Ken Follett's lengthy historical novel THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH is far too intricate to adapt into a feature-length production, so producers instead opted for this miniseries treatment which gives a full 8 hours to the plotting. And, quite simply, it's wonderful. THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH has it all and is up there with the best miniseries of all time – I'm thinking BAND OF BROTHERS et al. From the very first episode I was engrossed in the wonderful storyline which brings history to life via living, breathing characters caught up in intrigue, danger and romance.
As somebody who hadn't read the novel previously, I had no idea what to expect. There's the usual historical backdrop stuff of warring kings and queens and battlefield showdowns, but the miniseries works so well because it focuses on the interactions between a dozen or so major characters. The thrust of the story concerns building a cathedral, but into this comes a myriad themes: drive, ambition, jealousy, love, possessiveness, religion, anger, hatred, incest, desire, and everything else besides. Essentially this is a production that explores the human condition in serious depth.
The casting is excellent: Ian McShane excels as the sinister, plotting man of the cloth, Bishop Waleran, while Matthew Macfadyen is similarly fine as his nemesis, the pious Prior Philip. We get solid turns from seasoned veterans like Donald Sutherland and Rufus Sewell mixed with upbeat and engaging performances from the likes of Eddie Redmayne and Hayley Atwell, both of whom shine (especially the glorious Atwell). Although this is made for television, the battle sequences are realistic and bloody and there are strong scenarios involving rape, incest and murder which you don't see coming.
Leading characters are bumped off in unbelievable plot twists and none of the eight episodes flag, each serving to add to the mystery and leave you wanting to find out what happens next. By the end, I was breathless and a changed man: I felt like I'd had my eyes opened, similar to when I saw the LORD OF THE RINGS films for the first time. This is definitely the best thing I've seen all year, and indeed one of my favourite productions of all time. If only Ridley Scott would put more effort into producing stuff like this instead of wasting his time with the Hollywood-ized likes of ROBIN HOOD
As somebody who hadn't read the novel previously, I had no idea what to expect. There's the usual historical backdrop stuff of warring kings and queens and battlefield showdowns, but the miniseries works so well because it focuses on the interactions between a dozen or so major characters. The thrust of the story concerns building a cathedral, but into this comes a myriad themes: drive, ambition, jealousy, love, possessiveness, religion, anger, hatred, incest, desire, and everything else besides. Essentially this is a production that explores the human condition in serious depth.
The casting is excellent: Ian McShane excels as the sinister, plotting man of the cloth, Bishop Waleran, while Matthew Macfadyen is similarly fine as his nemesis, the pious Prior Philip. We get solid turns from seasoned veterans like Donald Sutherland and Rufus Sewell mixed with upbeat and engaging performances from the likes of Eddie Redmayne and Hayley Atwell, both of whom shine (especially the glorious Atwell). Although this is made for television, the battle sequences are realistic and bloody and there are strong scenarios involving rape, incest and murder which you don't see coming.
Leading characters are bumped off in unbelievable plot twists and none of the eight episodes flag, each serving to add to the mystery and leave you wanting to find out what happens next. By the end, I was breathless and a changed man: I felt like I'd had my eyes opened, similar to when I saw the LORD OF THE RINGS films for the first time. This is definitely the best thing I've seen all year, and indeed one of my favourite productions of all time. If only Ridley Scott would put more effort into producing stuff like this instead of wasting his time with the Hollywood-ized likes of ROBIN HOOD