User reviews

Before watching this film, leave behind any references to The Kingdom Heaven. This is an extremely low budget film shot somewhere in the desert (certainly not the judean desert) and with no sets to speak of. The film gives the impression it's going to lead you to some profound revelation at some point. This never happens and by the end I was left feeling cheated that I struggled through Rene's (The Templar) rare, mumbled, accented dialogue for nothing. I will never cease to be amazed at how easily some film goers are pleased. The reviews that paint this as some sort of beautiful, well acted, historical treat are myopic in my opinion and I am being kind. This was an awkward, pointless film, with a pointless story.

Honestly, I can't believe I watched this. Do not, do not believe anything that is written about this film. there is no art, there is no amazing story. I am using some anonymous (bugmenot) account, but, my words ring true. This movie is just trying to capitalize on the buzz of Knights Templar from the Da Vinci Code. This movie has nothing to do with the sort(the reason i watched it). It is only some estranged idea of a Christian consorting with a Muslim. But, it isn't even really anything to do with that. In the end, the saddening end, it is just a failed love story, of a Knight Templar doing something a Knight Templar would never do. In all honesty, a useless movie with no point.

After seeing all the awards this movie had won I got it out expecting something special. This is a dreadful movie. It never started, just droned on and on. The main character's diction/accent is so poor it's hard to make out a word he said. But after rewinding it, we realised it wasn't worth hearing anyway.

And I can't believe another user thought the acting was good! It was ABYSMAL. In one of the first scenes we see the Templar Knights discuss how they will react to the Islamic King's actions - apart from one actor the rest of the cast give truly cringe-worthy performances.

This is definitely one to leave on the shelf. Embarrassingly, my guests also thought it was spectacularly rubbish.

To be honest you'd be better off watching Colin Farrell as Alexander the Celt (What? Alexander wasn't Irish?!) - yes, it is that bad!!!!

(RE: User comment by Dyxrum regarding the Da Vinci Code

Although I'm no fan of Dan Brown or his work, the Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction and as such must be quite well written as it topped the bestseller lists for quite a while - so maybe the 12 year old comment is a tad O.T.T. Surely it's the mislead people who regard the Da Vinci Code as a work of nonfiction that you're referring to - not to the work of fiction itself. So before you get on your high horse take a look at your own 'know all' review!)

(RE: Comparisons to Kingdom of Heaven

Come on they're not really comparable...the plot's so simplistic it's better suited to kids than adults - big budget: no brainer. On the other hand, Soldier of God is meant to be cultured/high-brow. My opinion? Dull as dishwater.)

The characters from this movie are far a way from any culture (Christianity, Islam,...)

A muslin woman living alone in the desert...with two man...some time she rise the voice and both man calm down.... Do you really know how was the condition of woman in that age ..in Islam ?

Someone say: "I highly recommend this movie to all students of medieval history, and those interested in comparative religious studies." D. Chaltry, Florida.

Ha Ha Ha...

Mr. Mir Bahmanyar and Kathryn Kuhlen.....please...read at least one book before to write a movie.

It's well acted that's for sure. Not bad to watch at all.

It doesn't compare to Kingdom of Heaven in the shear scale of modern film making, but it's an interesting critique on the madness of absolute belief some warriors may have lived by, at the time of the crusades. I noticed a previous comment mentioned that a member of the crusading knights would not have acted in the way depicted in the film - I wonder how you would know that of every knight. It's an interesting take on the ambiguities that could beset devote individuals of any faith.

I doubt we have come that far since the time depicted in the film, but I'm sure it will all turn out all right in the end.

Oh dear...

the film is very slow ,,, i mean when they are lost , it took forever to find the tent .... and ohhh yehh about the tent , come on she looks like someone from USA , i mean come on find someone who looks like arab , never see an arab women taking shower just like the one we see in this movie , i don't know but the i think the script was OK but the director killed it ..... i don't recommend it at all, one thing , the facts ,,,, when they took him as a slave we see him in a desert , just log into google map and tell me where is that desert ? and about the women in the tent , i don't know but if we want to talk about arab women for a whil you will imagine an arab look with a veil and a very black hair , but what we see .... anyway again i think it was the director who killed this film after all

I watched this incredible HD feature at the Dallas Deep Ellum Film Festival (where it walked away with a big award) and was amazed that the filmmaker had pulled off such a huge film for a small budget. Filmed in California, Mir Bahmanyar somehow managed to transform a California desert to the middle east, but that transformation was second to the incredible transformation by Bill Mendieta into a Muslim fighter who harbors a deadly secret. At the completion of the movie, at first I was surprised by the ending, but realized the subtext of the story must be met (congrats to Bahmanyar and Kuhlen). Tim Abel's Knight Templar and Mendieta's characters dominate the story with an ease of slipping into the skin of such three dimensional characters. Mapi Galan, whom they discovered in Spain, helped develop the story into a rich depth with her beautiful and exotic Sohelia who mesmerizes the men who visit her tent and seem to alter their attitudes towards war. Neil Lisk's cinematography was exceptional and if you look at the crew you'll note that Mir Bahmanyar's name is all over the place, and this was due to his dedication of getting the story made and offered to the viewing public.

This film was compared to Kingdom of Heaven. Wow. Ridley Scotts crusade movie cost tens of millions to make. Even so, it is arguably one of Scotts worst films and contains very bad production flaws for a Scott film. On top of this, the story told in Kingdom is an absolute perversion of history and gives a moronic portrayal of the Knights Templar. This movie, Soldier of God, appears to have had no budget. The story seems to be limited by this fact. That said, I will judge it on its own merits. - The filming is beautiful work. Obviously done with a low end camera, yet masterfully shot. - The editing is extremely well done. Some of the best editing I have seen for a film in this budget range. Can't say enough here. - Costumes looks great. A better job was done on costumes than many big budget movies. - Accents are very good and give authenticity. - Although the story is sparse, plot subtle, it is a much more believable and authentic film than Kingdom of Heaven in the portrayal of the people and the period.

Not an action packed fun movie. An interesting watch. Requires an appreciation for film making and not simply a desire to be quickly amused.

After the Battle of Hattin in 1187, a grim Knight Templar named Rene (Tim Abell) wanders the desert where he encounters a Muslim named Hassan (Bill Mendieta). They meet a Muslim woman, Soheila (Mapi Galán), and discuss sectarian differences and the human penchant for conflict & killing while the woman seems intrigued by one of the men.

This is basically a low-budget companion piece to the events of "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005). "Soldier of God" came out later that same year, but only cost $325 thousand while "Kingdom" cost a whopping $130 million. Thankfully, the filmmaking doesn't seem THAT low-budget: There's a lot of beautiful desert photography, the editing is proficient and the score is aesthetic and moving. I encourage you to watch or re-watch "Kingdom of Heaven" first because it provides the background events and key names that will help you understand the situation here.

This is a dialogue-driven sword & sandal drama with flashes of action. The acting is well done for such low-budget fare. The problem is that too much of the verbiage is hard to discern and there's no subtitle option. Another reviewer called the movie "a pointless exercise in verbose pretentiousness," but some of the dialogue is quite good, at least what I heard anyway, particularly the discussion when the Jewish merchant visits.

Someone criticized the actions of a certain character on the grounds that a such-and-such wouldn't do such-and-such. I disagree. I just went to coffee with a devotee of a certain noble belief system who recently got out of prison for murder, which he committed in a flash of angry frustration. Plus you have to consider the adrenaline rush of battle frenzy and the desire to remove something lingering & troubling.

I probably would've liked this flick a lot more if I was able to discern more than 50% of the dialogue.

The film runs 1 hour, 34 minutes and was shot in Dumont Dunes, California, with some exteriors done in Málaga, Andalucía, Spain.

GRADE: C

I noticed some really bad reviews of this movie so decided to comment. Firstly the movie isn't a story of the Knights Templer or the crusades, it is about life, the decisions we make, how we can spend our lives chasing the unimportant and miss the real life staring us in the face. Secondly if you look at the really bad comments,you will see that they were written by people who seem to think the know all truths. One of the reviewers wanted something that was on par with the Da Vinchi code!!!! I have no beliefs in any Gods but I would stand with Christians denouncing that book/film, because a 12 year old could have produced much better (no insult meant to 12yr olds). So if you have a bit of a brain and are open minded enough and realise that we are always learning, well this film is of a reasonable enough standard to spend some time on.

I was fortunate enough to see this film at the Straford Upon Avon International Digital Film Festival, where it won Best Film. In this day and age of "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" no-brainer action films and simpering synthetic rom coms, it was such a relief to have an intelligent film with characters that needed to be understood rather than handed out on a plate, that was beautiful but still harsh and brutal in its intensity.

It was a pleasure to watch. I for one am exceedingly grateful that it was nothing like "Kingdom of Heaven" (a pale comparison) and for once, which is unusual for Hollywood, historically accurate or as accurate as you can be in the 21st century. I am not a great historian of the period though I do have an interest in the Crusades, but I recently read another review of this film that praised it's historical accuracy -

"I highly recommend this movie to all students of medieval history, and those interested in comparative religious studies." D. Chaltry, Florida.

Praise indeed.

Historically accurate, beautifully shot and well-acted. What more could you want?

Rae

What an outstanding film! I had no idea how good it was going to be when I selected it.

Gripping and moving throughout, the acting is amazing, and the underlying politics deep and dark. To the best of my knowledge historically accurate, this is an extremely well acted historical drama illustrating the age long conflict and, ironically, harmony between the Abrahamic beliefs.

The movie takes you through voyage of middle eastern mystery and keeps you guessing all the way.

Really, watch it to the end for the real clincher!

I was walking around Wal-Mart looking at their DVDs when all of a sudden something caught my eye,. a DVD with a list of Awards from various festivals including Deep Ellum Film Festival winner of Best Picture and the Stratford-Upon-Avon winner of Best Picture,.. Its called " Soldier Of God",. It stars Tim Abell known for his roles in" We Were Soldiers" and "Miracle At Sage Creek" he was also listed as a Producer,. the story was written by Mir Bahamanyar who also acted as Executive Producer I'm not entirely sure what the budget of this film was but its an absolutely beautiful film full of images that flow like an animated work of art,. the story revolves around a Templar Knight and his struggle to understand the "what" and "why" he fights after becoming friends to a man who essentially is to be his enemy ,..Tim Abell portrays Rene brilliantly as a conflicted dedicated Christian ,.the whole cast did a stellar job in recreating the simplistic sensibilities that surround the vision this film wants you to feel,. this movie parallels the same feelings and same decisions that are being made today,. some people I've talked to have compared "Soldier Of God" to "Kingdom Of Heaven" but for my money if you want thought provoking story telling over the urge to open big on a singular weekend then do yourself a favor and check this film out,.. You will not be disappointed…Well acted,well crafted,. Well done.

I love it when I find gems like this,. I enjoy movies I can tell other people about and this is one of those movies.

I even bought a few copies to give out to a few local filmmakers here around town so they could see what a beautiful HD Independent movie should be like. Thanks for reading

An excellent film...Acting is excellent. Camera work is fantastic, especially noting that the film was shot in HD video. Tim Abell is especially notable in his role as it is a departure from the special forces and sci-fi thrillers we're used to seeing him in. Mapi and Mendieta were unbelievable. Bill Mendieta's transformation from a nice looking yuppie type to the assassin role is pretty unbelievable as well. The plot follows a Knight of Templar (Abell)through the Crusades. Nice work all around and kind to the eye.

I really enjoyed this film as presented at the Deep Ellum Film Festival in 2005.