The so-called epic movies, the plots are real or fictional, some focus on portraying heroic characters, some focus on reflecting historical events, and some focus on other themes. With the Crusades as the background, Kingdom of Heaven combines the virtual and the real, and takes into account both personnel and personnel. It focuses on Berian of Ibelin, and ideally composes a chivalrous hymn around the holy city of Jerusalem.
As we all know, chivalry is a high moral code and code of conduct. It was influenced by medieval European social systems and religious beliefs, and has far-reaching significance to Western civilization. It is quite difficult to express chivalry in movies, which requires not only the keynote theme, but also the content to watch. But Ridley Scott has ambitions and strengths: he likes heroes, history and other elements, pays attention to human nature, and has shot different types of masterpieces such as "Blade Runner", "The End of the Wild Flower", "Gladiator" and so on. And the director's cut proves that Kingdom of Heaven is the best chivalry promo.
When it comes to the external propaganda features of "Kingdom of Heaven", it is a visual feast and bright stars. Ridley Scott makes good use of picture language to narrate, pays attention to composition, pays attention to macro scenes, micro details and levels, contrast and so on. For example, in "Kingdom of Heaven", Berian led his army towards the aerial view of the Saracen army. The formations of the two sides outlined a precise arc, and the contrast between the misty and dusty virtual scene and the vast cavalry's real scene brought a dynamic, A thrilling current of the archenemy. As for the actors of "Kingdom of Heaven", Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Liam Neeson, Edward Norton, etc. are all stars familiar to the audience. Saladin's Ghassan Massoud is a Syrian national treasure actor.
The spirit of chivalry has a fixed basic framework without standard specific connotations, but as the core idea of the film, its literal meaning should be clarified first so that the audience can understand it. Kingdom of Heaven tells the audience what chivalry is through the words of Berian's father Godfrey: "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong." Clearly, chivalry here means fearlessness, bravery, integrity, honesty, and protection of the weak, values that endure forever. In addition, for Christians, the practice of chivalry requires reverence for God. It is worth noting that in addition to Godfrey's canonization of the oath of knighthood, "Kingdom of Heaven" also celebrates the standard connotations of chivalry such as kindness and tolerance.
"Kingdom of Heaven" knows the effective way to infect the audience, that is, the invisible chivalrous spirit in the flesh and blood: it focuses on the growth of Bellion's chivalry, and uses Bellion as a clue to string together related chivalrous characters.
Baron Godfrey was Berrian's enlightener of chivalry. Soon after the father and son recognized each other, Godfrey was ambushed for refusing to have his son taken away by his nephew. Godfrey was wounded by an arrow and eventually died in Messina. Godfrey protects his son, due to the late father's love mixed with guilt, and the action of "if someone offends me, I will offend him" is a chivalrous display of countering injustice. Although Berian's brother is a priest, he covets Berrion's property. Godfrey's brother is a lord, but he covets Godfrey's title. When Berian killed the priest in anger and defected to Godfrey, he may have known about Berian's life. The lord will actively send his son to "catch the murderer", and even take the opportunity to assassinate Godfrey.
In Messina, Godfrey digs his heart out to Bellion, hoping that his son will be loyal and help the king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem to build a heaven on earth where Christians and Muslims live in peace. So far, Godfrey's chivalry has transcended religious and national differences and sublimated to idealistic fraternity. When he was dying, Godfrey made Berion a knight and a baron, and especially instructed his son to "protect the king, and protect the people when the king is absent".
Berian took "a man, be a blessing to the common people" as his motto, but was tormented by the loss of his wife. The appearance of Godfrey was a turning point in Berian's life: his father's words and deeds enabled his son to master the courage of knights, understand the kindness of knights, stand on the starting line of knights, strengthen his determination to go to Jerusalem, and then have the opportunity to implement his motto.
The Knights Hospitaller is Berian's chivalrous mentor. As Godfrey's right-hand man, the hospital knight took great care of Berian. When the two reunited in Jerusalem, Berion said that he seemed to have lost his faith, while the hospital knight emphasized: "The saint, the chivalrous man, stands up, sees justice and acts bravely, hoes the strong and supports the weak; God, benevolence, exists between one thought and one heart. The difference between the gentleman and the villain is to follow the good or the evil." A true Christian will not do evil in the name of God, and a true knight should reach the state of chivalry and benevolence. It can be said that the hospital knight gave the bewildered Berrian a beacon to illuminate his heart.
Bellion gradually showed his chivalry in the kingdom of Jerusalem, and with him the roles of chivalry in Kingdom of Heaven were two leaders: Baldwin IV and Saladin.
Baldwin IV was the king of Jerusalem to whom Berrian was loyal, a leper who wore a mask all day. When he first saw Berrian, King Baldwin IV poured out his heart and lamented the injustice of fate, and then changed the topic: "The king's order may not be violated, the father's order may not be violated, people can still act on their own, and only then can people create their own careers. Remember, Even under the kingship and before the hegemon, people must ask their conscience. When you face God, you can't infer that you were forced to do nothing or that it was expedient at the time. You can't shirk." Baldwin IV ordered Berrian to inherit Godfrey's fief, Ibelin, from there protects the pilgrimage route, especially Jews and Muslims, "Jerusalem welcomes all". Baldwin IV also had high hopes for Berian: "Protect the weak. Or one day, when I am helpless, you will come to protect me."
Although Baldwin IV tried his best to protect Muslim civilians and maintain the peace treaty with Saladin, the fanatical militants such as Guy and Reynard always disrupted the situation. Lake Fort. Berian fought to protect the people outside the city of Karak, and was eventually captured by the Saracen army because he was outnumbered. Fortunately, the leader of the army, Imadin, was saved by Berion (at that time Berian thought Imadin was just a servant. ), this time he freed Berrian in kindness. Fearless, brave, protective of the weak, benevolent, Berian and Imadin stage a chivalrous competition. Immediately afterwards, Baldwin IV was on a personal expedition and negotiated with Saladin to defuse the crisis.
Baldwin IV prepares a will to let Belion lead the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, marry his sister Sibella (with whom Belion is already married), and execute Gay and other disobedient knights. Berian replied: "Your Majesty's will, you should obey your orders. Your Majesty said that your order may not be violated, but people must ask their conscience." Tiberias, a dove representative and high-ranking official who supported Berian, did not expect Berian Will take the initiative to abandon the opportunity, disappointed to say that Jerusalem does not need a perfect knight, but Berian firmly pointed out that the country of benevolence and righteousness needs a perfect knight, otherwise it is "nothing".
The generation of Ming Jun, Baldwin IV, passed away, and Berian inherited his chivalrous mantle and will usher in his glorious moment. But Guy also got rid of the shackles, and after he ascended the throne (the former King Baldwin was euthanized by Sibella because of leprosy), he even allowed the militants to slaughter Muslims recklessly, even Saladin's sister. The arrogant Guy and Leonard further marched towards Saladin, and the ending was naturally a fiasco as the audience expected.
Like Baldwin IV, Saladin, historically regarded by the Crusaders as a model of chivalry, tried his best to avoid war in Kingdom of Heaven. The Ayyubid army captured Gay and Reynard, and Saladin personally beheaded Reynard, who was a repeat offender of Muslims, but he left Gai’s life in the name of Wang not killing the king, and bluntly said that he was far inferior to the previous king Baldwin World.
"It will be repaid sooner or later", Saladin marched into Jerusalem to denounce the centuries-old debt owed to the Muslims by the Crusaders. Facing the annihilated expedition army and the approaching unprecedented powerful enemy, Tiberias evacuated Jerusalem ahead of schedule, but Berian chose to stick to Jerusalem. On the eve of the war, Berrian gave a mobilization speech: "...what is Jerusalem? Your holy place is located on a Jewish temple demolished by the Romans, and the Muslim holy place is with your holy place. Which is more holy? The Wailing Wall? The Mosque? The Holy Land Tomb? Who has the right? No one has the right. Everyone has the right! We guard the city, not to protect these stones, but to protect the people in the city." The bishop asked Berrian how to defend the city without knights, and Berian repeated what his father said The oath, canonized many knights. In this regard, the bishop questioned Berrian: "Who do you think you are? Can you turn things around? If you become a knight, you can be one with ten?" Berrian looked back with a super man's "Yes."
The flame of chivalry blazes with Berion, inspiring him and his warriors to slay the enemy. But after several days of fighting, they were still outnumbered, and the defeat was set. At a critical juncture, Saladin intends to negotiate, hoping that Berian will sacrifice Jerusalem. Berian threatened with "jade broken", and Saladin pointed to Berian's sore spot: once the city was destroyed, the women, children and children in the city would suffer. In a tense moment, Saladin showed the spirit of protecting the weak and benevolent, and wished to release all the Christians in the city back to the Christian land without shedding a drop of blood. Looking back at history, Berian said that when the Christians seized the city, they massacred all the Muslims in the city, while Saladin said, "I am Saladin", and he clearly would not retaliate against Christians. The sympathy between the knights spewed out, and Belion agreed to sacrifice Jerusalem and truce with Saladin.
Finally, the most shocking scene of "Kingdom of Heaven" appeared: Berian asked Saladin what Jerusalem was worth, and Saladin first said "Nothing." to him, and then pointed to himself and said "Everything.". Such a simple answer, but very intriguing.
At the end of Kingdom of Heaven, there are still a few scenes that I will never forget—
in Jerusalem, Saladin picks up a fallen Christian cross and puts it back on the table calmly. Saladin also avoided the cross-engraved floor tiles.
Berian shook hands with Imadin, and Imadin returned the dark horse that Berian had given him in the past.
Berrian returns to his hometown with Sibella. Richard the Lionheart led a new wave of crusaders to come to Berian. He said calmly, "I am a blacksmith", and the King of England smiled knowingly.
"Don't forget the original intention, you will always be forever." "Dynasty of Heaven" reminds the audience that the precious and excellent quality should be passed down from generation to generation.
Made on August 31, 2015
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