Question a
The Kingdom of Heaven film is about religious intolerance among Christians and Muslims as experienced during the Crusades of the 12th Century. Crusades encompassed a series of religious war (Holy War) between Christians and Muslims who fought to gain control of the holy land. The Kingdom of Heaven vividly demonstrates the intense violence through manslaughter and burning of victims alive. There were nine major crusades although not all were between Muslims and Christians. Some crusades were within the Christian communities that fought others for rejecting the Roman Church. Ridley Scott, the producer of the film, impressively uses Balian, a French village Blacksmith, to advance his thesis of religious intolerance.
Question b
Violence between the two religions is demonstrated throughout the movie. First, while on his way to Jerusalem, Balian is confronted by a Muslim Cavalier whom he slays but lets his servant go. In Jerusalem, Balian meets the politicians, including Guy de Lisignan, who was a vocal supporter of anti-Muslim activities of violence including the Knights Templar. Guy and his ally Raynald of Chatillon, determined to make war on Muslims, led an attack against a Saracen caravan. In retaliation, the sultan Saladin attacks Raynald’s castle Kerak. After King Baldwin dies, his sister, Sibylla, succeeds him, making her husband, Guy, the King. Guy later collaborates with the Templars to lead Jerusalem’s army to war where all are killed by Saladin’s army. Furthermore, Kingdom of Heaven features conflict among members of the same religion. For instance, Guy sends an army to kill Balian but he survives.
Question c
I feel the video is incomplete because it does not offer or suggest potential solutions to the problem of religious intolerance experienced during the crusades. Scott would have featured a scene whereby parties from both religious coexist at the end or suggest how peace between the two groups can be sustained in future.