Kingdom of Heaven: The Ridley Scott Film and the History Behind The Story

by Diana Landau, Nancy Friedman, Ridley Scott (Introduction)

2005. Diana Landau. Introduction by Ridley Scott. Newmarket Press, New York. 176 pages. Large paperback. Gift quality. No issues.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Historical, Film

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great book that mixed the behind-the-scene style with a bit of history. The movie was great, and reading it just made me want to watch it again (it's been a while), and this book is a very good «companion» to the movie. Of course it's a movie-book so nothing of a masterpiece, but it definitely goes beyond the picture of sets and casting and settings that we often see in this kind of book. Good and pleasant surprise!

[Alireza Hezaryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 you to your death..Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong
That is your oath. (slaps) And that's so you remember it. Arise a knight
(part of the book)

(Commander)-So, how find you Jerusalem?
( Baron of Ibelin)-God does not speak to me.Not even on the hill...Where Christ died.I'm outside God's grace.
-I have not heard that.
-At any rate..It seems I've lost my religion.
-I put no stock in religion.By the word "religion" I've seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God.I've seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers.
Holiness...is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves and goodness...what God desires is here(points to his head) and here( points to his heart).
And by what you decide to do day, you will be a good man or not.
(part of the book)


(The king of Jerusalem)- Do you play chess?
(Baron of Ibelin)-No
-The whole world is in chess.Any move can be the death of you.Do anything except remain where you started and you can't be sure of your end.Were you sure of your end once?
-I was
-What was it?
-To be buried a hundred yards from where I was born.
-And now?
-Now I sit in Jerusalem and look upon a king!
-(smiles) When I was 16 I won a great victory I felt ,in that moment I would live to be 100.
Now I know I shall not see 30!*..None of us know our end, really..Or what hand will guide us there.
A king may move a man...A father may claim a son..that man can also move himself..and only then does that man truly begin his own game..Remember how so ever you are played or by whom,your soul is in your keeping alone..even though those who presume to play you be kings or men of power.
When you stand before God you can not say "but I was told by others to do thus"Or "that virtue was not convenient at the time"..This will not suffice.Remember that.
-I will

(part of the book)
p.s
*The king is a leper that's why he is not sure if he is going to see his 30 or not.
-

[Moises Cordova · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book explains the making of the film, it also contains an introduction by Ridley Scott and a chapter (The Lords of Outremer) written by Nancy Friedman explaining the History of the Crusades.

It is, of course, aimed to big fans of the movie (like myself). A nice detail in the book is that it contains a quote from Fulcher of Chartres that says:

For those who were poor there, here God makes rich. Those who had few coins, here possess countless besants; and those who had not had a villa, here, by the gift of God, already possess a city.

if you have watched the movie you will immediately know that this is the origin of Godfrey's dialogue:

A man who, in France, had not a house, is, in the Holy Land, the master of a city

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kingdom of Heaven is a movie I really enjoy. It is visually stunning and has a simple, but poignant message about religious intolerance. With this in mind, I think the bigger of a fan of this movie you are, the more you will enjoy this book. It has some behind the scenes type of content, some history, and quite bit about how Ridley Scott works on his movies. All three of these sections are pretty interesting to read and provide a nice variety in the book. For me, the history section was pretty basic since I've already read a little about the Crusades. If you don't know much about the Crusades though, you will definitely find this more interesting, especially since they chose a really rich moment in history to focus on. Some of the behind the scenes stuff is quite strong. The images where they show the CGI are nice and some of the statistics about the movie are quite astounding. Perhaps my favorite part of this book was the overall production quality and images in the book which were both to a high standard. I was able to score a great deal on this book and was thankful for reading it. I don't know that it is worth $20, but if you like the movie and can get it for a fair price, it is worth the short and entertaining read.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look behind the scenes of 'Kingdom of Heaven' the movie (by Ridley Scott). I've always enjoyed the film and the wife found this for me at 2nd Charles for dirt-cheap.

Nothing too super substantive or crazy incredible, but lots of good information on how the movie was made, some interesting bits on the crusades/crusaders, the cast, etc. If you enjoyed the movie, not a bad pick-up for a quick read.

[Gilang Alland]

^_^

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheap popcorn movie, BUT BALDWIN...!!! (not enough of him, actually :/

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can appreciate it for the behind the scenes value, and minor attempts to add some historical relevance to an otherwise very ahistorical movie.