Kingdom of Heaven Released in Theaters
Depiction of 12th-century battle between Muslims and Christians for Jerusalem
Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" was just released in theaters on May 6. The film is based on the Crusades and addresses the controversies between Christianity and Islam.
In challenging the Muslim stereotypes that have developed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Scott said, "I'm not fighting another holy war here, I am trying to get across the fact that not everybody in the West is a good guy, and not all Muslims are bad."
The movie depicts a common blacksmith, Balian, who leaves his small French town and becomes a knight as he fights to save the people of Jerusalem. War breaks out between the Christians and the Muslims who cannot settle upon an agreement.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Scott said that he "tried hard to be fair to both sides in his film, which depicts the 12th-century battle between Muslims and Christians for Jerusalem."
The movie gained mixed reviews from both Christian and secular media. "I think it's more a history lesson than a statement about faith," said Holly McClure of Trinity Broadcast Network.
"Director Ridley Scott and writer William Monahan have managed to put a positive spin on that tragic swath of history in an epic entertainment that seeks and actually finds honor, romance and spiritual redemption amid the slaughter," said Reuters in its review.
