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Analysis Of The Kingdom Of Heaven

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ANALYSIS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Lucas Castelo Branco HIST- 2023 10/18/2017 The Kingdom of Heaven is an epic film directed and produced by Ridley Scott, and written by William Monahan, filmed in Morocco. The story of the Kingdom of Heaven is set during the Crusades of the 12th century, and is basically about the life of Balian, a French blacksmith, who defends the Kingdom of Jerusalem against the Muslims and reclaims the city from the Christians. In this story, I could travel back in time to experience life during the era of the Crusades and learn more about the perspective of duty between the Christians and Muslims. To better understand the Kingdom of Heaven, it is important to know what the Crusades were. The …show more content…

Instead, the Crusades seek to reclaim what was originally theirs, no matter the cost. The Crusades were a failure in their goal of conquering the Holy Land for Christians. They cost a lot to the European nobility and resulted in thousands of deaths. Nevertheless, these expeditions influenced great transformations in the medieval world. They have weakened feudal aristocracy, strengthened royal power, and made possible the expansion of the market. Eastern civilization contributed much to European cultural enrichment, promoting intellectual development. Never again was Jerusalem dominated by Christians, but the movements on the way to the Holy Land expanded relationships with the known world at the time. The first hour of "Kingdom of Heaven" is decisive for the rest of the film. It is in these moments that we will meet Balian, a blacksmith who is devastated after he lost his wife who had committed suicide. It is important to say that suicide was considered to be an irredeemable sin, for example, the church believed suicide was a road to hell. Balian has no prospects in life when he receives a visit from Baron Godfrey of Ibelin. He introduces himself as Balian’s father and invites him to become a knight and defend Jerusalem, ruled by King Baldwin IV, who is a leper hidden behind a mask of iron. Godfrey knows the difficult moment that Balian is going through, so he introduces him to Jerusalem (presented in the film as the new world where love exists instead of hate, a

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