Kingdom of Heaven: Kingdom of Conscience and the Problem of Evil [Video Essay]

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3 жыл бұрын

How the 2005's Kingdom of Heaven portraits faith, devotion, and humanity in the middle of a Holy War
Kingdom of Heaven is 2005 film Directed by acclaimed Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan, who also wrote the Departed. Set during the Crusades of the 12th century and centering around the character Balian a French blacksmith who is recruited and knighted by his father to a fight in a holy war to defend the Kingdom of Jerusalem from the massing Musilm army headed by Saladin. In the Holy land Balian hopes to earn gods forgiveness for the sins of his deceased wife and himself. Along the way he must navigate the politics of the court of Jerusalem, fight religious fanatics on both sides and confront his religious beliefs. In this essay I discuss the events of the film and how the protagonist confronts the logical problem of evil that threatens his faith.
The Problem of Evil is a logical problem associated to a monotheistic religion that believes in an is an omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good God.
The Problem of Evil explained by Logic,
P1. If an omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient god exists, then evil does not.
P2. There is evil in the world.
C1. Therefore, an omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient god does not exist.
In a question format it sounds something similar to “If god is so powerful why does he allow evil and suffering.” Polythiestic religions often attribute all the evil to one of the gods, or perhaps on disagreements between different gods. But when there is only on god to answer to, the logic and the evidence of evil preclude to existence of such a wholly good god.
Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven Directors Cut is a Magnificent epic, which co-stars Liam Neeson, Eva Green (whose role is greatly expanded in the director's cut), David Thewlis, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Marton Czokas, Alexander Siddig, and Edward Norton.
Kingdom of Heaven Appreciation Playlist:
• Kingdom of Heaven | A ...
Stock Clips and Music licensing through Story Blocks.
Other film clips/trailers and poster graphics used here using fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Allowance is made for "fair use" for the purpose such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute.

Пікірлер: 37

@vaughanellis7866 Жыл бұрын

The Director's Cut of "Kingdom of Heaven" is way better as the story flows, the theatrical cut comes across as disjointed which ruins the film. The studio probably went for the theatrical cut as they did not think the audience would have sat through a film the length of the Director's Cut, even though film of that length were once common.

@johnlacorte1928 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this, you summarized my love for this movie very well.

@MinimumEffortMedia 2 жыл бұрын

Your welcome, any time!

@DefeatedRoyalist 7 күн бұрын

The evil prosper in this limited world, while the righteous prosper in the next.

@THEMAX00000 Жыл бұрын

You forgot the single most important line of dialogue in the entire film. One that completely and totally sums up the characters entire journey and provides a resolution to his conflict. “And if God does not love you, how could you do all the things that you have done? Peace be upon you.” God spoke to him through someone who was an enemy by circumstance. It is clear that the storyteller concludes that Balian was not capable of doing any of the things he did without God‘s intervention and that ultimately by choosing to do what was right, God worked through him and that he was not operating in his own power. God did speak to him in the end, God granted Balian peace and taught him the difference between faith and religion, as illustrated by his comment to the bishop about “learning a great deal about religion”. in the end Balian’s faith was restored or perhaps he came to faith in Christ for the very first time. There was no internal summer. Everything that he had lost in life was given back to him, first a wife, and then obviously children. Sad that you missed that.

@sassylittleprophet Жыл бұрын

Balian was not restored everything in life that was lost. His wife and child are still dead. People are not replaceable, that is a rather cheap way to view a human's existence. Grief and loss of loved ones still exist in the presence of the joy brought by new loved ones, and the depression and pain caused by that doesn't just go away.

@djentile7773 Жыл бұрын

I just had this thought. The stress, inner turmoil and burden of being King is represented in the outward leprosy. Also, the boy king hardly speaks at all and is moved from one place to another under the guidance and instruction of adults around him. He hardly shows emotion, and we know he has no feeling in his flesh. His position and title have taken place of his own desires and feelings in a figurative and literal sense. I'm not sure if these things are really meant to be seen or if I just saw them by happen stance. What do you think? Great essay friend, I enjoyed it!

@smoth7 2 жыл бұрын

There is verse, very early on the jailor paraphrases it but stops short.. “The is the world and there are problems in it..” “rejoice for i have conquered the world.” -jesus

@paulfernando1887 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this wonderful summarisation of this film which has and is one of my favourites thank you 🙏

@attrage7545 10 ай бұрын

Great video, very thought provoking. I must say I disagree with the theory that the Hospitaler doesn't exist; this really kind of insults the character and David Thewlis' portrayal of him. William Monahan has himself confirmed he wrote the character as a real person, but that yes indeed he acts as a sort of moral compass for the character of Balian which is why he seems a bit ethereal.

@oriensadria192 27 күн бұрын

Hospitaler was an Angel, sort of Guardian Angel for Balian

@davidlissowski5030 Жыл бұрын

Balian is an example of forsaking all and following Jesus.. If you have travelled to where they speak Italian (any Christian religion), keep going until they speak another (love), then fight for the Jerusalem (city of peace) in you.. We are all pilgrims.

@djentile7773 Жыл бұрын

Blessed Cross ! Blessed sepulcher! My burden has been lifted!

@number2and3 5 ай бұрын

Great work!!! Loved this movie (only have seen the DC). Well worth 3 hours

@Garber1956 Жыл бұрын

Good analysis. Any thought that an omnificent diety needs to be good or bad or wants worshipers or does anything is a primitive thought in itself. The Knight Hospitaller was trying to say that people too often stink when it comes to spirituality and only our thought, heart, and actions can be holy.

@MinimumEffortMedia Жыл бұрын

That’s a very interesting. I tend to have a pantheistic views myself. You could also consider what he said to Bailan was what the character needed to here in to moment to be confident in his decisions. Which is why I really enjoy the Hospitaller character because it leaves his presence in the story up to the viewers interpretation.

@Garber1956 Жыл бұрын

@@MinimumEffortMedia good point, Zen practitioners would agree. Also Jesus who castigated Pharisees and ministers for making up crap instead of the core focus of taking care of the poor and protecting the week. But I'm not Christian.

@lukyguy1240 6 ай бұрын

It stands to reason from the Christian perspective, since people are not spirits. Therefore, we cannot in-and-of-ourselves be spiritual. We are a triad (for lack of a better term) of body, soul, and spirit. However, the spirit is not ours. A human has either the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Antichrist working in us. Since you know a tree by its fruits, an individual can ascertain which Spirit is working in them, and they choose to yield their body and soul to one or the other. That's why the Hospitaller would emphasize that your thought, heart, and actions should be holy. The holiness of such is a litmus test, but not the goal. The goal is to have and yield to the Holy Spirit, who is God, and thereby have a personal, right relationship with Him. I don't know the intentions of Ridley Scott, but from a Christian perspective, that would be the underpinnings of the Hospitaller's statements. Since the character is presumably a Christian, I think it is worth at least noting. Quite a complex film, however.

@Garber1956 6 ай бұрын

@@MinimumEffortMedia there's even some interpretations that the hospitaler was an angel

@nouvada9171 Жыл бұрын

Keep up the great work, mate!

@Evohunter7 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for a well-crafted essay.

@Janopooh Жыл бұрын

I love this movie, thank you for your service.

@jimbarth9859 Жыл бұрын

Minimum Effort Media... If the voice of the narrator is your own, how I wish I could have gained the wisdom you pursue as young as you. You, my friend walk humbly among giants. But you can do so with pride.

@MinimumEffortMedia Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that’s me. Thanks

@anthonybutt2453 8 ай бұрын

This is an excellent addition to LSOO's video essay. Many thanks. 👍👍

@NashvillePastaman Ай бұрын

“The line between good and evil runs through the heart of man”…… Solzhenitsyn. I am taken by the warrior philosopher you have become- were you this before you went to war or did it awaken it within you…….. i loved this movie- directors cut- but i also loved your exegesis- very thoughtful….. where i would suggest you take a deeper look is in the motivations of the zealots on both sides….. we see the motivations and the character developments/politics of Christendom…. We see none of it from the opposing forces….. there are brief conversations with Saladin about the politics of war- and there is a singular character that is featured on 3 occasions…. The “god wills it” character of Saladin……. But the portrayal of them is severely out of balance to be considered a bit of noise in the wind…. Whereas in the Christendom characters, it is a main driving force…. The stepping around the cross, the picking up of the crucifix ……. These things are throughout- to civilize the Saladin cause….. i would ask “if that was an accurate depiction of the civility of Saladin- why build a mosque on the ruins of the church ???? - why walk around the cross in a private moment- and in the public face- the the thing that will result in Richard the LionHeart returning for a 3rd go at it?? The truth is probably more along the lines of a politically correct Hollywood attempt to civilize the barbarism of one group which in turn amplifies the barbarism of the other (a bit of self loathing perhaps)………. “ i am not those men”…….. pluralism is a hallmark of almost all Christian societies….. but not those of Saladin, his beliefs and the subsequent lineage of the hordes…