A Canadian-German adaptation of
Ken Follett's illustrious 12th-century novel,
The Pillars Of The Earth arrives as an expensive eight-part miniseries crammed full of British actors and the occasional Canadian/American affecting an English accent. It's a large and impressive production, but one that keeps things more restrained than you might expect, with no epic battle sequences or huge crowd scenes that have become
de rigueur for medieval dramas these days. Instead, Pillars is more focused on story and character, but that works in its favour as this two-part premiere did a wonderful job of introducing so many characters and storylines without too much getting lost in the crush. And while there was spectacle to be admired (the arson and collapse of a cathedral being a highlight), it uses its chilly atmosphere and strong acting to draw the viewer in... The Pillars Of The Earth covers a period of political turmoil known as "The Anarchy" following the death of King Henry I (
Clive Wood), who had desired his newborn grandson to succeed him, putting his daughter Maude (
Alison Pill) temporarily on the throne until he came of age. However, Henry's nephew Stephen (
Tony Curran) is keen to be crowned, as the grandson of William the Conqueror, and gets the backing of the clergy by promising The Archbishop of Canterbury (
Gordon Pinsent) he'll favour the church throughout his reign. Stephen's plan works and his coronation goes ahead, although the overlooked Maude flees to France with the intention of raising an army to claim the English throne as her father desired. And she has her supporters in England -- such as the Bartholomew (
Donald Sutherland), the Earl of Shiring, whose allegiance gives his nemesis Percy Hamleigh (
Robert Bathurst) the ideal excuse to launch an attack on his castle. There's also the small matter of King Henry I's original heir, his son Henry II (
Freddie Boath), who apparently drowned at sea during a freak accident 18 years before, but foul play may have been involved, and Henry II perhaps survived the attempted murder...
Elsewhere, a pious Welsh monk called Philip (
Matthew Macfadyen) arrived at Kingsbridge Priory, following the death of his mentor, and was soon asked by the impressed Father Waleran (
Ian McShane) to become Kingsbridge's new Prior, in exchange for his unequivocal support in making him a Bishop. Meanwhile, an itinerant stone mason, aptly named Tom Builder (
Rufus Sewell), is struggling to find find work for his family. He has a heartfelt desire to build a magnificent cathedral, using cutting-edge techniques of his own creation, but can't seem to catch a break in those cash-strapped times. Following the unexpected death of his wife after giving birth to another child while on the road (a baby he abandons as a mercy killing, only for it to be taken by a kindly monk), Tom finds help in a compassionate recluse called Ellen (
Natalia Woerner) and her allegedly mute son Jack (
Eddie Redmayne), who both prove instrumental in getting the Builders work at Kingsbridge. But trouble seems to follow the Builder's new friends, as Jack commits arson of Kingsbridge's existing cathedral to guarantee Tom 15 years of work, and Ellen comes under suspicion of witchcraft when Tom's invidious son points the finger at the woman he believes killed his mother and bewitched his father. I haven't read Follett's book, but this adaptation clearly benefits from having a strong narrative to fall back on. TV scripts can sometimes feel too beholden to commercial breaks and the whims of audiences, but self-contained miniseries based on best-selling books can avoid various pitfalls and just tell a compelling story in a visual way. I didn't expect to enjoy a medieval drama that, superficially, concerns the rebuilding of a hamlet's cathedral, but these two episodes made a persuasive argument for why that's actually an interesting backdrop. Religion was the cornerstone of life in these days, and it's fascinating to see faith used to justify criminals acts, or as a cover for despicable people.
Ian McShane made for a particularly nasty piece of work, obviously enjoying playing a quietly spoken villain, manipulating people to his own ends; Macfadyen was given a rather drippy character in Prior Philip, but he made it work because it was just nice to have someone of good heart to latch onto; Sewell made for a likeable everyman just trying to provide for his family and achieve an architectural dream; Curran was born to play a duplicitous royal (he has the perfect beard for it, too); screen legend Sutherland lent gravitas and gives the series acting stature; smallscreen Brits like Bathurst and Sara Parish acquitted themselves very well; and the beautiful
Hayley Atwell made a good impression as Batholomew's daughter Aliena. The first half-hour was a little false and clichéd at times, but it swiftly introduced the characters and outlined the relationships without you becoming too confused, allowing the remaining hour to fill in some blanks and seal the deal in a few areas. Maybe there isnt enough action and bloodshed for those desiring a rollicking period adventure (although that may come), but as someone who enjoys a good historical yarn full of great acting and excellent detailing, told with a convincing tone, The Pillars Of The Earth was a fine start to a miniseries. It remains to be seen if there's enough meat to the stories and characters to go the distance, but hopefully Follett's novel is a good enough blueprint to keep this $40 million production on the rails.
WRITER: John Pielmeier (based on the book by Ken Follett) DIRECTOR: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan CAST: Clive Wood, Alison Pill, Tony Curran, Matt Devere, Freddie Boath, Douglas Booth, Gordon Pinsent, Ian McShane, David Bark-Jones, Donald Sutherland, Hayley Atwell, Sam Claflin, Robert Bathurst, Sarah Parish, David Oakes, Goetz Otto, Skye Lourie, Richard Rifkin, Matthew Macfadyen, Anatole Taubman, John Pielmeier, Jody Halse, Sidney Johnston, Rufus Sewell, Kate Dickie, Liam Garrigan, Skye Bennett, Emily Holt, Natalia Woerner & Eddie Redmayne TRANSMISSION: 16 October 2010 Channel 4/HD, 9PM