Ridley Scott's latest epic on the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven, cannot escape the historical climate of our time. Osama bin Laden never fails to argue the Western world is bent on a new crusade. In 1998 he called his network of terrorists, "International Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders." And on September 16, when Bush himself said "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while," you can imagine that it didn't sit well with everyone.

There is something about the great Crusades that can still excite our passions, and Kingdom of Heaven, featuring Orlando Bloom in his first lead role, attempts to tap into that. Although the acting and cinematography are decent enough, the film disappointingly fails to capture the essence of the Crusaders or their adversaries. In the process it muddies both the film and the history upon which it is based.

In the year of our Lord 1186, Godfrey Baron of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) stops by a village to find his bastard son and take him crusading. After first turning down the offer, the timid Balian (Orlando Bloom) takes up the quest in search of forgiveness he hopes to find in Jerusalem. With Godfrey's premature death Balian is awarded knighthood and charged with protecting his lands and the Holy City's King.

Kingdom of Heaven sets itself up as though it has some story to tell. But the history it does tell is inaccurate, and the plot utterly uninteresting. Balian is shaped by events rather than one who shapes them. This comes through most annoyingly in his inability to grasp the faith for which he fights, or the city he's charged to defend. "What is Jerusalem worth?" he asks, not knowing the answer. When the great Saladin (Ghassan Massoud) finally conquers the city and demands terms, Balian meekly accepts freedom to leave with the survivors alive.

In spite of attempts to the contrary, Bloom and his character are weak, both spiritually and in battle. He lacks the physical build and imaginative vision of a lead in this role. We're supposed to be moved by Balian's soul-searching. The dying Godfrey advises his son to become "not what you were born but what you have it in yourself to be." Who knew Dr. Phil had ancient forebears? Sadly, we're left with a confused "Lord of the Rings" elf that doesn't inspire. Balian's moral lesson, and essentially the justification for his defeat, is that Jerusalem is in our hearts and minds, not within the city walls.