn A.C.E ["Memento", "Insomnia", "Waiting For Godot" and "Matchstick Men"]; director of photography BAFTA Award winner John Mathieson B.S.C ["Hannibal", "K-PAX", "Matchstick Men" and "Gladiator"]; original music by ANNIE Award winner Harry Gregson-Williams ["Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas ", "Man On Fire", "Team America: World Police", "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and "Shrek 2"] produced by Sir Ridley Scott ["White Squall", "G.I. Jane", "White Squall" and "Where the Money"]. What It's All About Set in 1186AD Ridley Scott's "Kingdom Of Heaven" takes us from France to Jerusalem at the time of the great crusades. Balian, a blacksmith in a small village has lost his family in a terrible tragedy. His wife has committed suicide after the death of their child. Under instructions from the local priest she is beheaded before her burial. Balian is despondent and feels he has lost his religion. Then a stranger arrives at the village. A Knight who is on his way to the Holy Land. A knight who reveals he knew Balians mother and that he is the young mans father. Balian rejects an offer to accompany his father to Jerusalum. He is troubled enough and the local priest isn't much help. He urges Balian to leave the village where he is no longer wanted. To travel to the Holy Land. To think of his wife who is in heaven without a head. When Balain discovers the priest has taken the gold cross from her body he snaps. Killing the priest he flees the village and pursue his father Godfrey of Ibelin. Perhaps in the Holy Land, within the walls of Jerusalem, Balian will find forgiveness and his God. The Verdict "Ridley Scott has gained a reputation for making 'big' films and "Kingdom Of Heaven" is no exception. The images are stunning and the cast are tremendously convincing. The battle scenes are as realistic as any you've seen on the screen before. It must be remembered though that this is not a lesson in history nor is it entirely factual. It is just a film designed to be spectacular in the style of the grand old epics. That's what it sets out to do and it accomplishes it superbly. "Kingdom Of Heaven" is a highly entertaining experience. Recommended viewing." The Cast

Orlando Bloom Eva Green Liam Neeson Edward Norton Jeremy Irons Ghassan Massoud Marton Csokas Brendan Gleeson Ulrich Thomsen Nathalie Cox Jon Finch Bronson Webb Philip Glenister Kevin McKidd Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Steven Robertson Alexander Siddig Velibor Topic Michael Shaeffer Nasser Memarzia Lofi Yahya Jedidi Samira Draa Matthew Rutherford Michael Fitzgerald Michael Sheen Eriq Ebouaney Jouko Ahola David Thewlis

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Balian Sibylla Godfrey King Baldwin Tiberias Saladin Guy de Lusignan Reynald Templar Master Balian's Wife Jerusalem Apprentice Squire English Sergeant Village Sheriff Angelic Priest Nasir Almaric Young Sergeant Muslim Grandee Old Ibelin Housekeeper Sibylla's Maid Rider Humphrey Priest Firuz Odo Hospitaler

The Crew Directed by Ridley Scott Written by William Monahan Produced by Ridley Scott Original Music by Harry Gregson-Williams Non-Original Music by Jerry Goldsmith & Graeme Revell Cinematography by John Mathieson Film Editing by Dody Dorn Production Design by Arthur Max Set Decoration by Sonja Klaus Costume Design by Janty Yates Production Supervised by Kimberley Ann Berdy & Ty Warren Run Time 145 minutes Rated MA 15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - 20th Century Fox - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved