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Post by Sir Thorfinn on Nov 3, 2022 21:34:15 GMT
Is now available on Amazon.
Prime folks...you know what this means....
Anyhow, just leaving this here.
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Post by treeslicer on Nov 3, 2022 23:38:32 GMT
Is now available on Amazon. Prime folks...you know what this means.... Anyhow, just leaving this here. Maybe it also needs to be revisited by James Cameron.  
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The Blue Knight
Member
Forever lost in an anachronistic field of dreams.
Posts: 1,930 
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Post by The Blue Knight on Nov 4, 2022 0:10:13 GMT
Tom Rothman savaged the film prior to its theatrical release. Despite being hailed as a great director, and despite his enormous success with Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, the films that preceded the release of Kingdom of Heaven, Ridley Scott has had the misfortune of several of his features being absolutely wrecked by executive interference.
The Director's Cut of this film is much superior, especially since it provides much needed clarification about certain character's motives, like Queen Sibylla. The Rothman cut completely eliminates her son as a character. It gives her zero agency as a person and just makes her a beautiful prop. The restored cut is much better.
Unfortunately, this is not enough to salvage the film for me. Scott has a tendency to subordinate real history to his imagined story at the expense of both. For example, his desire to depict Balian as an outsider by rewriting his history as the bastard son of a Baron, who is knighted and inherits his title at his father's death, is a historical farce. No bastard would be elevated to that rank in that manner. And it's especially egregious when all of his father's former friends and accomplices not only recognize Balian as the new Baron without any protest, but that they welcome him into their inner circle without even bothering to suss out what kind of man he is, or at least appear to proceed with caution.
As a student of history, I just cannot suspend my disbelief.
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Post by treeslicer on Nov 4, 2022 1:30:46 GMT
As a student of history, I just cannot suspend my disbelief. Not even while watching Braveheart? |
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The Blue Knight
Member
Forever lost in an anachronistic field of dreams.
Posts: 1,930
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Post by The Blue Knight on Nov 4, 2022 1:37:05 GMT
As a student of history, I just cannot suspend my disbelief. Not even while watching Braveheart? Oh the history in Braveheart is absolutely appalling, BUT... it's a damn entertaining film. |
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Post by treeslicer on Nov 4, 2022 4:05:45 GMT
Not even while watching Braveheart? Oh the history in Braveheart is absolutely appalling............ What Braveheart contains is a rattling good story, but it isn't history. What is appalling is that every single detail is wrong. This, unfortunately, is nothing new from Hollywood, and as Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, and a dozen more I could name show us, is a continuing annoyance. Some get a few things right, then can't resist pitching out well-known facts to "improve' the story, save production money (e.g., "Falkirk Bridge" in Braveheart), or just pander to a studio executive's wishes, or whatever. |
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Nov 4, 2022 4:18:49 GMT
Sophie Marceau compensates all hstorical mistakes in Braveheart!
KoH director's cut is really good, much better story telling.
When I watched the theatrical version I was disappointed but the director's cut is somehow a different movie.
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Post by treeslicer on Nov 4, 2022 4:23:07 GMT
Sophie Marceau compensates all hstorical mistakes in Braveheart! KoH director's cut is really good, much better story telling. When I watched the theatrical version I was disappointed but the director's cut is somehow a different movie. I'll suspend judgement on the director's cut until I've seen it. |
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Nov 4, 2022 4:27:40 GMT
Got you with Sophie, huh? |
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Post by treeslicer on Nov 4, 2022 4:35:50 GMT
Got you with Sophie, huh? Liked her better in The World Is Not Enough.
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Post by Gunnar Wolfgard on Dec 9, 2022 18:12:45 GMT
To me history and Hollywood is like water and oil, they just don't mix but they each have their purpose. History is to be learned from, but you better hurry because of the way they're rewriting or erasing it lately. Hollywood is for entertainment. As long as they have the weapons, armor and clothing right and have a good script and acting I'm satisfied. I liked Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood both Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, Arn Knight Templar, Braveheart because I wasn't expecting history. But heck I even like Season of the Witch with Nicholas Cage I just skip over the Crusades part in the very beginning, not even I'm that forgiving.  |
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Dec 10, 2022 8:13:50 GMT
The "Coast of Styria" is a classic!
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Post by Curtis_Louis on Dec 10, 2022 13:58:31 GMT
To me history and Hollywood is like water and oil, they just don't mix but they each have their purpose. History is to be learned from, but you better hurry because of the way they're rewriting or erasing it lately. Hollywood is for entertainment. As long as they have the weapons, armor and clothing right and have a good script and acting I'm satisfied. I liked Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood both Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, Arn Knight Templar, Braveheart because I wasn't expecting history. But heck I even like Season of the Witch with Nicholas Cage I just skip over the Crusades part in the very beginning, not even I'm that forgiving. :) Pretty spot on for me. Funny, I just watched Season of the Witch... campy and mindless. I enjoyed it, but had to detach my brain for a while. I'm looking forward to watching KoH, maybe tonight. |
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Post by Gunnar Wolfgard on Dec 16, 2022 15:31:56 GMT
So I picked up the Director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven blue-ray two disc on Amazon for $5.99. Over an hour more run time. Some scenes you can see were put in just to increase the time but most did increase the value of the movie. Near the end you do get to see a sword fight between Balian and Guy de Lusignan. You also get to see a darker side of Sibylla. At regular prices it's worth it but a $5.99 it's a no brainer but hurry because Amazon's prices fluctuate day to day.
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