Director Scott hopes to draw comparisons to our own time. "I thought we were fighting for God. Then I realized we were fighting for wealth and land," a thoughtful Tiberias says. As Balian rides off into anonymity at the end of the film, a few simple sentences note the Crusades were resurrected and peace in Jerusalem remains elusive. One gathers that the film is attempting to tell us that watery submission like Balian's might offer a solution in our own time.

In the coming days many people will rightly explore the historical inaccuracies. But in fairness to screenwriter William Monahan, some parts aren't far off. Godfrey was a just leader. He declined the title of "king" because he did not want to wear a crown of gold in the place where Christ had worn a crown of thorns. Saladin was in fact a true gentleman. When Richard Lionheart was sick of fever in 1192, Saladin sent him peaches and pears, and snow from Mount Hermon to cool his drinks. And Reynald of Chatillon was indeed a brutal thug, causing Saladin to decapitate him personally.

But these basic facts are shoved into a pre-packaged Hollywood film equation. Infallible hero? Check. Beautiful damsel in distress? Check. Cheesy lines about bucking the establishment and fighting for the common man? Check. Modern day groups portrayed in politically correct light? Check. There is a reason similar "historical" fictions like Troy, Alexander, and King Arthur all failed. Someone just forgot to send Ridley Scott the memo. The Crusades, with all their ghastly warts, was a reality packed full of rich drama and excitement. It's a shame Kingdom of Heaven distorts it for Hollywood predictability.