Plot.
It is the time of the Crusades during the Middle Ages the world shaping 200 year
collision between Europe and the East. A blacksmith named Balian has lost his
family and nearly his faith. The religious wars raging in the far-off Holy Land
seem remote to him, yet he is pulled into that immense drama. Amid the pageantry
and intrigues of medieval Jerusalem, he falls in love, grows into a leader, and
ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city against staggering
odds. Destiny comes seeking Balian in the form of a great knight, Godfrey of
Ibelin, a Crusader briefly home to France from fighting in the East. Revealing
himself as Balian's father, Godfrey shows him the true meaning of knighthood and
takes him on a journey across continents to the fabled Holy City. In Jerusalem at
that moment--between the Second and Third Crusades--a fragile peace prevails,
through the efforts of its enlightened Christian king, Baldwin IV, aided by his
advisor Tiberias, and the military restraint of the legendary Muslim leader Saladin
Ayubi. But Baldwin's days are numbered, and strains of fanaticism, greed, and
jealousy among the Crusaders threaten to shatter the truce. King Baldwin's vision
of peace--a kingdom of heaven--is shared by a handful of knights, including Godfrey
of Ibelin, who swear to uphold it with their lives and honour. As Godfrey passes
his sword to his son, he also passes on that sacred oath: to protect the helpless,
safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so
that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. Balian takes the sword and steps
into history.
Code:
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