posted 05-12-2005 04:58 PM            

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saw it last night & thought it was fab! Not quite sure about how historically accurate it was (not very probably) but brilliant all the same. You have to have a strong stomach though.

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posted 05-13-2005 01:40 PM         

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Yes I thoroughly enjoyed this film too. Of course there was lots of Holywood twaddle (eg the French Blacksmith who showed the Muslim's how to irrigate their land!!!), but still full of marvellous attention to detail.

The Count of Ibelin's French castle in the film was actually filmed at Castillo de Loarre in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees. Although somewhat spruced up for the film and no doubt with much computer graphics added as well, this castle is still one of the finest in Europe. A marvellously preserved Romanesque fortress/monastery of the Knights Templar.
Peter

posted 05-14-2005 07:14 AM            

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Saw the movie this week and enjoyed it very much, altough I think Ridley Scott had not his best day when he choosed Orlando Bloom to play Balian.

As for the historical accuracy: A lot of things are correct. King Balduin IV. realy died of Lepra, and his sister realy was married to Guy de Lusignan. But after Balduins death, there was first the succession of his sisters young son, Balduin V. Only after the boys death Guy became king and lead the army of Jerusalem into the battle of Hattin which indeed ended with a complete victory of Saladin. To have him out of the way, king Richard I. of England made Guy later king of Cyprus.