Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (Steelbook) (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Bill Hunt
Review Date: May 24, 2025
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Ridley Scott

Release Date(s)

2005/2006 (May 27, 2025)

Studio(s)

Scott Free/Inside Track/20th Century Fox (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Film/Program Grade: See Below
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: A+
Extras Grade: A+
Overall Grade: A+

Review

Set in the year 1186, Kingdom of Heaven introduces us to a twenty-something French blacksmith named Balian (Orlando Bloom), whose wife has just committed suicide after losing their child. Since his Christian upbringing tells him that suicide is a grave sin, Balian believes she’s now in Hell, causing him a deep crisis of faith. But not long after this, a band of Crusading knights passes through his village. Their leader, Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), has come specifically to find Balian, who’s revealed to be his son. Godfrey offers to take the young man under his wing and give him a fresh start. Initially reluctant, Balian eventually accepts the offer, hoping to seek forgiveness from God and redemption for his wife’s soul. So Godfrey and his men take Balian into their ranks and depart for their estate in Holy Land. But when an unfortunate turn of events leaves Godfrey mortally wounded, he knights Balian—making him swear to protect the King of Jerusalem, as well as the weak and innocent—and then dies, leaving the young man the new Baron of Ibelin, and filled with doubt that he’ll ever be able to keep his promises to a father he barely knew.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, however, Balian quickly earns the respect of Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), who’s the King’s marshal and Godfrey’s longtime friend and ally. He also wins the trust of the reclusive King Baldwin himself (Edward Norton, in an uncredited performance), as well as the King’s sister, the Princess Sibylla (Eva Green). But all of this draws scorn for Balian from Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas), the arrogant and power hungry baron who’s married to Sibylla and who is eager to become the next King of Jerusalem. For while the dying Baldwin has managed to keep an uneasy peace with the legendary leader of the Muslims, Saladin (Ghassan Massoud), Guy and his Crusaders want war instead, believing what they’ve been told by the Pope—that with God on their side, Christian forces are unbeatable. So Balian soon finds himself torn between his loyalty to his father and the King... and doing what he knows to be morally right.

Kingdom of Heaven is a masterpiece of direction, cinematography, and action. We’ve come to expect all of those things from director Ridley Scott, of course, and he doesn’t disappoint here. But the film has an interesting history. Its original Theatrical Cut contained significant story gaps and flaws, which earned Kingdom of Heaven a spate of negative reviews that the film has long struggled to overcome. Its issues include events that seem to unfold too quickly, thread-bare characterizations, relationships that aren’t fully explored or resolved, and little attention to the film’s complex historical and religious context. All of these problems were caused by the fact that Scott elected to cut over an hour of footage from the film’s running time to allow for more theatrical screenings, and thus a better chance for the studio to recoup its investment. But the agreement was always that Scott’s longer Director’s Cut would then be released on home video—DVD, Blu-ray, and now thankfully 4K Ultra HD. And the good news is that the Director’s Cut ameliorates each of these issues. (Note that the Roadshow Version also included here is simply the Director’s Cut with an added musical overture, intermission break, and entr’acte.)

So what makes the Director’s Cut better? The restored footage fleshes out the film’s characters and story points considerably. Finally, you better understand what motivates Balian—you see more of his life and circumstances in France. You see his wife briefly in Balian’s memory, and understand his grief. You learn that he’s experienced war previously as an engineer, so his cleverness in defending Jerusalem later makes more sense. You learn more about Godfrey’s own connections to Balian’s home and village, why he returned to find Balian, and why the local lord’s men would attack him later. The animosity between Balian and his brother, a local priest, is shown in greater clarity. Once Balian arrives in the Holy Land, you learn that Sibylla’s marriage to Guy is really one of convenience only, which puts Sibylla and Balian’s romantic relationship into better context. You also learn that Sibylla has a son (who was completely excised from the Theatrical Cut) and that her love for the boy motivates almost every action she takes (which in turn makes sense out of her behavior late in the film). You see more of Balian’s interactions with King Baldwin too, and their developing respect for one another. And at last you learn exactly why Guy hates Balian (it isn’t just about Sibylla) and see this culminate in a final confrontation that’s also missing from the Theatrical Cut. Frankly, it would be difficult to overstate the degree to which the Director’s Cut is just a better and far more rewarding viewing experience.

It also represents something of a mic drop for this director, as it features deeper themes and an even grander historical vision than Scott’s much-loved Gladiator (2000), a work of similar scale. Filmed just three years after the events of September 11, 2001, it’s set just before the Third Crusade pitting Christianity against Islam in a battle for control of Jerusalem—now, there’s a potentially hot topic! (It’s also important to note here that though the film is based on real events and historical figures, this is a highly fictionalized depiction of that history, and a contemporary one at that.) Yet the film manages to accommodate multiple perspectives while respecting both its subject matter and its viewers—no small feat.

In many ways, Kingdom of Heaven has never been more relevant than it is now, some twenty years after its debut. Consider the fact that so many of today’s young men in the 21st century seem to be feeling, powerfully and instinctively, a loss of purpose—a lack of acceptance and meaning in their lives. Kingdom of Heaven not only speaks to this subject, it lays out the framework of a solution. As depicted in the film, Balian loses his family and home, and embarks on a journey to find himself. Soon he must choose between two paths: One of aggression, bloodshed, and war… or one of sacrifice, guardianship, and virtue. Each path offers brotherhood, but only one offers genuine meaning and a code of honor. William Monahan’s screenplay is filled with moments and dialogue that illustrate this:

“What man is a man who does not make the world better?”

“Remember that howsoever you are played or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say, “But I was told by others to do thus,” or that virtue was not convenient at the time. This will not suffice.”

“Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee.”

“Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong.”

“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. By what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man. Or not.”

The key here is that these principles are universal. They apply whether or not a person believes in God or has religion. They merely assume a simple basic truth: Each of us has the fundamental freedom to choose—every single day—to do good or ill. And they speak to the responsibility that each of us has—to ourselves and to our fellow human beings—to choose goodness, and to the reward of genuine personal meaning and broader fellowship that only the virtuous path provides. It seems to me, that’s not a bad way to one’s life.

Kingdom of Heaven features one of Scott’s biggest ensemble casts (though Black Hawk Down (2001) arguably boasts the largest). But each player here elevates their game. Orlando Bloom has never been at risk of winning a Best Actor statue, but much like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix (1999), he’s exactly what this film needs. Bloom is reserved but honorable, and his charisma is genuine indeed. Eva Green is simply stunning here in a role that would foreshadow an equally great performance as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006). And the supporting cast does yeoman’s work, especially Liam Neeson and David Thewlis, but also Irons, Massoud, and Alexander Siddig (of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fame). Norton gives a remarkable performance as King Baldwin; though he’s completely masked, his eyes speak volumes. Familiar faces in smaller roles include Brendan Gleeson, Michael Sheen, Kevin McKidd, Iain Glen, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. If there’s one weak link here, it might be Marton Csokas’s Guy de Lusignan, whose role is a bit sneery and one-dimensional. But as nits go, that’s a fairly minor one to pick.

Of special note in this film is the work of cinematographer John Mathieson (Gladiator, Hannibal, Logan) and composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Mathieson’s visual artistry is stunning—in a long and storied career, this may be his finest effort. Much like earlier classics set in this landscape (think Lawrence of Arabia), nearly every frame here could be hung as art. Mathieson’s bold use of lighting, color, and texture, the way he frames his shots, his use of deep focus, all of it is splendid. Kingdom of Heaven is one of Ridley Scott’s best looking films for a reason. And Gregson-Williams’ score is evocative, blending both original compositions with music from the period, and even bits borrowed from other soundtracks (including passages written by mentor Hans Zimmer, who’d originally signed to do the film). Participants include the London Session Orchestra, the Bach Choir, vocalists Catherine Bott and Iestyn Davies, and a number of Spanish, Senegalese, and Turkish musicians. What’s lovely is the way this score flows thematically, while maintaining a genuine cohesiveness throughout. The tracks are muscular when necessary, but it’s the quiet themes that most satisfy, drawing upon both Christian and Arab musical traditions.

Kingdom of Heaven was shot on 35mm film (specifically Kodak EXR 50D 5245 for exteriors, and Vision2 500T 5218 and Vision 200T 5274 for interior and night scenes) in Super 35 format by Mathieson (Gladiator, Hannibal, Logan) using Arricam Studio and Lite cameras with Cooke S4 and Angenieux Optimo spherical lenses. (Super 35 was apparently chosen to allow for a wider range of lenses and to make the most of lower light levels.) Select battle footage and portions of the Siege of Jerusalem were filmed at 60 fps. Per editor Dody Dorn (in the documentary on Disc Three), the film’s original camera negative was scanned and conformed digitally, combined with CG visual effects, and then graded to create a color-timed 2K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. (Kingdom of Heaven was in fact Ridley Scott’s first film to feature a full Digital Intermediate, and—per the DP in American Cinematographer, June 2005—the decision to do so was made late in the game because the short post-production schedule meant that color timing had to begin while the cut was still being finalized.) The result of this effort was then scanned back out to film to create a new master negative.

For the film’s long-awaited release on Ultra HD, it seems likely that either the original 2K DI was upsampled, or the filmed-out master negative was scanned in 4K. The resulting image was then graded for high dynamic range (both Dolby Vision and HDR10 are available on this disc). I’ve reached out to my studio sources to ask if Kevin Schaeffer, Disney’s Director of Restoration & Library Management, can provide some restoration notes for this release. (If and when I receive specific details on the restoration, I’ll add them here.) What I know for sure—per 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell—is that Schaeffer and his team at Walt Disney Studios Restoration worked for seven months on this project, and all of that work was done to Scott and Mathieson’s specifications.

The resulting 4K presentation is gorgeous. There’s a significant uptick in detail and refinement over the 2014 Blu-ray release (reviewed here on The Bits). Gone are its digitally-processed appearance and obvious edge enhancement. And the encoding here is dramatically better, not just in terms of higher data rates (which run in the 35-45 Mbps range, thanks to the use of a 100GB disc), but also the encoding itself. The image has much greater depth and stability now—it’s robust and rock-solid, with the expanded color space and Dolby Vision grade rendering a bolder and more organic image, featuring richer hues and greater subtleties. A light wash of organic photochemical grain is visible at all times, and at no point does it appear that DNR has been applied. Nor is there any obvious hint that AI upsampling has been employed. This is simply a beautifully natural and utterly cinematic image—by far the best I’ve ever seen Kingdom of Heaven looking before. (Without knowing the full remastering details I can’t quite justify giving the video an A+ grade, but this is at least a very strong A, in my estimation.) And the remastered Blu-ray in the package is improved too over the 2014 Blu-ray, albeit with a slight reduction in detail and without the benefits of HDR.

Sony’s 4K disc includes its primary audio in a new English Dolby Atmos mix, while the remastered Blu-ray offers the previous English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. Both discs also include English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, and the 4K disc adds a German 5.1 DTS-HD High Resolution mix while the Blu-ray has German 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitle options on each include English for the Hearing Impaired, German, French, and Spanish. I’m pleased to report that the Atmos mix is excellent, opening with Gregson-Williams’ score overture in terrific fidelity. The actual film mix begins with quiet atmospheric and instrumental touches; the blowing wind, distant bird cries, and a melancholy guitar with drums, soon joined by choral and orchestra. Spoken dialogue sounds tonally robust, with horse hooves and other sound effects exhibiting deep bass. For much of the early part of the film, the mix is sparse and airy. Movement is lovely though: When the gravedigger swings his axe, you can hear it sweeping from left to right and through the height channels in between. When Godfrey’s party joins the local baron for dinner, the stone hall in which they dine has its own clear sense of sonic space. As they later camp in the forest, wildlife sounds filter in from all around—some close and others more distant. And when the group gets attacked on the road, the mix finally begins to flex its impressive dynamics. While combatants duel with swords, you can hear them clanging left, right, and overhead. Later on, the bustling streets of Messina and Jerusalem come alive with chatter and activity. Blowing sand in desertscapes creates a marvelous sense of sonic vastness. Footfalls echo through the halls of King Baldwin’s palace. And the Siege of Jerusalem itself is a sonic marvel, with Saladin’s trebuchets flinging massive boulders high into the air to soar down from the height channels. The track is by turns subtle and muscular, with aggressive panning in battle. But it never sounds muddy or cluttered—each element is rendered in crisp clarity, with highly-nuanced staging amid an impressively broad and grand soundstage. This is a reference-quality Atmos experience.

Sony and 20th Century Studio’s new Steelbook edition is a 3-disc set that includes both The Director’s Cut and The Director’s Cut: Roadshow Version on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, each sourced from the new 4K restoration. (Note that both use the same menu layout as the 2014 Blu-ray release.) A third disc includes the lion’s share of the legacy bonus features. Here’s a complete disc by disc breakdown:

Discs One & Two: The Film (4K UHD & Blu-ray)

Kingdom of Heaven: The Director’s Cut (4K & HD – 189:32 mins)
Kingdom of Heaven: The Director’s Cut – Roadshow Version (4K & HD – 193:53 mins)
- Audio Commentary with Ridley Scott, William Monahan, and Orlando Bloom (Roadshow Version only)
- Audio Commentary with Lisa Ellzey, Wesley Sewell, and Adam Somner (Roadshow Version only)
- Audio Commentary with Dody Dorn (Roadshow Version only)
- The Engineer’s Guide (text trivia track – Roadshow Version only)
Introduction by Ridley Scott (4K upsampled from SD – 1:01)

Disc Three: Bonus Disc (Blu-ray)

The Path to Redemption Documentary (SD – 6 parts – 141:49 in all)
- Good Intentions: Development (SD – 16:43)
- Faith and Courage: Pre-Production (SD – 19:59)
- The Pilgrimage Begins: Production – Spain (SD – 18:29)
- Into the Promised Land: Production – Morocco (SD – 31:20)
- The Burning Bush: Post-Production (SD – 37:33)
- Sins and Absolution: Release (SD – 18:22)
Production Sequence
- Development
  - Tripoli Overview (SD gallery)
  - Early Draft Screenplay by William Monahan (SD gallery)
  - Story Notes (SD gallery)
  - Location Scout Gallery (SD gallery)
- Pre-Production
  - Cast Rehearsals (SD – 13:23)
  - Ridleygrams (SD gallery)
  - Colors of the Crusade (SD – 32:14)
  - Costume Design Gallery (HD gallery)
  - Production Design Primer (SD – 6:52)
  - Production Design Gallery (SD gallery)
- Production
  - Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak (SD – 26:38)
  - Unholy War: Mounting the Siege (SD – 17:04)
  - Storyboard Galleries
    - Balian’s Village (SD gallery)
    - Forest Ambush (SD gallery)
    - Pilgrim Road (SD gallery)
    - Kerak (SD gallery)
    - Battle Preparations (SD gallery)
    - The Siege (SD gallery)
  - Unit Photography Gallery
    - Spain (HD gallery)
    - Morocco (HD gallery)
- Post-Production
  - Deleted & Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary by Ridley Scott and Dody Dorn (SD – 15 scenes – 30:09 in all)
    - Gluttony (SD – :29)
    - Starting Over (SD – :58)
    - Healing (SD – 1:31)
    - A New World (SD – 4:04)
    - Golgotha (SD – 6:04)
    - Godfrey’s House (SD – 1:03)
    - The Penitent Man (SD – 1:28)
    - The Penitent Man II (SD – 1:27)
    - Massacre Flashback (SD – 1:16)
    - Walking the Ramparts (SD – 2:31)
    - The Boy’s Arrival & Coronation (SD – 2:49)
    - Rape (SD – :56)
    - Husband & Wife (SD – 1:28)
    - Obstruction and Salvation (SD – 2:30)
    - Hattin Aftermath (SD – 1:27)
  - Sound Design Suite (interactive feature)
    - Sample with Multiple Audio Tracks (SD – 3:03)
    - Craft Grid
      - Dialogue Editing (SD – 3:26)
      - ADR (SD – 5:27)
      - Foley (SD – 7:26)
      - Sound FX Editing (SD – 4:55)
      - Final Mix (SD – 3:40)
  - Visual Effects Breakdowns (SD – 4 segments – 21:53 in all)
    - The Burning Man: Fire Effects and Face Replacement (SD – 3:14)
    - Building Jerusalem: Digital Matte Paintings and 3D Modeling (SD – 6:05)
    - Casualties of War: Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Warriors (SD – 7:50)
    - Medieval Engines: The Physics and Firepower of Trebuchets (SD – 4:43)
- Release and Director’s Cut
  - Press Junket Walkthrough (SD – 6:17)
  - World Premieres: London, New York & Tokyo (SD – 3:41)
  - Special Shoot Gallery (HD gallery)
  - Poster Explorations (SD gallery)
  - Trailers & TV Spots
    - Trailer 1 (HD – 2:34)
    - Trailer 2 (SD – 1:34)
    - Trailer 3 (HD – 2:34)
    - Trailer 4 (HD – 2:25)
    - Oath to a Father/Take This City (SD – :31)
    - Oath to a Father Final (SD – :31)
    - Crusader Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Ridley (SD – :31)
    - What God Desires (SD – :32)
    - Sounds Final (SD – :31)
    - Obligation (SD – :31)
    - That Is Your Oath (SD – :31)
    - A Choice (SD – :31)
    - Protect/Cast (SD – :31)
    - Ever Told Review (SD – :31)
    - Protect Alt. (SD – :31)
    - David and Goliath 1 (SD – :31)
    - Protect (SD – :31)
    - Epic Review (SD – :31)
    - Give Me Final (SD – :31)
    - For the Kingdom Final (SD – :31)
    - Love and Honor Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Change the World Forever Alt. Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Change the World Forever Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Give Me Alt. Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Young Male Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Faith Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Test Alt. Final (SD – :31)
    - Test Rev. (SD – :31)
    - For the Kingdom/Crusade (SD – :31)
    - 1000 Years Ago (SD – :31)
    - Keep the Peace/Balian (SD – :31)
    - Forever (SD – :31)
    - Cutdown Alt. (SD – :31)
    - Cutdown (SD – :31)
    - Changed the World Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Ever Told (SD – :31)
    - Sacrifice (SD – :31)
    - Everything (SD – :31)
    - Run Rhythm (SD – :31)
    - David and Goliath 2 (SD – :31)
    - The End Rev. (SD – :31)
    - For the Kingdom Alt. Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Sounds Alt. Rev. (SD – :31)
    - Top Critics/Most Provocative (SD – :16)
    - Top Critics (SD – :16)
    - Crusader 15 (SD – :16)
    - Kingdom of Rev. (SD – :16)
    - Give Me Cutdown/Rev. (SD – :16)
    - Obligation Cutdown (SD – :16)
    - Drum Cast (SD – :16)
    - Love and Honor 15 (SD – :16)
    - The End (SD – :16)
    - Young Male Cutdown (SD – :16)
  - Paradise Found: Creating the Director’s Cut (SD – 8:29)
  - Director’s Cut Credits (HD gallery)
Archive
- Interactive Production Grid (interactive feature)
- Ridley Scott: Creating Worlds (SD – 2:37)
- Production Featurette (SD – 2:18)
- Wardrobe Featurette (SD – 2:12)
- Orlando Bloom: The Adventure of a Lifetime (SD – 2:11)

The first thing you’ll note is that the Theatrical Cut of the film is not included here. So if you want to keep that, you’ll need to hang on to your 2014 Blu-ray. Also not included is The Pilgrim’s Guide text trivia track that was a feature on the Theatrical Cut. Missing too are the pair of cable TV specials included on the film’s original 2-disc Theatrical Cut DVD release in 2005, specifically History vs. Hollywood (SD – 42:54) and A&E MovieReal (SD – 44:27). These were produced by the History Channel and A&E respectively. So you may wish to keep that edition as well (they’re also found on the 2014 Blu-ray Bonus Disc). Otherwise, all of the previous special features carry over here, nearly all of them in SD, some created for the 2005 DVD and much more for the 2006 4-Disc Director’s Cut DVD. All of them were produced by our old friend Charles de Lauzirika. And for you younger readers, this title is a perfect example of the kinds of incredibly elaborate and comprehensive special editions the so-called “Golden Age of Discs” was famous for—there are easily two to three dozen hours of content available here to enjoy.

The movie discs include all three previously available audio commentaries, the first featuring Scott with screenwriter William Monahan and star Orlando Bloom, the second executive producer Lisa Ellzey, effects supervisor Wesley Sewell, and 1st AD Adam Somner, and the third editor Dody Dorn. Each of these has subtitles available in English, French, Spanish, and German (you access them with your remote, not via the disc menu). There’s also The Engineer’s Guide text trivia track on the Roadshow Version.

The Bonus Blu-ray includes everything else—nearly all of the other special features from the previous 2-disc Theatrical Cut and 4-disc Director’s Cut DVDs. (Note: This is not exactly the same Bonus Disc that Fox released in 2014, because it now opens with the new 20th Century Studios logo and the two cable TV specials in the Archive section are gone. But the rest of the disc’s bonus content and menus are otherwise identical. I should also add that there are no subtitles on this disc; it’s English audio only.) From the Director’s Cut DVD you get the 6-part SD documentary on the film’s production, entitled The Path to Redemption, and all of its features. It begins with Part I: Good Intentions, which chronicles the development of the film. Part II: Faith and Courage looks more closely at the pre-production process. Part III: The Pilgrimage Begins continues by focusing on the first part of the film’s location filming in Spain. Part IV: Into the Holy Land chronicles the film’s production as it continued in Morocco. Part V: The Burning Bush delves into the film’s post-production process and addresses, among other things, the cuts that were made to the film. The documentary concludes here with Part VI: Sins and Absolution, which examines the film’s release.

All of the additional extras that were broken into sections on the DVD are included on the Blu-ray in the Production Sequence section. It starts with Development, which includes the early draft of Monahan’s screenplay for the film, story notes, a gallery of location scout photos, and a video overview of the original Tripoli film project out of which Kingdom of Heaven emerged. Next is Pre-Production, which includes cast rehearsal video, the Colors of the Crusade featurette on the film’s costume design, a gallery of Ridleygrams (storyboards drawn by the director), the Production Design Primer featurette, a gallery of production design images, and a costume design gallery. Production features the Creative Accuracy: The Scholars Speak featurette (on the historical accuracy of the film), additional galleries of storyboards from the film, and a gallery of unit production photography images, as well as a separate featurette that focuses on the film’s epic battle scenes, entitled Unholy War: Mounting the Siege. The Post-Production section offers 15 deleted and extended scenes (with optional commentary by Scott and Dorn) as well as an interactive Sound Design Suite, which lets you view a scene from the film with a variety of different audio options (from different parts of the audio process), or view featurettes on the work involved at those same stages in the process. Rounding out this section is a set of four featurettes, covering different aspects of the visual effects process. These include The Burning Man: Fire Effects and Face Replacement, Building Jerusalem: Digital Matte Painting and 3D Modeling, Casualties of War: Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Warriors, and Medieval Engines: The Physics and Firepower of Trebuchets, all of which are interesting viewing (personally, I particularly enjoyed the piece on the trebuchets constructed for the production). The final section is Release and Director’s Cut, where all of the film’s trailers and TV spots are to be found (interesting because some include alternate shots, takes, camera angles, and dialogue), along with video of the film’s press junket and the premieres in London, New York and Tokyo, a gallery of “special shoot” photos, and an extensive gallery of poster explorations for the film (including many that feature the unused title Crusade). The section also includes the Paradise Found: Creating the Director’s Cut featurette, in which Dorn and others address the work that went into creating Scott’s preferred version of the film, and credits.

Lastly, there’s an Archive section that includes most of the bonus content from the Theatrical Cut DVD, including the Interactive Production Grid documentary features and 4 short featurettes on the production (that appeared on the official website—about 10 minutes in all). If all of the above seems like an extraordinary amount of bonus content, that’s because it is... and virtually all of it is worth your time.

All three discs come packaged in a stunning embossed Steelbook with artwork that features King Baldwin’s silver mask. A Movies Anywhere Digital Copy code is also included in a paper insert.

Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut is an under-appreciated masterpiece of cinema and moral philosophy that’s finally been given the thorough 4K restoration and release it so richly deserves. For my money, it ranks highly among this director’s best works (think Blade Runner, Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, and The Martian). In fact, as much as I love Gladiator, I believe this is a better, deeper, and more meaningful film. If you’ve avoided Kingdom of Heaven until now because of poor reviews or a sour experience with the Theatrical Cut (which I understand completely; I gave that version a C+ when I first reviewed it back in 2005), I strongly encourage you to revisit the film here. The Director’s Cut is a much grander and more rewarding experience—a feast for the mind as well as the eyes and ears—and one that represents Ridley Scott at his world-building finest. What’s more, Charles de Lauzirika’s bonus features for this film are as good as any he’s ever created. Show Kingdom of Heaven to your sons, brothers, and friends. Share it with your fathers and grandfathers. I’m certain they’ll appreciate it. The Director’s Cut (particularly the Roadshow Version) comes with my highest recommendation.

Film Ratings (Director’s Cut/Director’s Cut: Roadshow Version): A/A

- Bill Hunt

(You can follow Bill on social media on Twitter, BlueSky, and Facebook, and also here on Patreon)