Crusade of Controversy (Boycott anti-Christian 'Kingdom of Heaven?)

Washington Times ^ | May 6, 2005 | Scott Galup

[GulliverSwift]

Yes, it did. That alone should be enough not to watch it. I'm going to rent "Troy," but I will never watch this film, nor 'Alexandar."

[bnelson44]

'Christian Antisemitism' I will look for it, thanks.

[Borges]

Somebody says that about every movie dealing with a historical event. It's impossible not to offend someone. 'War and Peace' lacks perspective and context in regards to the French. :-)

[GulliverSwift]

But usually it's harmless. This time it is not. I like good violent war movies, but I don't like liberal activism.

[Borges]

Nothing in Ridley Scott's career suggests any sort of activism. He's as apolitical as you can get. Then again I tend to look past that sort of thing. I love 'Apocalypse Now' which many here regard as the Cinematic Devil Incarnate.

[GulliverSwift]

Well, I hope he scores a good one with Gladiator 2.

[GulliverSwift]

So, just how evil and misguided were the Christians?

[D Rider]

Also, that Christians started it.

The guy is obviously an idiot. The battle of tours was 732, the Muslime were not kicked out of Spain until 1492, and the Balkans were not freed until 1913.

[bnelson44]

"So, just how evil and misguided were the Christians?"

Many of the Christian fighters were extremely ruthless. Very much like the Muslem terrorists in Iraq today. Some Christians fighters were very good as well.

Saladin, from what I can tell, was "just" but also very ruthless. He murdered to advance in power, and his 'ransom' of the Christians in Jerusalem resulted in the 'fair boys' and girls becoming sex slaves, and many other people being murdered. Some 15,000 people in all.

[Noumenon]

Or how about the Muslim cultural and demographic genocides committed in India? The following quote fro mWil land Ariel Durant is telling:

"The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precious good, whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without and multiplying from within."
--Will Durant, The Story of Civilization

[D Rider]

I was talking about Ridley Scott.

[bnelson44]

"The "villians" were Christian knights but the terrible script made it painfully obvious that they were manipulating their faith for their own evil purposes."

Which actually is pretty much what happened with the ruthless ones. See:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0195178238/qid=1115440818/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-7542398-4878346?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Antoninus]

"I think we did," Mr. Scott says, referring broadly to Western Christendom and echoing conventional 20th-century wisdom that the Crusades (a succession of battles and skirmishes running from 1095 to 1291) began as an act of Christian aggression — namely Pope Urban II's order to take back Jerusalem from Muslim Turks.

Sure, as long as we're willing to call 1095 the starting point of history. No need to worry about the previous 400 years of Islamic conquest, slaughter, and destruction.

Is there such a thing as a self-hating Christian? Ridley Scott could be their poster boy.

[discostu]

I think most of the people who go see it will see it for exactly what it is: a fictional movie, entertainment, and a lot of over saturated orange scenes (Scott likes to do that, orange or blue, glare or hyper-shadow). Most folks go to movies for fun, not for education. And I think it's hilarious the primary critic here is a guy speaking a year and a half ago, primary photography wasn't even done forget any editing.

[bnelson44]

"Plenty of good Christians (Liam Neeson's character, Jeremy Irons) who realized that the Crusades were a lost cause in the first place. "

That is most definately a modern idea. There was no such concept at the time.

[GulliverSwift]

Well, they held out, except for Pakistan. I haven't really read about their conquest of India. Indonesia wasn't as fortunate. But liberals in the media and academia don't want people to know this.

[Eagles6]

A movie should be made about The Battle of Tours and the euros should be forced to watch.
Really though, that would be a great historically accurate film.

[Antoninus]

Boycott it because its rubbish. Orlando Bloom has the gravitas of a wet hankey.

Michael Medved had the same reaction you did. He basically said it was boring and the lead actor was not a credible hero.

I'm putting this on my "must miss" list.