Synopsis

The story begins in the year 1184 during the time of the Crusades for the city of Jerusalem. Balian (Orlando Bloom), a peasant blacksmith in France is visited by Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson).

Godfrey reveals to Balian that he is his father, and he asks Balian to come with him and fight in the Crusades. Balian tells his father that he is mourning his wife, who has just committed suicide after the death of their newborn.

The village priest callously informs Balian that his late wife burns in hell for her actions, and enrages the grieving blacksmith to the point where he attacks and murders the holy man.



Fleeing his native village, he joins up with Godfrey and heads off to the Crusades. Before dying, Godfrey knights his bastard Son, and makes him Baron of Ibelin, a territory in the Holy Land. Balian hopes that he can reach Jerusalem and beg forgiveness for himself and his late wife.

After being shipwrecked on the Levant coast, Balian is forced to fight for survival. He defeats an Arab “champion” and gains the respect of his Muslim opponents.

He eventually presents himself to King Baldwin of Jerusalem (Edward Norton) and is confirmed as Baron of Ibelin. Balian finds Ibelin to be a remote desert oasis, but does his best to manage his new lands well.

The various Christian knights and lords are constantly bickering, with some pleased with the status quo, while others seek wealth and glory by attacking Muslim caravans and trying to expand the Christian-controlled territories. Guy de Lusignan, a member of the Knight’s Templar, is especially aggressive, and causes a rupture with the Muslims by attacking them ceaselessly.

When King Baldwin dies, the truce with the Muslims is broken, and the Christians ride out to assault Saladin’s (Ghassan Massoud) mighty army. They are quickly dispatched in the desert, and Saladin besieges Jerusalem.

Balian and the people of Jerusalem fight for their lives as Saladin assault the city. They are badly outnumbered, however, and eventually have to capitulate.

Saladin graciously allows them to leave the city, provided they leave all precious objects and gold behind. Balian returns to France, and is seen working as a smith again at the end of the film. He is approached by King Richard (of England) asking if he is Balian of Ibelin. Balian replies that he is a blacksmith, nothing more. —IMDb

Cast: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Marton Csokas, Michael Sheen, Edward Norton, Ghassan Massoud, Alexander Siddig, Khaled Nabawy, Eriq Ebouaney, Jouko Ahola, Kevin McKidd, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Velibor Topic, Jon Finch, Ulrich Thomsen, Iain Glen