The Kingdom of Heaven Page #6

EXT. BALCONY AT THE HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN. DAY

GODFREY, lying on a couch where he has been set out for air,

looks at the harbor.

GODFREY:

Balian.

Balian joins him. Together the two men look at the harbor.

(CONTINUED)

26.

CONTINUED:

GODFREY (CONT’D)

Do you know what lies in the Holy

Land? Not what the Church says, but

what does lie there?

BALIAN shakes his head slowly “no”.

GODFREY (CONT’D)

A new world.

(a beat)

A man who in France had not a house

is in the Holy Land the master of a

city. He who was the master of a

city begs in the gutter. There are

the end of the world you are not

what you were born, but what you

have it in yourself to be.

BALIAN:

I hope to find forgiveness there.

That is all I know.

GODFREY is wracked by pain. He needs to cough, but is in too

much pain. He stares at Balian, and then with great

intensity:

GODFREY:

Whatever your position, and that I

will decide, you are of my house,

and that means you will serve the

King of Jerusalem.

BALIAN:

What might a king ask of a man like

me?

GODFREY:

This king? A better world than has

ever been seen. A kingdom of

conscience. A kingdom of heaven.

(a beat)

Peace instead of war...love instead

of hate. Did oyu think that lay at

the end of “crusade”?

BALIAN shakes his head “no”.

GODFREY (CONT’D)

(softly)

It does.

(a beat)

There is peace between Christian

and Muslims. We live together.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

27.

CONTINUED:
(2)

GODFREY (CONT’D)

Or between Saladin and the King we

try.

(turns)

Men still go down to the Holy Land

for war, however, and war they will

have, for all the good kings and

fine intentions in the world.

(a beat)

You will serve the peace, and the

King. Swear.

BALIAN:

I swear.

GODFREY points at a BOWL OF ORANGES.

GODFREY:

(points at oranges)

Good. Get me one of those.

BALIAN does. Godfrey peels the orange. BALIAN allows Godfrey

to put the section of fruit (like the host) into his mouth.

Quite obviously he has never expected that anything on the

earth could taste like this.

GODFREY (CONT’D)

That is the East.

(looks at his son)

You are all that survives me. Do

not disappoint me.

EXT. THE PORT OF MESSINA. DAY

BALIAN sitting by the wall with the ENGLISH SERGEANT, is

fascinated by the sea-trade. (And there’s a lot of it:

oranges, spices, silks, being unloaded). CRUSADERS are

streaming onto ships.

ENGLISH SERGEANT

Venetians. Genoans. All the trade

of the world. When we took the Holy

Land we took the Saracen trading

ports. So Italian ships carry silks

and spices, and pilgrims if they

have money, and Italy becomes rich.

(eats sausage off his

knife)

As the Savior intended.

As the sound dies Balian becomes aware of a strange sound:

Muslims praying. BALIAN looks around and sees: MUSLIM

SHIPYARD workers, praying.

(CONTINUED)

28.

CONTINUED:

BALIAN:

(astonished, walking

forward)

What are those men?

ENGLISH SERGEANT

(eating)

Muslims. Saracens.

BALIAN:

They are allowed their prayers?

ENGLISH SERGEANT

(shrugs)

If they pay a tax.

(translates the prayer)

“Praise be to Go, it is proper to

praise him.”

BALIAN:

It sounds like...our prayers.

The ENGLISH SERGEANT drolly nods: now you’re getting it.

Destriers ride through the praying Muslims, scattering them.

GUY comes up on horseback, 20 drunk men with him. He examines

Balian insolently. Horse whirls, snapping.

GUY:

When the King is dead, Jerusalem

will be no place for friends to the

Muslims and traitors to Christendom

like your father.

SHOW GUYS’S MEN. THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF ACTION.

GUY (CONT’D)

I am Guy de Lusignan.

(spits on BALIAN’S tunic:

Godfrey’s livery)

Remember that name. And me.

He goes to cut Balian across the face with his stick. BALIAN

grabs the stick.

GUY (CONT’D)

Keep it.

BALIAN:

How will you ride, my lord, if you

cannot beat the horse?

GUY would like to kill Balian on the spot. But his men have

ridden on and the English Sergeant is no joke.

(CONTINUED)

29.

CONTINUED:
(2)

GUY:

I will see you in Jerusalem.

GUY rides his horse past the port, his men clattering after

him.

The ENGLISH SERGEANT remains. Peering after Guy, then at

Balian.

Balian, white-knuckled, throws the stick aside.

ENGLISH SERGEANT

(goes back to eating)

He will be king in Jerusalem one

day.

BALIAN wipes at his defiled tunic, Godfrey’s livery, staring

after Guy.

INT. THE “HOSPITAL” OR HOSTEL OF ST. JOHN. NIGHT

A fire at the end of the long room. GODFREY, on a couch, is

dying. A table of candles. A HOSPITALER is writing to

GODFREY’S whispered dictation, which we cannot hear. Our

HOSPITALER comes forward from the deathbed.

HOSPITALER:

(grim, to ENGLISH

SERGEANT)

Get him.

INT. SERVANT’S SECTION OF THE HOSTEL. NIGHT

Balian is asleep on a mat. The ENGLISH SERGEANT kicks him.

BALIAN looks up:
he has been dreading the news that GODFREY

is dying...and expects it...but does not expect...A WHITE

GARMENT, dropped in his lap. SIX HOSPITALERS and the ENGLISH

SERGEANT stand looking at BALIAN, who is very much a peasant

holding a white cloth.

ENGLISH SERGEANT

Put it on.

BALIAN looks at the garment, at the man. He stands, already

shirtless, and puts on the white gown.

ENGLISH SERGEANT (CONT’D)

Come with these knights and do not

be afraid. I will walk behind.

BALIAN:

(no suspicion whatsoever)

Come with these knights.

30.

INT. A HALLWAY. NIGHT

BALIAN, in his white gown, is taken along the hall.

INT. THE ROOM WHERE GODFREY IS DYING. CONTINUOUS

Balian, entering, confronts: The HOSPITALER. GODFREY is on

his feet, supported by two HOSPITALERS.

HOSPITALER:

Get on your knees.

BALIAN complies. GODFREY, supported by the monks, comes

forward through the gloom. Then he stands by himself above

BALIAN. BALIAN dares for a moment to look up; and then looks

down.

GODFREY:

(barely able to speak)

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. That is your oath.

GODFREY with the last of his strength delivers a blow with

his open hand that nearly knocks Balian sprawling. (There was

no crap with swords in those days: you got whacked).

GODFREY (CONT’D)

And that’s so you remember it.

As BALIAN recovers, GODFREY is being helped back to his bed.

Balian looks up in wonder.

HOSPITALER:

Rise a knight, and Baron of Ibelin.

GODFREY is whispering. BALIAN kneels. GODFREY grips Balian’s

hand. Godfrey is whispering to Balian.

GODFREY:

Defend the king. If the king is no

more, protect the people.

Hands him his (very distinctive) sword.

HOSPITALER:

(softly)

You must confess now to Holy God,

my lord, not your son.

(CONTINUED)

31.

CONTINUED:

GODFREY nods, weakly: he might differ; but it is time.

HOSPITALER (CONT’D)

(whispering)

Are you sorry for all your sins?

GODFREY:

For all but one.

GODFREY nods. OIL is applied to his head. LATIN is spoken.

The HOSPITALERS kneel. GODFREY slowly makes the sign of the

cross; and dies.

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