Kingdom of Heaven : Was Orlando Bloom

Was Orlando Bloom

supposed to play Balian with no personality?

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Probably, the script had him not responding to many questions. Hard to infuse some personality into that.

A blacksmith is like today's engineer. Not a very social vocation.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Modern engineering 'not a very social vocation'? How many engineers do you know?

And blacksmithing was as social as a medieval occupation got - your forge was always central to village society and economy, and everybody had to come to you, explain what they needed and haggle for the cost. Besides, this blacksmith is supposed to have picked up irrigation techniques and the very latest principles of fortification and artillery, which he can only have done by scraping acquaintance with the practitioners of those skills and picking their brains.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Not going to get too off topic but you are off base. If you think engineering is social, keep enjoying what you're smoking.

Taking orders is not being social.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

I'm reasonably sure that my chemical engineer father, my construction engineer brother and my many military engineer neighbours are not figments of a druggy dream - and all of them can and do talk the hind leg off a donkey.

But you’re right, this is off-topic, since movie-Balian is a blacksmith, not an engineer. What is on topic is that he must have been an expert schmoozer, to have managed to learn so much about professional skills that had no bearing on his own occupation, and some which it would in fact have been actually illegal for anyone to teach him.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

He had lost his wife and was full of grief. That's why he was the way he was. I think the Director's cut explains it better than the theatrical version.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom


He had lost his wife and was full of grief. That's why he was the way he was.


But Bloom doesn't act 'full of grief'. When it was first released a friend of mine made a mashup, switching around shots of movie-Balian's reaction to being told that Jeffrey was his father / hit on by Sibylla / threatened by Guy / preached at by the King, etc: and it was really funny to see that his expression in all these situations was as near as dam*it identical. Bloom isn't acting; he's just standing there looking wooden.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

It was not the best performance, but I thought he did an ok job. But I see your point.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Bloom can't act, simple as that. For a few years they gave him lead roles, because of his popularity in Lord Of The Rings, not realizing he only did well there because Legolas was supposed to be stone-faced...

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"The best fairytale is one where you believe the people" -Irvin Kershner

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Also that elves aren't human and aren't supposed to be like humans, so the fact that he can't convey realistic human emotions and personality was actually a plus in that role.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Also that elves aren't human and aren't supposed to be like humans, so the fact that he can't convey realistic human emotions and personality was actually a plus in that role.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

Elves certainly are supposed to have emotions and personalities. Bloom fit the part more because Legolas individually isn't a complex character and was mostly about the looks and action ability (which Bloom at that age certainly had).

Re: Was Orlando Bloom


Elves certainly are supposed to have emotions and personalities.


Oh, sure: I didn't mean to suggest that they don't. But as Tolkien himself stressed, their emotions and personalities were necessarily different from those of humans, so Bloom's failure to project realistic human personality worked quite well to convey an 'alien'.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

No. Sadly Orlando can't act. Made even worse by all the great thesps surrounding him. Ridley originally wanted some TV actor but the studio wanted a name. A name that sadly couldn't act, although hot property after LOTR. If u want to encapsulate a single scene in order to realise how out of his depth he is, it's when Liam Neeson tells him that HE is his father. The camera lingers on Orlando's face and there's not an iota of facial expression to this tremendous news he's just heard! Sadly I knew it was all downhill after that. I'd still recommend the DC of this as it's a good movie nevertheless. Avoid the TC at all costs.

Re: Was Orlando Bloom

I agree his performance in this is poor, but his acting in LOTR and some parts of POTC is decent.
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