1. Starting Point and Calling (France): Balian lived a painful life as a blacksmith in the French countryside, deeply trapped in the pain of losing his wife and a crisis of faith. He received the news that his father Godfrey died in the Holy Land and a suicide note, asking him to embark on the "Road of Atonement" to Jerusalem and inherit his father's title and responsibilities. In confusion, he crossed the ocean carrying an iron cross that symbolized his father and faith.
2. The Holy Land of Disillusionment (Going to Jerusalem): After arriving in the Holy Land, what Balian witnessed was not the holy paradise, but the brutal plunder, massacre and atrocities against people carried out by the Crusader nobles (such as Leonard) in the name of faith. The huge gap between reality and ideals made him deeply disillusioned and angry.
3. Revelation of the Leper King (Jerusalem): In Jerusalem, Balian was summoned by the mysterious Leper King Baldwin IV. Wearing a silver mask to hide his face festering from leprosy, Baldwin revealed to Balian the true meaning of the Holy City: "Guard the people, not the stones." This motto deeply shocked Balian, shaking his traditional understanding of the "Holy Land" and placing the value of "people" above cold religious symbols and territory.
4. Crisis and decision (after the Battle of Cape Hardin): Due to the provocation of Reynald and the weakness of King Guy, the Crusaders were defeated by Saladin at the Battle of Cape Hardin. The main force was wiped out, the True Cross was captured, and the gates of Jerusalem were opened. Saladin's army is approaching the city, and the holy city is in danger. There was great panic in the city, and the nobles were busy fleeing or debating surrender. Princess Sibella (Baldwin's sister) offers Balian a deal: accept the crown, marry her, and jointly defend the city (or find other ways out). Balian refused the tempting crown of power. He remembered Baldwin's teachings and chose to stay and protect the civilians in the city.
5. Guardian of the common people (defensive battle):
Gathering people's hearts: The nobles fled one after another, and Balian became the de facto leader of the city. He united the abandoned common people - women, old people, young people.
Building the wall with a hammer: Faced with the huge gap in the city wall, he took the lead, personally carried the giant logs, and led the civilians to repair the city wall with all the materials they could find (stones, wood, fences). He is no longer a noble knight, but has returned to his true nature as a blacksmith, inspiring everyone with his actions.
Digging wells to survive: The water source in the city is cut off, and despair spreads. Balian took the lead and used his sword (the sword that symbolized the knight's identity was reduced to a digging tool) to dig downwards in the deepest dry reservoir, inspiring the civilians' will to survive. In the end, the turbid muddy water was dug out, maintaining life and hope. This symbolizes relying on one's own strength to find life in a desperate situation.
6. The final choice and sacrifice (on the eve of the city's fall):
Saladin's offensive became more and more fierce, the city walls were breached in many places, and the city gates were crumbling under the battering ram.
Purpose: Describe the real Holy Land of Jerusalem in the 13th century