‘Heaven’ contains lessons

The R-rated “Kingdom of Heaven” is a rousing epic in the grand

tradition of many sword-fight spectacles. A multilayered film, it

offers something for many viewers. Because of the many violent fight

scenes with bloody battles, it should not be thought of as a family

film, but older teens who are mature enough to handle these elements

will enjoy the action.

The story takes place in 1184 in France, where Balian (Orlando

Bloom) is a French blacksmith whose wife has committed suicide,

leaving him spiritually confused and searching for meaning in his

life. The motto hanging in his shop is, “What man is a man that does

not make the world better?”

The knight Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) comes by and tells

Balian he is the father he never met and asks him to travel to

Jerusalem and become a knight in the crusades. Balian declines at

first, but circumstances force him to relent. The interaction between

these two characters forges a strong bond, and Balian takes over his

father’s legacy.

Balian undertakes a perilous journey to Jerusalem, where he finds

a city more in need of repair than he can accomplish. The king is

sick with leprosy, and Tiberias the Marshall (Jeremy Irons) is trying

to keep peace between the Muslims and Christian knights who are

randomly killing them in the name of God. Their misguided battle cry

is “to kill an infidel is not murder, it is the path to heaven.”

The king’s sister Sibylla (Eva Green) is trapped in a loveless

marriage to the evil Guy, who only wants personal glory. It becomes

clear that Balian’s destiny is to become a leader and save the city.

The dialogue is fairly standard, but what gives the film its lift

are the themes it espouses. Although the action takes place several

centuries ago, it is clear that the lessons it teaches are applicable

to us today.

Balian is trying to become the perfect knight, but even with his

faults, he is a better person than those who are destroying the

empire. He clearly learns the upstanding characteristics his father

taught him of being a good person and trying to do your best. I found

this to be the most notable part of the movie.

Balian is smart and resourceful in rallying the common people to

save their beloved city. He has the traits that are necessary for a

natural-born leader, and Bloom carries them well in his acting. He

recognizes his weaknesses and uses them to accomplish a greater good.

These are good lessons for all of us, and the result is a

satisfying film with a message that does not become too preachy as it

delivers.

* PHILLIP HAIN is a marketing manager who lives in Glendale.