Kingdom of Heaven

I think many of you guys out there watched 'Kingdom of Heaven' recently. I watched it 2 weeks ago, a bit late thanks to constantly full booked seats in the cinema.As all know, this movie was about the 3rd Crusades made famous by Saladin (Salahuddin) and Richard the Lionheart (King of England).In this movie however, it chosed to focus on the character of Balian of Ibelin and the fall of Jerusalem.After watching the movie which was directed by Ridley Scott, I cannot help but to feel that Orlando Bloom was unable to carry the role of Belian like what Russel Crowe did in Gladiator. Moreover,other characters were not so well developed in the movie. The cinematic and battle scene was awesome tho the lines can be a bit cheesy at times.Many people commented they're suprised that this movie was not really biased towards the Muslims or the Christians and many also wondered whether Balian of Ibelin was based on a real person. I just bought a book written by James Reston Jr. called 'Warriors of God'.Here i wish to share a few things from the book.

On Balian of Ibelin:

'A tall man of noble bearing, this blueblood had for years reigned his fief well from his castle in Nablus as his father done before him'. He counseled King Guy wisely and had commanded the Templars bravely at Hattin.He had miriculously escaped the carnage and made his way to the City of Tyre.

On Guy of Lusignan (King Guy):

Married Sibylla,the widowed sister of King of Jerusalem,and was appointed King of after King Baldwin died in 1185.Like in the movie, he was a weak and hated leader.Captured in Battle of Hattin (where almost his all his army was wiped out), he was made prisoner of Saladin for 4 years before was released again.

On Rayanald of Chatillon:
The most hated man by the Muslims (enuff said!!)

On Saladdin:
'By his protection of the Holy Sepulcher and other holy sites, his tolerence of other faiths would be long remembered. His actions seemed to define what it meant to be a good Muslim.By his amnesties and various charities toward his enemies he secured forever his reputation for gentility and wisdom'.

In the real event, Balian was not a blacksmith before he became a lord in the movie, he's much older and was the captain of the old guards.He also does not have any rivalry with King Guy nor was having any affair with Sibylla.Balian also joined the Hattin Battle where the Christians army was almost wiped out but he managed to escape to Tyre.He was experienced in dealing with Arabs and personally petitioned to Saladin to go to Jerusalem and rescue his wife which was granted to him providing he wuould not bear arms and spend only one night in Jerusalem.Once he got there however, the Christian population pleaded him to take charge of the military defence.

Being a man of honor,and since he made promise to Saladin, he asked Saladin to release him from his oath which he did as Saladin was not much concerned with who leads the defence. In Jerusalem, there were only 2 true knights left and Balian knighted 60 surviving sons of eminent men to prepare the defence (as opposed to the movie where he knighted the whole city!!)

In the real event, after there was sign of breach,Balian did send emissary to Saladin and when he was uninterested, Balian threatened to destroy everythin in the city,killing all the Muslims in there and fight till the end.Since Saladin promised to take Jerusalem not by treaty but force, he told Balian that the Christians should surrender,where those who able to ransom themselves will be free and those who cannot will be taken as slaves.They negotiated and the ransom was priced at 10 gold bezants for each man, 5 for a woman and 1 for a child.

After the fall of Jerusalem, Balian take refuged in Tyre, Guy was held in prison and Sibylla died 4 years after that.As for Chatillon, he was beheaded for all his ill deeeds (he planned to attack Mecca and Medina a few years before that!!!)