May 09, 2005

Variety.com - Bound for 'Heaven'?

Given the Islam-Christianity conflict that's central to Ridley Scott's Crusades epic "Kingdom of Heaven," the film's release across the Mideast was nonetheless generating huge interest -- and nervous speculation.

Pic opened on 21 screens in the United Arab Emirates, nine in Lebanon, six in Kuwait, three in both Qatar and Jordan and on single screens in Bahrain, Oman and Syria.

"We're expecting admissions of over 100,000 in both Lebanon and the U.A.E.," says Hiyam Itani of Circuit Empire, which is handling the pic for Fox in the Mideast. "People are really interested in it. They can relate to the story and the religious aspects. After all, it happened here."

But the film has also been dogged in recent months by accusations that it short-shrifts real history. Jonathon Riley-Smith, one of Britain's leading authorities on the Crusades, labeled it b,>"Osama Bin Laden's version of history" and said, "It will fuel the Islamic fundamentalists." Islamic professor Khaled Abu Fadl of the U. of California accused the film of "teaching people to hate Muslims."

Shame on Ridley Scott for incorporating the worst kind of moral equivalence into this film!
"Kingdom of Heaven" doesn't sound heavenly...in addition to Scott's vapid Kumbaya-type attitude as embodied in the movie, word has it that the film isn't so great on its merits.
Check out the reviews here from Rotten Tomatoes, most of them pans and of that variety, almost all of those being pretty hilarious reactions to a "serious" film:
"KingdomofHeaven"
"Kingdom" may do OK box office in the Middle East and Asia, but it's bombing in the USA!
And yes, I think Mr. Riley-Smith is correct: The film will fuel Islamist terrorism.
Thanks again for helping the wrong side in the war, Hollywood!