The December Comfort Watches 2025: Day Eight: The Kingdom of Heaven
Posted on December 8, 2025 (https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/12/08/the-december-comfort-watches-2025-day-eight-the-kingdom-of-heaven/) Posted by 1 Comment (https://whatever.scalzi.com/2025/12/08/the-december-comfort-watches-2025-day-eight-the-kingdom-of-heaven/#comments)
The world of cinema has always had its fair share of director's cuts and extended versions, particularly in the era of DVD and Blu-Ray. Filmmakers often add extra scenes to their movies to create an 'unrated director's cut', hoping to squeeze out a few extra bucks from fans. However, in the case of Ridley Scott's The Kingdom of Heaven, the extended version is so different from the theatrical release that it's almost like watching a different movie.
The extended cut, released on DVD in December 2005, adds significant changes to the backstory of the hero, Balian, and his relationship with other characters. It also introduces previously unknown children who play significant roles in the plot, and alters the final disposition of at least one major character. Scott himself called the extended version 'the one that should have been released'.
So, why wasn't it? Well, because the extended version was three hours and ten minutes long, and in 2005, only a few filmmakers could get away with such a long runtime. Peter Jackson's The Return of the King and James Cameron's Titanic were the only exceptions. Scott, no stranger to director's cuts (like the multiple extended versions of Blade Runner), waited for the home video release to unveil the longer cut.
Most cineastes and fans of the film will argue that the extended cut is the one to see. However, I beg to differ. I think the theatrical release is perfectly good, and in some places even better than the extended version. It's the version that I end up rewatching, not the lauded longer cut.
In both versions of the tale, the following is true: Balian, a French blacksmith grieving the death of his wife, is approached by a noble named Godfrey, who declares himself Balian's father and invites him to join his entourage on a journey to the Holy Land. Balian passes, but later joins the entourage after committing a significant crime. In the Holy Land, Balian quickly befriends Jerusalem's Christian king, Baldwin, and his sister, Sibylla.
The film explores the complexity of the Holy Land, a place of contention for millennia, and continues to be so today. It doesn't shy away from showing the Muslim leader, Saladin, as a man of integrity and moral force, and the Christians as a diverse group, ranging from honorable to despicable. While the story should not be seen as accurate history, it does offer some striking moments as an examination of how high ideals of religion can be undermined by the ambition of base humans.
The film truly shines in its overall political milieu. It presents a nuanced view of the Holy Land, a place that has been fought over by Christians and Muslims for centuries. The film could have easily tipped over into jingoism, but Scott and screenwriter William Monaghan chose not to take that route. Instead, they showed Saladin as a man of integrity and respect, and the Christians as a diverse group with their own complexities.
While the extended cut provides a broader understanding of the story, the theatrical cut is better paced and presented, offering a more engaging cinematic experience. The theatrical version is the one that actually moves at a compelling pace, and it's the version that I prefer to rewatch.
In conclusion, both versions of The Kingdom of Heaven are worth watching, but the theatrical cut is the one that will be on my repeat-viewing list. I appreciate Scott's attempt to portray a complicated plot of land without simplifying the struggles that have persisted for centuries. I don't think this film will convert anyone who wants to argue otherwise, but I'm glad Scott made the attempt.
— JS
