The Kingdom of Heaven Page #25

Starts to go.

(CONTINUED)

124.

CONTINUED:

BAIL:

What is Jerusalem worth?

SALADIN:

Nothing.

SALADIN is now walking back along the hall of the captured

palace.

SALADIN (CONT’D)

Everything.

INT. SIBYLLA’S ROOMS. MOMENTS LATER

SIBYLLA is sitting before a dressing-mirror. A distorting

sheet of polished metal. Staring at an image which is

unclear. She is aware of Balian behind her.

SIBYLLA:

I am still the Queen of Acre, of

Tripolis, of Ascalon.

BALIAN:

And I am still a knight. And that

is all.

She stands, and looks at him. BALIAN stares at her.

SIBYLLA:

What shall I decide?

BALIAN:

It is simple. Decide not to be a

Queen and I will come to you.

BALIAN has come to the end of the room. He hesitates; and

then goes out through the curtains.

EXT. THE DAVID GATE. DAY

A very orderly Christian evacuation. BALIAN joins it, on

foot. IMAD appears, holding the magnificent horse that Balian

gave him some time ago.

IMAD:

(wrily)

It is not a very good horse. I will

not keep it.

(Balian takes the bridle)

We will meet again.

BALIAN:

If we do not?

(CONTINUED)

125.

CONTINUED:

IMAD:

Taking it poorly bakes no bread.

IMAD walks away into the crowd. Balian leads his horse

saddened; but free. GUY’S KNIGHTS trudge past and each of

them salute Balian. He returns the nod; rides along the huge

stream of refugees...all of whom he has saved. As he begins

to be recognized...he pulls the hood of his cloak over his

head. As he looks back at Jerusalem...

SARACEN ENGINEERS on top of the church throw down the cross

that surmounts it. It crashes to the stones in front of the

Temple and is broken to pieces by Saracens. MUSLIMS are

taking possession of the temple. SALADIN is walking, being

cheered. MUSLIMS on rooftops, in the streets, acclaiming

Saladin.

INT. INSIDE THE TEMPLE. DAY

Rose-water is being splashed on the flags of what has been a

Christian church. It is being purified by MULLAHS. SALADIN

stands in the doorway with IMAD and the MULLAH.

MULLAH:

God has favored us with victory.

All the glory is God’s.

SALADIN walks away from the Mullah. The MULLAH would follow;

but IMAD stops him. SALADIN washes, preparing to pray alone.

He lays his mat, and, lowering his head, prays.

EXT. THE ROAD TO THE COAST. DAY (ENDING ONE)

The city is no longer visible. THE CHRISTIAN REFUGEES,

escorted by Muslim horsemen, trudge through the desert. A

WOMAN walks along the edge of the stony road. BALIAN moves

along the line. At first he almost passes the woman. He rides

alongisde her for a while. Then dismounts. BALIAN walks his

horse beside the dusty figure.

BALIAN:

A Queen never walks.

SIBYLLA:

No.

(a beat)

And yet I am walking.

BALIAN:

Some say that Jerusalem is the

center of the world for

forgiveness. For myself, I call it

here.

(CONTINUED)

126.

CONTINUED:

SIBYLLA nods, and keeps walking beside him. BALIAN leads his

horse on, exhausted. They walk together towards the sea. The

REFUGEES sing in French, walking through the Holy Land,

heading towards the distant sea.

BALIAN tears the cross from his tunic but cannot throw it on

the ground. He puts it in his sleeve. Fantastical SARACEN

KNIGHTS ride along the column, silk billowing, singing their

own song in Arabic.

BALIAN watches them pass, then rides on, hooded, head down.

In a perfect MATCH, SNOW begins to fly past his bent head. He

turns his horse, dismounts, and we see that he is at the

forge. He stands, looking around at the land, the orchard. ON

SOUND:
HORSES. BALIAN finally stands and looks, raising his

hood. CRUSADERS. THE LION OF ENGLAND. Gold on a red tunic.

RICHARD’S KNIGHT

We crusade to recover the Kingdom

of Jerusalem.

BALIAN:

You go to where the men speak

Italian and then continue till they

speak something else.

RICHARD’S KNIGHT

We have come by this road to find

the lord who was defender of

Jerusalem.

BALIAN:

(bowing)

I am the blacksmith.

RICHARD COUER DE LION sits his horse, staring at Balian. The

CRUSADERS pass behind.

RICHARD:

And I am the king of England.

BALIAN:

I am the blacksmith.

He bows. RICHARD COUER DE LION looks at Balian knowing very

well who he is. (He sees the armor lashed to a packhorse).

But he nods and rides on. BALIAN turns from the passing

Crusaders and enters his old kitchen garden to see A YOUNG

TREE. It is one of the trees planted by his wife. He touches

the leaves. Balian raises his hood against the falling snow,

and moves on to turns to see, at a distance, SIBYLLA,

watching him.

(CONTINUED)

127.

CONTINUED:
(2)

BALIAN walks his horse to join her.

EXT. THE CROSSROADS. LATER

BALIAN AND SIBYLLA canter through the crossroads and past the

local lord’s castle without looking back.

BLACK.

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