the audience applauded

Strong and Moving!

Brilliant and touching

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

the first good point - atmosphere, recreated with subtle art. the second - performance of actors far from cage of mannerism. more important - the management of each scene. love story, historical fragments, moral lessons and the game with basic values of life is not easy job. but, in this case, the solutions was smart and interesting. because it is more than story of an hero in dark times. it is more than tale about fight and history in "ad usum delphini"clothes a map of existence , sacrifice and questions in a period who may be the present. only skin is different. the great virtue is science to present a credible face of Crusaides in middle of historical adaptation fever. and result is not bad.

This was one of the best foreign (partially) language films that I have watched it quite a while. I thought the fact that it was done without any CG effects made it all the more realistic and believable. The acting was first rate. I have to agree with several of the other reviewers. My previous experience with Swedish films has been a somewhat dreary, black & white exercise in tedium. This film was absorbing, intelligent and interesting. If you're looking for a good story with action and some strong and basic statements about honor, loyalty and courage watch this move. If you're looking for comic book blood and gore you'll be disappointed.

The film starts on a battlefield where Arn (Joakim Nätterqvist) is saving a group of Arabs, one of whom is Saladin (Milind Soman). At the same time Cecilia (Sofia Helin) is under control of a very mean nun (Bibi Andersson), and has a baby, which is, of course, taken from her.We soon switch to Arn's life in his younger days, as a monk being trained in knowledge and warrior skills. We then see the relationship between the two and how it is forbidden as they come from different clans. Both Cecilia and Arn are punished. She must remain in a nunnery, and he is sent off to fight.Before he has any chance of returning home, he must take part in the battle for Jerusalem with Saladin. After doing that, he is sent to the desert under a new master that doesn't like him.But, he survives only to fight again at home when the rival clan claims the throne.Nätterqvist and Helin both were extremely good. The battles were exciting, and the music was excellent.

Colorful and breathtaking epic about Sweden history and Crusades in the Dark Ages based on two novels written by Jan Guillou , being Scandinavia's most expensive film production ever . The picture narrates on Crusades age and set on Sweden backdrop in 110s , the starring is Arn Magnusson (Joakin Natterqvist) son of a high-ranking Swedish nobleman turned monk , being educated at a monastery under his preceptor Father Henry (Simon Callow) and is trained in the fencing art by Brother Guilbert (Vincent Perez) . Then , there happens a stormy love story between the nobleman young and a beautiful girl named Cecilia (Sofia Helin) . Meanwhile , there are violent rivaling royal clan struggles for power in Sweden , the Sverkis and the Folkes (Stellan Skarsgard and Michael Nyqvist of Milennium saga) . But Arn is sent to battle as a knight Templar to do sacrifice for the forbidden love . As he is excommunicated , banished and obligated to fight on Holy Land as knight Templar against the Saracen . While Cecilia is sent into a convent ruled by a rigid Superior Mother (Bibi Andersson) . Arn goes to Orient land and there he manages to save Saladin who is battling King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem . Arm 'll confront Templars knights enemies as well as Muslims .The movie developed in the third Crusade and being based on epic events and historic characters , thus it appears Saladin -played by Soman- who created the dynasty Ayyubida and vanquished Crusaders in Alepo and Hattin battles and reconquers Jerusalem (1187) that had previously been won by Geoffrey Boullon in the first Crusade , also appears the Great Master Templar -well played by the British Steven Waddington- who asks help Arn for the third Crusade and defeat Saladin . This is a lavish European co-production between various countries as Sweden|UK|Denmark|Norway|Finland and Germany . It's Sweden's most expensive film production ever made . The executive producer Johan Mardell and director Peter Flinth confirmed that the movie ran over budget during production . However , Swedish Public Service withdrew support from the project only months before its release, citing lack of quality and unsatisfying amount of material as main reasons, then the studio instead claimed the disagreement was due to budget concerns . In the motion picture there are historical deeds ,overwhelming battles , gorgeous landscapes and gorgeous scenarios . Production design is magnificent , as the forts , convents , the striking outdoors and the impressive Jerusalem city. The battles are very well staged with thousands people and others by means of computer generator special effects . It's spectacularly filmed on location in Dunfermline, Fife, Lothian, Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK , Erfoud, Morocco , Lidköping , Västra Götalands län, Sweden (Arnäs buildings),Trollhättan, Sweden . Evocative and glimmer cinematography is spellbound and evocative musical score with some oriental sounds during Jerusalen scenes . Rating : 6 , Acceptable and passable historical film .