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What makes Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut so much superior to the theatrical release

Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:09 pm
Posted by Jack Ruby
Member since Apr 2014
22776 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:09 pm
I'm contemplating renting the Director's Cut, but I really did not care for the original version when I saw it years ago. But I've heard that the DC is far, far superior.

Does the different cut really make a mediocre film into a great one?
This post was edited on 5/22/20 at 10:09 pm
Posted by PortCityTiger24
Member since Dec 2006
87455 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:10 pm to
SFP’s blessing
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37281 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:16 pm to
quote:

Does the different cut really make a mediocre film into a great one?


Yes. That is all you need to know.
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
65110 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:26 pm to
quote:

Does the different cut really make a mediocre film into a great one?


Yes. Trust us. Rent it.
Posted by GetCocky11
Calgary, AB
Member since Oct 2012
51289 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:31 pm to
quote:

Does the different cut really make a mediocre film into a great one?



Yes. Just buy it. Skip the rent. Buy it.

It makes so much more sense. Liam Neeson's character makes more sense. The succession after the King dies and Sibylla's mental demise makes so much more sense. The whole thing just works.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
Simple Solutions to Complex Probs
Member since Jan 2004
422565 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:43 pm to
Characters and their stories are much more fleshed out. It makes it all make sense.
Posted by Jay Are
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2014
4842 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:48 pm to
Is it just better than the original or is it actually good? Is the director's cut only worth watching of you've seen the original and can compare the two? I've never seen either.

Pretty curious about this, as it is generally considered a Ridley Scott misfire.
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
71620 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:51 pm to
Haven't seen either in forever but I seem to remember in the theatrical cut Sybilla just abruptly kills the kid for seemingly no reason.
Posted by Parmen
Member since Apr 2016
18317 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:53 pm to
Kingdom of Heaven is amazing. Hollywood should do more films like but this, but they hate Christianity.
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
71620 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 10:58 pm to
Kingdom of Heaven doesn't really give high marks to Christianity
Posted by Lima Whiskey
Member since Apr 2013
19255 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 11:29 pm to
quote:

Kingdom of Heaven doesn't really give high marks to Christianity


Agreed.

As Saladin puts it, what is Jerusalem worth, everything, and nothing. That's one of the major arguments the movie makes, that religion is dividing these people, and compelling them to fight over things that ultimately don't matter.

Other examples, the conduct of the Bishop of Jerusalem (I assume he's a Bishop?) and the way the people of the city are united towards the end of the movie. I'll be vague to avoid spoilers. But the movie argues that we can only survive when we transcend our differences, be it class, or religion.

I think the movie has a very 20th century attitude toward religion. In the eyes of the movie, religion is something that needs to be transcended, if we are to find peace. This is of course a religious argument in itself.

That's naive though. Human are violent tribal creatures, and we will never be at peace.

.

I think Orlando Bloom is miscast, or at least, he was too young at the time for the role. They needed someone who had suffered, and could portray that.

I also dislike the modern attitude at the core of the movie.

With that said, It's a movie I enjoy watching, and it's one I would recommend. I think most people won't mind the modernism, and there so much going on that Bloom is forgivable.

Jeremy Irons in this... god, what an actor.
This post was edited on 5/22/20 at 11:37 pm
Posted by biglego
Ask your mom where I been
Member since Nov 2007
76332 posts
Posted on 5/22/20 at 11:53 pm to
I liked it, but yeah the bishop was a lazy caricature and the whole Orlando Bloom knighting everyone was cheesy. They never explain how a random blacksmith was suddenly an expert swordsman after one lesson, and the Muslims are generally portrayed in a better light than the Christians. Crusaders bemoaning the violence that happened when Jerusalem fell in the First Crusade was another silly 21st C. dig at Christians.

But overall I still love the directors cut and wish we got more movies like this. I’m sure they’re expensive to make and maybe any history past WWII isn’t a big draw.
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
71620 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 12:20 am to
Don't forget the movie started with the priest beheading his dead wife. With the exception of like 3-4 people the Christians in the movie are hypocrites at best or worse murder/power hungry shitheads.
Posted by Lima Whiskey
Member since Apr 2013
19255 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 12:21 am to
quote:

wish we got more movies like this. I’m sure they’re expensive to make and maybe any history past WWII isn’t a big draw.


Me too
Posted by Lima Whiskey
Member since Apr 2013
19255 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 12:21 am to
quote:

Don't forget the movie started with the priest beheading his dead wife.


I'd completely forgotten that
This post was edited on 5/23/20 at 12:22 am
Posted by ClampClampington
Nebraska
Member since Jun 2017
3967 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 12:51 am to
quote:

Does the different cut really make a mediocre film into a great one?


They are 2 completely different movies. I didn’t care for the theatrical release. Directors Cut is one of my favorite movies.

The film was always great, but from what I remember the distributor essentially forced Scott's team to hack the film to death to get it down to 2 hours after that shitty Troy movie was in theatres. They thought Troy underwhelmed because no one wanted to sit in a theatre that long.

After KOH had made the cuts to get down to 2 hrs, all scenes that built up character motives were gone and it was a confusing, convoluted mess that made zero sense
This post was edited on 5/23/20 at 1:33 am
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37281 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 9:21 am to
quote:

Agreed.

As Saladin puts it, what is Jerusalem worth, everything, and nothing. That's one of the major arguments the movie makes, that religion is dividing these people, and compelling them to fight over things that ultimately don't matter.

Other examples, the conduct of the Bishop of Jerusalem (I assume he's a Bishop?) and the way the people of the city are united towards the end of the movie. I'll be vague to avoid spoilers. But the movie argues that we can only survive when we transcend our differences, be it class, or religion.

I think the movie has a very 20th century attitude toward religion. In the eyes of the movie, religion is something that needs to be transcended, if we are to find peace. This is of course a religious argument in itself.

That's naive though. Human are violent tribal creatures, and we will never be at peace.

.

I think Orlando Bloom is miscast, or at least, he was too young at the time for the role. They needed someone who had suffered, and could portray that.

I also dislike the modern attitude at the core of the movie.

With that said, It's a movie I enjoy watching, and it's one I would recommend. I think most people won't mind the modernism, and there so much going on that Bloom is forgivable.

Jeremy Irons in this... god, what an actor.



Yeah it is kind to Christianity and is far too soft on Saladin and the Muslims. Always watch knowing it's a particular perspective, it's rare to get a completely nonbiased film. That and history is a complicated thing, looking backwards, and perspective matters.

Scott also hates Christianity, by all accounts, so there's that too. He's actually a bit softer here than I would expect.
This post was edited on 5/23/20 at 9:22 am
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
65110 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 11:07 am to
quote:

the bishop was a lazy caricature


Who in real life was actually very pious and kind. They really did him dirty in this film just to stick it to organized religion.
Posted by PsychTiger
Member since Jul 2004
99043 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 11:45 am to
quote:

It makes so much more sense. Liam Neeson's character makes more sense. The succession after the King dies and Sibylla's mental demise makes so much more sense. The whole thing just works.


If only there was a Director’s Cut for the last two seasons of Game of Thrones.
Posted by Lima Whiskey
Member since Apr 2013
19255 posts
Posted on 5/23/20 at 12:09 pm to
And that’s disappointing. I want to understand what the Crusader Kingdom was like, I’m much less interested in watching a movie that explores modern life, through the prism of the Crusades.
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