Kingdom of Heaven, Anyone?

[Zhukov]

They are pumping the hell out of this coming out on DVD, and I thought it looked interesting when it was first being advertised for in the theatres, has anyone seen this? If so, what did you think?

 

[Hagbard Celine]

I don't think it did very well in the theaters so I think they are just trying to sell as many DVDs as possible so they don't totally lose their asses on the movie. I think it was expensive to make, so they're probably trying to cut their losses. I'd watch it on Netflix before I bought it.

 

[MtnBiker]

I saw it in the theater. It was just ok, long movie. I never really bought off on the casting of Orlando Bloom. He just seems a little mousey.

 

[archangel]

would recommend waiting until it comes out on DVD...just rent it..not going to be a real classic..it would have been more fitting as a TV Mini-series...IMO
I would really like to see a re-make of the old classic "Sampson & Delihla" imagine this oldie with todays special effects and a better leading man and lady!

 

[theim]

It's a good movie if you don't think too much while watching it. Unfortunately for me I'm the kind of person who can't watch a frickn' cartoon without keeping an eye open for political bent--and thus felt a little put off by the fact that the Christians were the heartless marauders, except for the Christians who didn't like religion of course, and Saladin's Muslims were heroic saviors.

 

[Abbey Normal]

It's a good movie if you don't think too much while watching it. Unfortunately for me I'm the kind of person who can't watch a frickn' cartoon without keeping an eye open for political bent--and thus felt a little put off by the fact that the Christians were the heartless marauders, except for the Christians who didn't like religion of course, and Saladin's Muslims were heroic saviors.

I'm the same way; part of a vigilant personality, I think. Thanks for the heads up, so I don't support it.

(I don't get Orlando Bloom as a warrior type, either. He's seems too slender and pretty.)

 

[Hagbard Celine]

It's a good movie if you don't think too much while watching it. Unfortunately for me I'm the kind of person who can't watch a frickn' cartoon without keeping an eye open for political bent--and thus felt a little put off by the fact that the Christians were the heartless marauders, except for the Christians who didn't like religion of course, and Saladin's Muslims were heroic saviors.

I don't think either side qualifies as "heroic saviors," but at the time of the crusades, Arabs were the intellectual elites of the world and the Christians were the uneducated barbarians. And the Arabs were living in Jerusalem before the Euros attacked them. Personally, I think the whole thing is stupid. The Christians tried to conquer the Arabs I think five or six times and never won once. They left their families without a provider to go take a city none of them had even seen before they got to it. Pretty dumb, but I guess there have been dumber things...like electronic pets.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

I'm the same way; part of a vigilant personality, I think. Thanks for the heads up, so I don't support it.

(I don't get Orlando Bloom as a warrior type, either. He's seems too slender and pretty.)

If you try to avoid movies with political agendas, then I imagine you never saw "The Passion" either.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

If you try to avoid movies with political agendas, then I imagine you never saw "The Passion" either.

What's the political agenda of the "passion"?

 

[manu1959]

What's the political agenda of the "passion"?

jews are bad

 

[5stringJeff]

If you try to avoid movies with political agendas, then I imagine you never saw "The Passion" either.

 

[Dan]

Unfortunately for me I'm the kind of person who can't watch a frickn' cartoon without keeping an eye open for political bent--

If theim is like this, then he could certainly find some political bent in The Passion, just like you can find anything in any piece of art if you want to see it bad enough.

I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven, nor do I plan to, but if theim felt that the movie depicted Christians as "heartless marauders" and Muslims as "heroic saviors", then it should be fair for someone to view the Jews in The Passion as generally being depicted as evil.

 

[Hobbit]

If theim is like this, then he could certainly find some political bent in The Passion, just like you can find anything in any piece of art if you want to see it bad enough.

I haven't seen Kingdom of Heaven, nor do I plan to, but if theim felt that the movie depicted Christians as "heartless marauders" and Muslims as "heroic saviors", then it should be fair for someone to view the Jews in The Passion as generally being depicted as evil.

Actually, "The Passion" depicts the Romans as evil. Every other character, the priests, Jesus, the disciples, Mary, other Mary (Magdeline), the guy who carried the cross, etc. were Jews. Some were good. Some were bad. It's like saying that Shogun clearly depicts Japanese people as being evil. Umm, EVERYONE in Shogun, with few exceptions, is Japanese, just like EVERYONE in "The Passion," with few exceptions, is Jewish. Why doesn't anyone seem to understand this?

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Actually, "The Passion" depicts the Romans as evil. Every other character, the priests, Jesus, the disciples, Mary, other Mary (Magdeline), the guy who carried the cross, etc. were Jews. Some were good. Some were bad. It's like saying that Shogun clearly depicts Japanese people as being evil. Umm, EVERYONE in Shogun, with few exceptions, is Japanese, just like EVERYONE in "The Passion," with few exceptions, is Jewish. Why doesn't anyone seem to understand this?

I think Monty Python said it best...

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

Brought peace?

Oh. Peace? Shut up!

The Passion depicts the Jews as the ones ultimately responsible for Jesus' death. Pontius washed his hands of the decision remember?

 

[Abbey Normal]

If you try to avoid movies with political agendas, then I imagine you never saw "The Passion" either.

 

[Hobbit]

I think Monty Python said it best...





The Passion depicts the Jews as the ones ultimately responsible for Jesus' death. Pontius washed his hands of the decision remember?

I'm not referring to the official guy. Remember the Romans all grinning and reveling in the suffering of Jesus? Remember the Romans talking lightly about how exactly to stick the nails in his hands? Remember all the Jews gathering around crying about it? The movie shows what happened. The death of Jesus fell squarely on the shoulders of a group of Jewish priests who held a meeting in the middle of the night and gathered false witnesses. The cruelty of the Romans cannot be discounted, however.

 

[Dan]

I was just using that as an example. Movies, especially something like Kingdom of Heaven, probably shouldn't be taken as political statements.

My point was, I think the reason everyone who's really against Kingdom of Heaven seems to be so because Christians are not portrayed very well in it, but historically, the Crusades weren't the greatest period of time for the Christians. But, it's just a movie. And it is history. I'm just saying, a Christian getting offended at the content of Kingdom of Heaven is really no better than a Jew being offended at The Passion.

 

[padisha emperor]

Kingdom if Heavens (KoH) doesn't depicted Christians as bad bad guys and Muslims as heroic saviors.
there is more nuances.
In the muslim forces there are also bastards. Than in the christian forces, there are bright and nice guys : Baudoin IV d'Anjou, the King of Jerusalem is an example.
Saladin was not a barbarian searching for blood, so it'(s normal that he is not depicted like it. he awas a bright and great soldier.

But I have some obejctions against the movie : it depicts Renaud De Châtillon and Guy de Lusignan, the 2 bad christians, as Templars (or maybe not the 2, but at least one).

It was totaly wrong : de Châtillon and de Lusignan were married ! they cannot belong to the Temple, they can't be churchmen !
and they have possession : Jaffa and Ascalon for Guy de Lusignan, Antioche for Renaud de Châtillon.

And the movie shows often Templar, charging the ennemies. But at war, the Temple had lot of rules, respected. One of them was : protect the banner, and don't charge until it's down. And when the banner fall, withdraw or join the nearest christian banner, example : Hospitaliers.

Not showed and respected in the movie.
Anyway.


But Renaud de Châtillon is depicted as a bad bad guy, he was it : he kill a lot of people, even during peaces. And his attitude was not far to bring war bewtween Byzance and the Christian States, the "Off Shore France". So, a real bastard

 

[Hobbit]

Yeah, the Templars were good guys. They were devoted to the cause, helped others, and invented the modern banking system. When they got too powerful, the Inquisition made up some fake sodomy charges and killed them all.

I'll watch the movie, and try to keep an open mind. I know both sides did some pretty bad things, like the massacre in Jerusalem. However, if I detect slant, I'll be a little irritated, as it's just like Hollywood to take *another* swing at Christians.

 

[5stringJeff]

I think Monty Python said it best...





The Passion depicts the Jews as the ones ultimately responsible for Jesus' death. Pontius washed his hands of the decision remember?

Monty Python quotes aside, the Bible portrays the Jewish leaders (not all Jews) as the ones who were responsible for Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus Himself prophesied that He would be "handed over" to the Gentiles to die. This was confirmed when the Sanhedrin asked Pilate to crucify Jesus, since they did not have the authority to use the death penalty in such cases.