I first saw this in a theatre in 2005 and inspite of owning a dvd (theatrical version) i never revisited it but revisited the 194 mins Director's Cut few days back.
The film has amazing visuals, the landscapes n the battle scenes are stunning.
While these kinda movies are enjoyed on the big screen, the Director's Cut makes more sense and has many scenes included, battle scenes are depicted with more violence than in the theatrical cut and the subplot involving Sybilla's son Baldwin V, is added but its very poignant.
Also more scenes with Hospitaller offering guidance to Balian are present in the Director's Cut. But a scene where Hospitaller guides Balian after Balian survives an attack by Guy's men looked a bit supernatural.
I am generous with a 9 cos the movie is very entertaining.
Wud have easily rated it a 10 if the makers wud have given more footage to the character of Saladin, a true chivalrous knight.
It is equally true that his generosity, his piety, devoid of fanaticism, that flower of liberality and courtesy which had been the model of our old chroniclers, won him no less popularity in Frankish Syria than in the lands of Islam - René Grousset (writer).
Despite the Crusaders' slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099, Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics and even to the defeated Christian army, (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated even better, because they often opposed the western Crusaders).
The film has amazing visuals, the landscapes n the battle scenes are stunning.
While these kinda movies are enjoyed on the big screen, the Director's Cut makes more sense and has many scenes included, battle scenes are depicted with more violence than in the theatrical cut and the subplot involving Sybilla's son Baldwin V, is added but its very poignant.
Also more scenes with Hospitaller offering guidance to Balian are present in the Director's Cut. But a scene where Hospitaller guides Balian after Balian survives an attack by Guy's men looked a bit supernatural.
I am generous with a 9 cos the movie is very entertaining.
Wud have easily rated it a 10 if the makers wud have given more footage to the character of Saladin, a true chivalrous knight.
It is equally true that his generosity, his piety, devoid of fanaticism, that flower of liberality and courtesy which had been the model of our old chroniclers, won him no less popularity in Frankish Syria than in the lands of Islam - René Grousset (writer).
Despite the Crusaders' slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099, Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics and even to the defeated Christian army, (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated even better, because they often opposed the western Crusaders).