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DVD Description
Ken Follett’s best-selling novel is brought to life in a star-studded and critically-acclaimed eight-part miniseries! Emerging from the war-torn shadows of England’s Dark Ages, an idealistic mason, Tom Builder (Rufus Sewell, The Holiday) sets out on a quest of erecting a glorious cathedral bathed in light. But when that light threatens to illuminate the dark secrets of ambitious Bishop Waleran Bigod (Ian McShane, 2005 Golden Globe Best Actor, TV's Deadwood) and the battling progeny of King Henry, Queen Maud (Alison Pill, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and King Stephen (Tony Curran, Ondine), they’ll stop at nothing to keep those secrets safe! The epic miniseries event also stars Matthew MacFadyen (Frost/Nixon) as Prior Philip, Hayley Atwell (Love Hate) as the beautiful noblewoman Aliena and Donald Sutherland (TV's Dirty Sexy Money) as Bartholomew.
Episode 1: Anarchy The death of King Henry’s heir ignites a battle between Queen Maud and King Stephen to become the successor to the throne. Monk Philip is enticed by an offer from Father Waleran Bigod; in return for his endorsement of Bigod to the appointment of Bishop, Philip will be elected Prior. Tom Builder travels the countryside in search of work.
Episode 2: Master Builder When a fire destroys Kingsbridge Church, Tom presents a plan to Prior Philip to construct a glorious new cathedral filled with light. As Philip politics for funds to aid in the church’s construction, he finds himself caught between Bishop Bigod and King Stephen’s supporter, Earl Percy Hamleigh.
Episode 3: Redemption Prior Philip and Percy’s son William find themselves in a political stalemate as they compete for access to valuable stone. Jack demonstrates amazing artistic prowess as he begins to carve a monument to St. Adolphus and the destroyed Kingsbridge Cathedral.
Episode 4: Battlefield William plans his way towards Earldom and soon discovers he is not alone in his ambition; a mysterious knight seeks the same appointment. The battle between Maud and Stephen rages, culminating in hostages from each side being seized. Philip is tortured into confessing to the betrayal of Earl Bartholomew.
Episode 5: Legacy Tom attempts to mediate a camaraderie between Jack and his son, Alfred. However, their intense rivalry for the affection of Bartholomew’s daughter, Aliena, proves too much of an obstacle. Waleran and Regan Hamleigh negotiate a hostage exchange while William mounts an attack on Kingsbridge in an effort to halt Aliena’s pending success.
Episode 6: Witchcraft Aliena's brother, Richard, is shocked as he emerges from the battlefield only to find his sister destitute and incapable of supporting his knighthood. Aliena is torn between honoring a promise made to her father, Bartholomew, and her love for Jack. A catastrophe in Kingsbridge paves the way for Waleran to orchestrate Philip's impeachment.
Episode 7: New Beginnings Jack's travels provide him with valuable information which will aid him in constructing his stepfather's majestic dream cathedral. Aliena tracks Jack down using only her intuition and the warm trail left by his distinctive carvings. Bigod makes Philip an attractive offer, but it's one which carries an unattractive price.
Episode 8: The Work of Angels Eight years have passed. Now completely obsessed with the notion of erecting Tom's cathedral, Jack is unable to focus on anything outside of his divine calling. Aliena remains fixated on securing her family's right to the Earldom of Shiring and thus, fulfilling the promise she made to her father.
Special Features
- The Making of Pillars of the Earth
- Visual Effects Progression
- Main Titles Progression
Synopsis
Based on the novel by Ken Follett and set in 12th Century England in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, this epic story revolves around the building of a cathedral and follows the lives of three men over 40 years as they each deal with politics, war, romance and personal ambition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
103 of 108 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Sometimes tv production companies excel themselves when making something, and this is a case in point. It is some years since I last read Ken Follett's novel, but I can still remember most of it. The idea in making this was to try to create something that was inspired by the book, but not necessarily a strict word for word adaptation. Lets face it there will always be differences between book and screen versions and it is a brave person who takes on the task of adapting something that has been enjoyed by many people.
Ken Follett himself I believed praised John Pielmeier for his screenplay, which is magnificent. To a lot of people this story has been so good because the production shows more than the novel did what life was like back in the period it was set, and what a major part politics and favour played, as well as the power of the Catholic Church throughout our history. Indeed any historical programme cannot leave out the machinations of church authorites in these most troubulous periods of our history.
With a fine cast of characters and sex and violence this is what a lot of people enjoy, and in this household it has been must see tv. Although as I have said, there is sex and violence here, this isn't done gratuiously, and where it appears is relevant to the storyline. Who knows, perhaps it may interest some people to want to know more about the times it portrays, which is very interesting. I know when I read the book it made me find out more about architecture and how churches were built, and builders learnt from each others mistakes.
Ken Follett himself I believed praised John Pielmeier for his screenplay, which is magnificent. To a lot of people this story has been so good because the production shows more than the novel did what life was like back in the period it was set, and what a major part politics and favour played, as well as the power of the Catholic Church throughout our history. Indeed any historical programme cannot leave out the machinations of church authorites in these most troubulous periods of our history.
With a fine cast of characters and sex and violence this is what a lot of people enjoy, and in this household it has been must see tv. Although as I have said, there is sex and violence here, this isn't done gratuiously, and where it appears is relevant to the storyline. Who knows, perhaps it may interest some people to want to know more about the times it portrays, which is very interesting. I know when I read the book it made me find out more about architecture and how churches were built, and builders learnt from each others mistakes.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved this series, it was certainly not without it faults but it had enough intrigue, spectacle, mad monks, swordplay and er...building to keep me amused for more than a few hours. Opening on a burning ship in the English Channel, King Henry's son shares his lifeboat with the wrong passengers and a quick trip to Davy Jones' locker ensues. The miscreants' deadly deeds were witnessed however and will later come back to haunt them....
Back on dry land, the evil but opportunistic Bishop Waleran (Ian McShane) cunningly aligns himself with the new King Stephen and Lord William in a bid to further his political ambitions at the expense of the incumbent Earl of Shiring (Donald Sutherland). At the same time, an equally ambitious builder called Tom (Rufus Sewell) arrives at Kingsbridge and persuades the new Prior Philip (Matthew MacFadyen) to let him build his cathedral and the foundations are laid for an epic story and holy construction (did you see what I did there?).
It's a great 12th century romp - bricklayer porn with Machiavellian deeds, bloody skirmishes and power struggles that kept the plot bubbling along nicely. McShane owned the screen every time he appeared, hogging the best lines and playing it just the right side of panto villain although older viewers may be upset to see Lovejoy uttering the "c" word in episode one (!). Unfortunately some of the other male leads are a bit lacking (with the exception of Rufus Sewell's Tom Builder) but a special mention must go to Sarah Parish, the scheming mother of Prince William who appeared to take motherly love a bit too far on occassions and also Natalia Wörner as the foxy witch who caused a splash at the priory ;o)
Like The Tudors? You'll love this.
Back on dry land, the evil but opportunistic Bishop Waleran (Ian McShane) cunningly aligns himself with the new King Stephen and Lord William in a bid to further his political ambitions at the expense of the incumbent Earl of Shiring (Donald Sutherland). At the same time, an equally ambitious builder called Tom (Rufus Sewell) arrives at Kingsbridge and persuades the new Prior Philip (Matthew MacFadyen) to let him build his cathedral and the foundations are laid for an epic story and holy construction (did you see what I did there?).
It's a great 12th century romp - bricklayer porn with Machiavellian deeds, bloody skirmishes and power struggles that kept the plot bubbling along nicely. McShane owned the screen every time he appeared, hogging the best lines and playing it just the right side of panto villain although older viewers may be upset to see Lovejoy uttering the "c" word in episode one (!). Unfortunately some of the other male leads are a bit lacking (with the exception of Rufus Sewell's Tom Builder) but a special mention must go to Sarah Parish, the scheming mother of Prince William who appeared to take motherly love a bit too far on occassions and also Natalia Wörner as the foxy witch who caused a splash at the priory ;o)
Like The Tudors? You'll love this.
103 of 117 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This series is based on the 1,000 plus page epic of the same name by Ken Follett. As such there's a lot to cram into each episode. In brief for the lovers of the book, everything feels like it moves along a little too fast and for people new to the story then pay attention because you are in for a full speed tour of Medieval England.
The story is set mainly around the reign of King Stephen. It was a time of civil war as he usurped the throne from King Henry's daughter which led to more than a decade of sieges, ravaging the land and pitched battles. It's a great backdrop seldom used to set a drama. However rather than set the central characters around the court of the King (a story telling conceit used countless times) instead the main story is about the building of a new cathedral and all the politics and drama that kind of massive undertaking touches on. It's a great idea and was all set to be something a bit special.
One of the weird things is the fact that at times it is obviously really paying attention to historical accuracy, at others it couldn't be lazier if it tried - why does Henry 1st dies 3 years after he actually did? Why are breastplates and concentric castles being used well before their invention? My point here isn't it should be a history lecture (that would be dull) more the rather jarring effect of moving from something that feels authentic to something that feels like a pantomime. There are times where the fiction works really well- the white ship disaster was seen by contemporaries as an unfortunate accident, here it's a conspiracy- that's a nice idea.
The biggest problem here is the adaptation. The hero of the tale- Tom Builder played by Rufus Sewell is a great role and you warm to him instantly, he really breaths life into the character. Likewise Matthew Macfadyen plays a priest who wants only to be spiritual man but is sucked ever inwards into the seedy dealings of mortal men. Ian McShane by contrast (who I normally love) plays a scheming bishop who might as well come on to a "boo hiss" sound track. Tony Curran- who is also a great actor- is forced to make King Stephen a hysterical maniac which really is of 6th form drama class subtlety. Overall though most of the cast bring the characters from the book to life with what good bits of script they've got. However most of the scenes are pretty over wrought. You get the feeling the script discussions involved people saying "we need more drama! The scene doesn't work unless someone is crying at the end, or someone has died, or there's a twist!" All of this happens in dramas (and mostly in the book), but scene after scene of it gets to be a bit ridiculous.
It's all enjoyable hokum but it could have been so much more. I was hoping for something of the quality of a Deadwood or Elizabeth, instead it's more camp than Rome. Fun to watch, never dull but a missed opportunity.
If you liked this there's more historical debate and fun at @HistoryGems on Facebook and Twitter
The story is set mainly around the reign of King Stephen. It was a time of civil war as he usurped the throne from King Henry's daughter which led to more than a decade of sieges, ravaging the land and pitched battles. It's a great backdrop seldom used to set a drama. However rather than set the central characters around the court of the King (a story telling conceit used countless times) instead the main story is about the building of a new cathedral and all the politics and drama that kind of massive undertaking touches on. It's a great idea and was all set to be something a bit special.
One of the weird things is the fact that at times it is obviously really paying attention to historical accuracy, at others it couldn't be lazier if it tried - why does Henry 1st dies 3 years after he actually did? Why are breastplates and concentric castles being used well before their invention? My point here isn't it should be a history lecture (that would be dull) more the rather jarring effect of moving from something that feels authentic to something that feels like a pantomime. There are times where the fiction works really well- the white ship disaster was seen by contemporaries as an unfortunate accident, here it's a conspiracy- that's a nice idea.
The biggest problem here is the adaptation. The hero of the tale- Tom Builder played by Rufus Sewell is a great role and you warm to him instantly, he really breaths life into the character. Likewise Matthew Macfadyen plays a priest who wants only to be spiritual man but is sucked ever inwards into the seedy dealings of mortal men. Ian McShane by contrast (who I normally love) plays a scheming bishop who might as well come on to a "boo hiss" sound track. Tony Curran- who is also a great actor- is forced to make King Stephen a hysterical maniac which really is of 6th form drama class subtlety. Overall though most of the cast bring the characters from the book to life with what good bits of script they've got. However most of the scenes are pretty over wrought. You get the feeling the script discussions involved people saying "we need more drama! The scene doesn't work unless someone is crying at the end, or someone has died, or there's a twist!" All of this happens in dramas (and mostly in the book), but scene after scene of it gets to be a bit ridiculous.
It's all enjoyable hokum but it could have been so much more. I was hoping for something of the quality of a Deadwood or Elizabeth, instead it's more camp than Rome. Fun to watch, never dull but a missed opportunity.
If you liked this there's more historical debate and fun at @HistoryGems on Facebook and Twitter
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Pillars of the Earth
Fantastic little story, read the other 5 star reviews which says it all really, cant understand why others have given it 1 & 2 star ratings as that really is rather harsh. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Ms. Elaine S. Clement
Fantastic!
A friend recommended this mini-series to me (she had got a copy in Australia). I was hooked from the very first episode. Read more
Published 12 days ago by kiwigirl
Very Good
Did not know what to expect with this dvd but was not dissapointed watched it one disc after the other as it was so addictive, good cast good storyline and very watchable. Read more
Published 17 days ago by septimus-blake
what a great movie
What a great enjoyalbe series. Wanted to watch only one dvd that evening but ended up watching all of them and went to bed at 4am;-).
Published 18 days ago by Hana
Terrible Screen Adaptation
Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite novels and having read it almost 20 times I was excited when I'd heard that it was adapted for the small screen. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Trvlerjenn
Well-mounted series with high production values.
Anyone who has read the excellent, well-researched Ken Follett novel on which 'Pillars of the Earth' is based will know what to expect from a dramatisation of it, and this... Read more
Published 23 days ago by D. A. Matthews
Pillars of the Earth
What a great cast and enjoyable series. It takes you through all the twists and turns of what it must of been like, back in the age of caos when Britain was gripped in battles... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Rayb
Brilliant Book
This book is absolutely brilliant. Beautifully written and the story is so very interesting.
Even though the story is very long, I didn't want it to end. Read more
Even though the story is very long, I didn't want it to end. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bluebird
Pillars of the Earth DVD
A fantastic story and well presented on the DVD. Am now looking forward to a DVD of the next book in the series,
Published 1 month ago by Kelvedon
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth was one of the Highlights of 2012, Its story was portrayed exceptionally well, the acting was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest... Read more
Published 1 month ago by l&m
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