| Kevin F Kiley | 04 Apr 2005 3:11 p.m. PST |
Has anyone seen the trailer for the new movie due out next month, Kingdom of Heaven? It looks pretty good and should be interesting to see. |
| Daffy Doug | 04 Apr 2005 4:30 p.m. PST |
Someone posted a link to it a few months back. I plan on seeing it. |
aecurtis  | 04 Apr 2005 5:22 p.m. PST |
I would recommend finding copies of Graham Shelby's excellent novels "Knights of Dark Renown" and "Kings of Vain Intent" to get a good picture of the historical Balian of Ibelin, first. From what I've seen, it's going to be pretty tough to pull it out of Elf-boy's performance, and the ahistorical claptrap that's been added on. Allen |
| Daffy Doug | 04 Apr 2005 5:33 p.m. PST |
Most likely. And I agree completely on the Shelby novels: unbeatable apparently, at least I haven't read anything since that is even as good, imho. |
| aecurtis | 04 Apr 2005 5:39 p.m. PST |
And I plan on seeing it, too, sad thing that I am... "Knights of Dark Renown" got me fired up to spend two years in college studying the various chronicles of Outremer. I've never had anything catch my imagination like that one novel did. Allen |
| asa1066 | 04 Apr 2005 5:58 p.m. PST |
Here is a link to the trailer (actually several different versions of it): link David |
| Kevin F Kiley | 04 Apr 2005 6:14 p.m. PST |
'Elf Boy' looked pretty good in the trailer. He also did an excellent job as Legolas in Lord of the Rings. |
| aecurtis | 04 Apr 2005 7:47 p.m. PST |
"Gandalf" wrote: "He also did an excellent job as Legolas in Lord of the Rings." I feel unqualified to argue the point. Allen |
 Gungnir  | 04 Apr 2005 11:42 p.m. PST |
Judeging by the trailer, a must-see. |
| louboy | 05 Apr 2005 1:33 a.m. PST |
|
| Daffy Doug | 05 Apr 2005 10:44 a.m. PST |
I'm guessing that Bloom is playing "Balian of Ibelin", or some character based on him: it looks from the trailer that Bloom's knight character is marrying a Byzantine princess (Maria Comnena?), like Ibelin did historically. "Knights of Dark Renown" has Balian of Ibelin as one of the main characters. Unforgettable. |
| man o war | 05 Apr 2005 4:38 p.m. PST |
Historical inaccuracies aside, Ridley Scott really knows his craft. If it's anywhere near the level of Gladiator, this movie should rock. |
| man o war | 05 Apr 2005 4:38 p.m. PST |
Historical inaccuracies aside, Ridley Scott really knows his craft. If it's anywhere near the level of Gladiator, this movie should rock. |
| georgem | 08 Apr 2005 7:03 a.m. PST |
Can someone explain who this Balian of Ibelin fellow is, ignorant chav that I am , I aint never 'erd o' him. |
| Daffy Doug | 08 Apr 2005 3:24 p.m. PST |
Balian II of Ibelin: lord of Nablus in northern Judea, by virtue of his marriage to the former queen of Jerusalem, the Byzantine prince Maria Comnena (king Amalric's widow; she was married to him in 1167). Balian and his brothers Baldwin and Hugh of Ramleh were as high placed and intermarried as you can get. Balian was the younger, and found himself instantly equal or superior to his older brothers by virtue of his marriage to the former queen. His stepdaughter Isabella (daughter of king Amalric) married Humphrey IV of Toron, thus uniting the powerful houses of Ibelin and the Oultrejordain, ruled by the ruthless Renald of Chatillon, lord of Kerak and Moab. The story of intermarriages is as complex as you could wish (dread). If you want more, I suggest that you can do no better than to read Sir Steven Runciman's A History of the Crusades vol two. The only reason why I suspect that this movie might be based on Shelby's Knights of Dark Renown is the snippet in the trailer where a mostly naked Orlando Bloom is saying that he is a nothing compared to the hottie in bed with him, because she is a princess. Evidently, the marriage of Balian and Maria was not just a political match, but also a love-match. In other words, Balian married above himself, got a gorgeous woman who gave him children, and a powerful fief out of the deal. It is Balian who defends Jerusalem against Saladin after the battle of Hattin (1187). |
| Daffy Doug | 08 Apr 2005 9:24 p.m. PST |
I just searched the website for the movie: yes indeed, Bloom is "Balian of Ibelin" (a lot of people except me probably already knew that); we have a Saladin, and a Reynald of Chatillon, and a king Guy de Lusignan, all the main characters of the drams/tragedy (Irons as ". Bloom's character is trying to "preserve a fragile peace" (?) while defending Jerusalem against an overwhelming foe, definitely Balian's historical role following Hattin. Ridley Scott is playing fast with historical details, as usual, but this movie should probably (mostly) "rock". May 6th, May 6th..... |
| baca442 | 09 Apr 2005 1:48 p.m. PST |
Looks like a must see. The WAB Crusades suplement can't be far behind. |
| Daffy Doug | 10 Apr 2005 1:19 p.m. PST |
(Irons as ". Sheesh, I was in a hurry: Jeremy Irons plays count Raymond of Tripoli/Galilee, called "Tiberias", no doubt after the town on the west shore of the sea of Galilee which Saladin is besieging, which brings on the battle of Hattin: it was the city of Tiberias being threatened which caused the crusader army to march across the arid Galilean uplands and into Saladin's trap, exhausted and maddened by thirst. I hope the movie portrays Hattin well..... |
