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Balian (Orlando Bloom) is a humble
French blacksmith who is searching for a reason to go on after the death of his
wife and children. Balian is approached by Godfrey of Ibelin (Liam Neeson), a
fabled knight who has briefly returned home after serving in the East. Godfrey
informs Balian that he is his true father, and urges the blacksmith to join him
as he and his forces journey to Jerusalem to help defend the holy city. Balian
accepts, and he and Godfrey arrive during the lull between the Second and Third
Crusades, in which the city is enjoying a fragile peace. Both Christian and
Muslim forces are temporarily in retreat, thanks to the wisdom of the Christian
king Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), his second-in-command Tiberias (Jeremy Irons),
and Muslim potentate Saladin (Ghassan Massoud). Violent agitators on both sides
are foolishly eager to end the peace in a bid for greater power, and Saladin
bows to pressures from Muslim factions; Godfrey is one of a handful of brave
knights who has thrown his allegiance behind Baldwin IV and his community of
diversity, and Balian joins him as they use their skills as warriors in a bid to
build a lasting peace.
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