I took a different reading from that, though it may be due to differences between the theatrical cut and the directors cut. I interpreted it not as him showing them how to irrigate, but organizing the work and directing it to be done.
The line “your father was important, his lands were not” suggests to me that this was not considered particularly good land worth capital improvements, hence why it had not had such a works built previously. Or, alternatively, it was badly administered land with an absentee landlord.
I wouldn’t say my interpretation makes it any less of a white savior story. It still takes a quirked up white boy to believe in investing in something others had dismissed (motif repeated during the bit where he knights everyone at the defense of Jerusalem)
I took a different reading from that, though it may be due to differences between the theatrical cut and the directors cut. I interpreted it not as him showing them how to irrigate, but organizing the work and directing it to be done.
The line “your father was important, his lands were not” suggests to me that this was not considered particularly good land worth capital improvements, hence why it had not had such a works built previously. Or, alternatively, it was badly administered land with an absentee landlord.
That’s an interesting interpretation, but not how the scene is actually presented. I love the movie, but it’s a white savior movie in every respect.
Kingdom of Heaven is a guilty pleasure. Terrible nonsensical writing and kind of meh acting but a very beautiful film.
I wouldn’t say my interpretation makes it any less of a white savior story. It still takes a quirked up white boy to believe in investing in something others had dismissed (motif repeated during the bit where he knights everyone at the defense of Jerusalem)