Ridley Scott’s filmography is so wide-reaching that it is almost impossible not to find something to like. Be it sci-fi, historical dramas, or current events, the director has had his hand in some of the best films of the day. Scott came right out of the gate with one of the most iconic horror films of the past century in 1979’s Alien, which was monumental as it subverted the genre and traditional gender roles. Scott followed Alien up with Blade Runner, another sci-fi classic.

The innovative director didn’t allow himself to be pigeonholed in any one genre, proving that he could do just as well with a small budget as with a sword-and-sandals epic. Gladiator premiered in 2000 and could be thanked for catapulting its star, Russell Crowe, into superstardom. Even so, it wasn’t the greatest historical epic that Scott created. Controversial or not, that honor goes to the highly underrated 2005 historical film, Kingdom of Heaven.

Kingdom of Heaven’s Poor Box Office Run Cast a Shadow on a Breathtaking Film

When Kingdom of Heaven rolled around, Orlando Bloom was at the height of his fame. The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Troy were just some of the crowd pleasers he was a part of, making him an obvious choice for Ridley Scott’s new picture. Regrettably, Bloom could not compare to Russell Crowe’s star power in Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven was not popular when it came to profits.

Even so, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour film was a masterclass in cinematography, writing, and acting. The story followed a poor blacksmith as he became a hero of the Crusades, and though not hugely accurate to the primary sources, that never stopped Scott from telling a good story. Bloom starred in the film as Balian de Ibelin, a character who was based on a real-life figure.

After the death of his wife, Balian fled to the battle of the Crusades, searching for some sort of redemption. He traveled to Jerusalem to aid in the holy war that was brewing between the Christian rulers of the land and the formidable Muslim forces led by Saladin. Much of the impressiveness of the film pertained to the battle scenes, which also acted as a double-edged sword.

Many critics responded unfavorably to the massive battles and cited that the emotional story lacked depth. However, this was an unfortunate misreading of the text. For a film about holy wars, Kingdom of Heaven was rarely about faith.

Kingdom of Heaven was instead about characters using religion to gain power for their own uses. Even more interesting, especially at the time it was released, the more heroic characters became the Muslims who could have easily been portrayed as villains. Saladin is a sympathetic character who was sharply intelligent when it came to battle strategies, but also showed mercy where it was due.

In the end, Saladin triumphed as Balian’s forces acquiesced to defeat. Instead of clinging to power, Balian refused to marry Princess Sibylla for the throne. When she realized that her position was lost, she freely cut off all her hair and joined Balian to live the life of a simple blacksmith in France. Scott’s stories refused to adhere to a classic Hollywood ending in many of these features.

Just as Gladiator ended in tragedy, Kingdom of Heaven told a more realistic story with only hints of a happy ending. Balian and Sibylla had a way to be together, but only by essentially giving into the wave of time. At this point in history, the Christian hold of Jerusalem was waning, but as the Kingdom of Heaven script read at the end of the film, “nearly a thousand years later, peace in the Kingdom of Heaven still remains elusive.”

Ridley Scott’s Director’s Cut Offered Some Clarity

When Kingdom of Heaven first premiered in theaters, it was met with lackluster reviews. Though there was a decent story at the center of the film, it was far from the complete portrait Ridley Scott had wanted to portray. The director was allowed to release his own cut of the film, which added a decent 45-minute chunk to the film’s runtime.

Some of the additions included more time to develop characters, which added more context to the film. Michael Sheen’s role was that of the corrupt priest and Balian’s half-brother. Sheen’s part in the theatrical cut was laughably short, whereas in the director’s cut, his villainy added more flavor to the world.

He took it upon himself to desecrate Balian’s wife’s corpse because she had died by suicide. Balian’s rage made more sense, and his decision to go to Jerusalem and find a different path. The blacksmith ended up killing his brother and fled to join his father in the holy wars because of his crimes in France.

Similarly, the family ruling Jerusalem was given more scenes to further develop their relationships. Edward Norton delivered a powerful performance in the role of King Baldwin, made all the more engaging because the character was hidden behind a mask. Baldwin suffered from leprosy, which made the issue of the ruling class even more unstable.

These circumstances were why Sibylla’s young son was so important. The young boy had more scenes with his mother and gave further context to his tragic end. Many scenes were added to focus on the boy’s diagnosis of leprosy. Slowly, Sibylla began to realize that her son could feel no pain, which was the beginning signs of what happened to her brother. Sibylla had to make the harrowing decision to euthanize her own child so he would not go through the pain that her brother went through.

Young Baldwin would not be able to succeed to the throne, which meant Sibylla’s betrothed, Guy, a vicious Templar, would be in charge of the forces instead of Balian, who was more sympathetic to the complex issues of the conflict. These scenes elevated the material, transforming it from just another battle-heavy epic to one where the characters were fully developed. Regrettably, only those who saw Kingdom of Heaven’s Director’s Cut seemed to understand its potential. This was also not the first time that Scott had to sacrifice his artistic vision in deference to studio demands in one of the most famous examples of a director’s cut.

Hollywood Needs More Stories Like Kingdom of Heaven

Ridley Scott has not always delivered critical successes, but his reputation for an uncompromising vision should not be up for debate. Before Kingdom of Heaven was significantly cut down, Scott encountered a similar situation with his cult classic, Blade Runner. Despite his success with Alien, Blade Runner ended up having seven different cuts over the years.

The US theatrical cut was released in 1982 and is not considered Scott’s ultimate vision. Studios insisted on a Hollywood ending despite the dark themes and film noir inspirations. This cut also included the divisive voice-over from Harrison Ford because Scott did not have final cut privileges on the film.

A marketed “Director’s Cut” was also released in 1992, but it was The Final Cut, released in 2007, that had Scott’s final stamp of approval because it was the only version where the director had final say on everything. Kingdom of Heaven did not go through such a rigorous process, but it stands to reason that most of Scott’s instincts should be trusted.

The Final Cut of Blade Runner had the intended noir ending it always should have, just as Kingdom of Heaven’s director’s cut included all the necessary trappings to create a fully immersive and complete story. These types of stories are sadly becoming less and less common as time goes on because of how streamers quickly package films without artistic integrity.

Kingdom of Heaven is ultimately a success story about a film that has not only stood the test of time but gotten better with age. The ultimate message of the film shows the complexities of religious wars. Just as peace in the Kingdom of Heaven remains elusive, so do many modern conflicts repeat the same mistakes.

The film was better than a historically accurate epic because it threw a mirror to an audience, whether they wanted to look into it or not. Art always makes viewers look at the worst versions of themselves and come to a conclusion. Scott remains a true artist in a world where cinema is falling by the wayside, and Kingdom of Heaven is a prime example of his best work.