April 8, 2005


Last August 12, The New York Times reported on a story they also created. The log line is: "20th Century Fox is planning 2005 release of Kingdom of Heaven, $130 million movie directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan based on real characters of 12th century Christian crusades; some religious scholars and interfaith activists question wisdom of big Hollywood movie about ancient religious conflict at a time when many people believe these conflicts have been reignited."

In order to get the opinions of these scholars and activists, the New York Times made copies of an early draft of the script and distributed them to five interested people. The most extreme reaction from the group came from Khaled Abu el-Fadl, a professor at the UCLA. He told the reporter, Sharon Waxman, ""I believe this movie teaches people to hate Muslims. There is a stereotype of the Muslim as constantly stupid, retarded, backward, unable to think in complex forms. It's really annoying at an intellectual level, and it really misrepresents history on many levels."

Once the New York Times both legitimized this guy while also giving him ammunition, albeit inaccurate information, he was recently given a platform in the Scottish paper, The Herald, where he stated, ""There's no doubt in my mind people are going to come out of this movie disliking Muslims and Arabs more than they already dislike them. In my view, it is inevitable - I'm willing to risk my reputation on this - that after this movie is released there will be hate crimes committed directly because of it. People will go see it on a weekend and decide to teach some turbanhead a lesson."

Oy.

Without even seeing the movie, it is easy to suggest that his comments in both papers are extremist rhetoric unworthy of The Paper of Record. This was particularly evident in light of the lack of the historically incendiary story of The Passion leading to no recorded (there have been a couple that were suggested in Canada) hate crimes against Jews.

But then I saw the movie. And the New York Times should publish a letter of apology to screenwriter William Monahan, Ridley Scott, and Fox.

Ironically, Fox wouldn't mind a little of the kind of hyperbolic controversy that surrounded last year's The Day After Tomorrow… a terrible movie that ended up doing huge business worldwide.

Kingdom of Heaven is easily the most accomplished of the sword & sandal movies of the last two years. Ridley Scott is on the very top of his game, particularly in the third act, when the siege of Jerusalem will stand as perhaps the best war sequence in the modern/CG history of cinema. Orlando Bloom will emerge from the film as a major action star, more so than he has been in the past, when he's been seen as a teen girl heartthrob. This film is his movie star Bar Mitzvah… today he is a man.

But getting back to the previous stories… if there is going to be any complaining about this movie, it will be from the religious right, some of whom will be unhappy with the cleric who has no honor and others who will be unhappy with David Thewlis' wonderfully portrayed priest/realist.

As for the Muslims, the concerns are laughable, as the Muslims are the most honorable, most gentlemanly characters in the film. And they win with dignity and respect for those they vanquish, even in the face of great unkindnesses when their people were overtaken. And Ghassan Massoud, who plays Saladin, is the performer most likely to get award nominations, because of the humanity of his performance.

I'm not going to get into a review of the film or too many details here. But I will say that this is a classic story structure, the tale of the blacksmith who learns he is of noble birth and who comes into his own heroic nature during the course of the film. One of the remarkable elements is that Scott & Co. have made a movie quite free of politics, religious rhetoric or the use of history as an analogy to today. The evil character in the story is an ambitious social climber. The good guys are morally ambiguous. Sample line said in confessional guilt: "I've murdered." (in response) "Haven't we all?"

I'm anxious to see the film again to get a better hold on some of the storytelling. I'll write more about it then. But as far as the film being anti-Muslim or anti-Christian… no. It is a truly humanist film. And controversy or not, that is heaven indeed.

E-ME: Ah, the weekend....