Orlando Bloom Flicks

Orlando Bloom Flicks

Title:     Kingdom of Heaven

Director-Producer:

Ridley Scott

Stars:

Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Edward Norton, Eva Green, Brendan Gleeson. Jeremy Irons, Ghassan Massoud, Martin Hancock, Michael Sheen, Nathalie Cox

Twentieth Century Fox presents a film produced and directed by Ridley Scott. Written by William Monahan. Running time: 145 minutes. Rated R (for strong violence and epic warfare)

Orlando Bloom, as Balian, turns from blacksmith to Crusader, not out of religious conviction, but to pursue opportunity in "Kingdom of Heaven."

Kingdom of Heaven

BY ROGER EBERT / May 5, 2005 <excerpts from>

The first thing to be said for Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" is that Scott knows how to direct a historical epic. I might have been kinder to his "Gladiator" had I known that "Troy" and "Alexander" were in my future, but "Kingdom of Heaven" is better than "Gladiator" -- deeper, more thoughtful, more about human motivation and less about action.

The second thing is that Scott is a brave man to release a movie at this time about the wars between Christians and Muslims for control of Jerusalem. Few people will be capable of looking at "Kingdom of Heaven" objectively. I have been invited by both Muslims and Christians to view the movie with them so they can point out its shortcomings. When you've made both sides angry, you may have done something right. The Muslim scholar Hamid Dabashi, however, after being asked to consult on the movie, writes in the new issue of Sight & Sound: "It was neither pro- nor anti-Islamic, neither pro- nor anti-Christian. It was, in fact, not even about the 'Crusades.'" And yet I consider the film to be a profound act of faith." It is an act of faith, he thinks, because for its hero Balian (Orlando Bloom), who is a non-believer, "All religious affiliations fade in the light of his melancholic quest to find a noble purpose in life."

That's an insight that helps me understand my own initial question about the film, which was: Why don't they talk more about religion? Weren't the Crusades seen by Christians as a Holy War to gain control of Jerusalem from the Muslims? I wondered if perhaps Scott was evading the issue. But not really: He shows characters more concerned with personal power and advancement than with theological issues....

For the 100 years leading up to the action, both Christians and Muslims were content to see each other worship in the holy city. It was only when Christian zealots determined to control the Holy Land more rigidly that things went wrong. The movie takes place circa 1184, as the city is ruled by the young King Baldwin (Edward Norton) who has leprosy and conceals his disfigured face behind a silver mask. Balian takes control of the city after the death of its young king. Then the Knights Templar, well known from The Da Vinci Code, wage war on the Muslims. Saladin (Ghassan Massoud) leads a Muslim army against them, and Balian eventually surrenders the city to him. Much bloodshed and battle are avoided.

What Scott seems to be suggesting, I think, is that most Christians and Muslims might be able to coexist peacefully if it were not for the extremists on both sides.* This may explain why the movie has displeased the very sorts of Muslims and Christians who will take moderation as an affront....

There is a certain scale that's inevitable in films of this sort, and Scott does it better than anybody. Even so, I enjoyed the dialogue and plot more than the action....

What's more interesting is Ridley Scott's visual style, assisted by John Mathieson's cinematography and the production design of Arthur Max. A vast set of ancient Jerusalem was constructed to provide realistic foregrounds and locations, which were then enhanced by CGI backgrounds, additional horses and troops, and so on. There is also exhilarating footage of young Balian makes his way to Jerusalem, using the 12th-century equivalent of GPS: "Go to where they speak Italian, and then keep going."

The movie is above all about the personal codes of its heroes, both Christian and Muslim. They are men of honor: Gentlemen, we would say, if they were only a little gentle. They've seen enough bloodshed and lost enough comrades to look with a jaundiced eye at the zealots who urge them into battle. There is a scene where Baldwin and Saladin meet on a vast plain between their massed troops, and agree, man to man, to end the battle right then and there. Later, one of Balian's pre-battle speeches to his troops sounds strangely regretful: "We fight over an offense we did not give, against those who were not alive to be offended." Time for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?

Kingdom of Heaven

Review: The Gods of Filmmaking

Quote: “Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath."

Title:

Kingdom of Heaven                                      (2005)

Director:

Ridley Scott                                                         i

Stars:

Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, and Eva Green. Cinematography by John Mathieson.

Summary:
Balian (played by Orlando Bloom) is blacksmith living in twelfth century France. The recent loss of his wife and child has cast him into a realm of despair of which there seems little hope for return. The seemingly endless cycle of anguish is suddenly interrupted with the appearance of his estranged father, Godfrey of Ibelin (played by Liam Neeson).

Godfrey, who is a knight in King Baldwin IV’s army, has sought out his son to invite him to Jerusalem. Though initially resistant, Balian eventually follows his father to the Holy Land hoping to find the answers to questions of faith and family that have been plaguing him. Along the way his father’s caravan is attacked and Godfrey is mortally wounded.

Full Article

The Pirates of the Caribbean

Orlando Bloom on Pirates of the Caribbean, in the best tradition of the swashbuckler

"I only made the film because Geoffrey Rush said I'd be an idiot if I didn't." So laughs Orlando Bloom about his decision to co-star in Pirates of the Caribbean, a big-screen take on the popular Disneyland ride. "I'd seen the script and I knew about the ride," continues the actor, "but it just didn't feel like my cup of tea. Then I was hanging around with Geoffrey on the Ned Kelly set and he said that he thought it would be a really fantastic experience. And that's exactly what it's turned out to be."   -Empire 03 APR2

Title:

The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2 Discs)

Director:

Gore Verbinski                                                     i

Stars:

Lee Arenberg, Johnny Depp, Trevor Goddard, Kevin McNally, Jonathan Pryce

Summary:
You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski (The Ring) repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of Shrek he's made Pirates into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since Jason and the Argonauts! --Jeff Shannon

Title:

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Director:

Gore Verbinski                                                     i

Stars:

Christopher Adamson, Lee Arenberg, Josie Dapar, Johnny Depp, Spider Madison

Summary:
Take the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, add a dash of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling Dead Man's Chest, a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that Dead Man's Chest was filmed simultaneously with some of Pirates 3, so don't expect a complete resolution (think more The Empire Strikes Back) or the movie will feel a lot longer than it really is. Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy (Love, Actually) weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. --Ellen A. Kim

Title:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Director:

Gore Verbinski                                                     i

Stars:

Lee Arenberg, Johnny Depp, Chow Yun-Fat, Kevin McNally, Bill Nighy

* The Lord of the Rings    Arda Encyclopedia records this post-Third Age legend about Legolas Greenleaf and Gimli:

During the War of the Ring, Legolas had formed a great friendship with Gimli the Dwarf, a remarkable thing between two races that normally held profound mistrust for one another. After the War, they journeyed together, visiting Aglarond and Fangorn Forest before travelling to their homes in the north. Soon, though, Legolas and Gimli returned into the south with many of their kindred. Legolas and his Elves of Mirkwood settled in the land of Ithilien , and it came to be called the fairest of all the western lands.

Legolas remained in Ithilien until the death of Aragorn in IV 120. At that time, he gave in to the sea-longing that had awoken at long before at Pelargir, and sailed out into the Great Sea and away from Middle-earth. Legend tells that he took his great friend Gimli with him into the West.

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