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The Pillars of the Earth [Blu-ray]
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Additional Multi-Format options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
Watch Instantly with | Per Episode | Buy Season |
Purchase options and add-ons
Genre | Drama, Thriller, Romance, History |
Format | Multiple Formats, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, AC-3, Blu-ray, Dolby, Dubbed |
Contributor | Tony Curran, Sarah Parish, Skye Bennett, Ian McShane, Anatole Taubman, David Bark-Jones, Götz Otto, David Oakes, Matt Devere, Rufus Sewell, John Pielmeier, Liam Garrigan, Jody Halse, Alison Pill, Sidney Johnston, Sam Claflin, Sergio Mimica Gezzan, Matthew Macfadyen, Hayley Atwell, Eddie Redmayne, Natalia Wörner See more |
Language | English, French |
Runtime | 7 hours and 1 minute |
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Product 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.
The Pillars of the Earth Episode Summaries
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.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.78:1
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 6.25 x 5.25 x 0.5 inches; 4.8 ounces
- Director : Sergio Mimica Gezzan
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, AC-3, Blu-ray, Dolby, Dubbed
- Run time : 7 hours and 1 minute
- Release date : November 23, 2010
- Actors : Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, David Oakes
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : English, French
- Studio : Sony
- ASIN : B003UD7J9E
- Number of discs : 3
- Best Sellers Rank: #57,771 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #659 in Romance (Movies & TV)
- #1,323 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)
- #4,552 in Drama Blu-ray Discs
- Customer Reviews:
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The awesome cast has been listed elsewhere, as large as the production itself. First class in every way. Truly this should become a recognized Century 21 classic, a modern "Gone With the Wind." Impressive in every detail, even having the book's author in a merchant's role, episode 7.
The series is "NOT RATED" but beware, if it makes a difference, there is full frontal nudity, violent scenes, sex, & bold language. Blood, decapitation, incest...well, enough warning. I'd still recommend this to today's 12-year-olds and beyond because of the powerful story, dramatic filming, and historical/educational dramatization. You ENTER the Middle Ages immediately after passing through the opening credits. Spellbinding. Mesmerizing. Bewitching. Stellar.
YES, SUBTITLES.
Some helpful genealogy you might want to copy/paste/print:
King Henry I: only son died at sea; Maud (birthed Henry II); nephew Stephen
Tom Builder: wife Agnes; son Alfred; daughter Martha; son Jonathan
Bartholomew: daughter Aliena (birthed Tom); son Richard
Jacques Cherbourg: son Jack via lover Ellen
Percy Hamleigh: wife Regan; son William
Eight episodes each about 53 minutes:
1 ANARCHY- Henry I dies after the king's heir is lost in the sea burning of the royal ship. Nephew Stephen wins throne. Daughter Maud & son have followers. Tom Builder looks for masonry work and crosses paths with Ellen and her son, Jack.
2 MASTER BUILDER- Kingsbridge church burns and there are political deals aplenty. Ellen is accused as witch, & possible holder of a great secret. William gets motherly incest as well as rape added to his achievements. Maud is off to safer France. Tom begins a cathedral.
3 REDEMPTION- Tom and William battle over quarry stone. Richard and Aliena seek mercy from father's hanging, and make a deal, a costly one.
4 BATTLEFIELD- William and a mystery knight battle for the Shiring Earldom. Stephen and Maud have armies that battle too. Philip looses a battle with Waleran's torturers.
5 LEGACY- Gloucester and Stephen both offered for a prisoner exchange. Then Maud and Stephen continue warring. A Kingsbridge festival is terrorized. Jack and Alfred battle over a girl and Tom must sent one packing.
6 WICHCRAFT- Maud's back in France and Stephen reigns on. Richard has a Kingsbridge return. Alfred pops the question, marriage and builder style. A HUGE building tragedy, again. Jack's seeking his French family, and work.
7 NEW BEGINNINGS- Jack studies geometry & stone building near Paris, a new Gothic style. Aliena treks to France too. Kingsbridge recovers and grows, as does the cathedral and Philip gets an offer from Waleran.
8 THE WORK OF ANGELS- 8 passing years and Jack focuses on twin tower conclusion, but the roof begins to crack. Aliena & Richard yet seek an Earldom. Waleran's yet with ambition, as is young Henry.
A satisfying ending, other than the fact that you have grown to love this series and never want it to end. Sorry for the epic length of this review but "Pillars of the Earth" is worth 6 Amazon stars--if I could award that many.
The story is adapted into eight episodes of about one hour each, with ongoing development of the multiple threads of storyline present in the tale. It can get a bit confusing at times: a few of the characters have enough physical semblance to confound the viewer, and the barrage of names can be a bit difficult to manage at first. Nevertheless, the director and scriptwriters have put in enough support lines to help ensure that everyone is "on track," and you can make it straight through and follow the story even if you have not read the book. As the drama of vision, betrayal, perseverance, loyalty, and ambition unfolds, the background of the cathedral project holds the centerpiece of the saga, and anchors the characters throughout the years. It should be noted that the show has some scenes of explicit violence.
Acting in the series is exceptionally good, with Matthew Macfadyen (MI-5) and Ian McShane "owning" the scenes with their terrific performances.
An easy recommend for anyone interested in the period or the subject (with the caveat of the violence that may not be appropriate for all audiences), Pillars of the Earth is worthy of title.
This miniseries is fantastic! Yes they took many liberties with the plot line to make it more titillating, I guess. Was not a huge fan of Prior Phillip who often reminded me of the Gordy character from Star Trek's Next Generation. Jack is played by Eddie Redmayne who has been in many blockbuster period films. Les Miserables most notably. So I did enjoy his performance of this character. Personally, I have a huge crush on Rufus Sewell having watched him in the Queen Victoria PBS Masterpiece series. He plays Tom Builder.
Just loved all the characters come to life in this show.
The sets are amazing. It is very cool to see the book come to life and what it was like to live during that time, so for the hard work the producers did such as Ridley Scott, I am eternally grateful. This seems to have come out before the minseries Cable shows like Handmaidens Tale, House of Cards, etc. got popularized.
The background of the way it was made as a special feature of the DVD is intriguing to watch. Ken Follet, the author even has a cameo in the show.
Top reviews from other countries
Dieser ist auch eindeutiger Favorit der Kirche, da die Linie Stephans ihr mehr Hochachtung entgegenbringt als Heinrich das tut. Als der König während eines Festes stirbt (tatsächlich an Lebensmittelvergiftung am 01.12.1135 in der Normandie), usurpiert Stephan mit der Familie Hamleigh und hochrangigen Würdenträgern der Kirche, darunter Waleran Bigod (Ian McShane) gegen die Thronfolgerin. Während Bigod auf höhere Posten in der Kirche und damit insbesondere auf den des Erzbischofes schielt, begehren die hinterlistigen Hamleighs einen Titel, am liebsten den des Grafen von Shiring (Donald Sutherland).
Als Baumeister bekommt Tom Builder (Rufus Sewell) von den ganzen Machenschaften zunächst nichts mit. Er muss Frau und Kinder durchbringen. Doch Arbeit ist rar. Sein Wunsch wäre es eine Kathedrale zu bauen. Er ahnt nicht, dass dieser Traum - mit Hindernissen - in greifbare Nähe rücken soll...
Der Roman "Die Säulen der Erde" gilt bislang als der erfolgreichste, den Follett je geschrieben hat. Die Verfilmung konnte indes nicht in einem zweistündigen Spielfilm abgefrühstückt werden. Zu komplex ist die Handlung. Bereits die des Erbfolgekrieges alleine nimmt die Zeit minestens in Anspruch. Zwar sind fast alle Charaktere recht eindimensional und vorhersehbar geraten. So sind die Hamleighs von Anfang an verschlagen und böse und auch als solche leicht zu erkennen. Waleran Bigod ist der Bösewicht der Kirche par excellence, der jedoch hin und wieder neben politischen und ehrgeizigen Motivationen Glauben und ab und an - in seltenen Momenten - aufrichtiges Bedauern ausdrückt. Jedoch spielen alle ihren Part glaubwürdig. Die Aufnahmen sind aufwändig und monumental geraten. Hier handelt es sich um eine Miniserie, die zeigt, dass auch TV Produktionen es durchaus mit Kinofilmen aufnehmen können.
Es ist ein ehrgeiziges Projekt gewesen mit einem Aufwand für das Fernsehen in damals nie gekannten Maßstäben mit einem internationalen teils hochkarätig besetztem Cast.
Während die vier DVDs keinerlei nennenswerte Extras besitzen verfügt die fünfte DVD über alle möglichen Extras wie Interviews mit Cast und Crew, B-Roll, Making Of, Entstehung der Animation und der visuellen Effekte. Das Bild ist dabei klar geraten. Es bedarf eigentlich keiner Blu-ray. Mir reichten die Schärfe und Farben.
Ich kann jetzt nicht für die mittlerweile angebotene Version sprechen. Je nach Auflage entscheiden sich später einige Produzenten für preiswertere Plastikboxen mit Amarey statt mit Schubern ausgestatteten und ausklappbaren Erstversionen wie zu Anfang. Meine Box ist noch aus der Erstausgabe. Sie besteht aus einem harten Pappkarton, der wie ein Buchdeckel gestaltet ist und sich aufklappen lässt. Darunter befindet sich ein ausklappbares Inlay, das alle fünf Scheiben erhält. Es lässt sich so ausklappen, dass es den Grundriss der Kathedrale enthält. Auf jeder der Außenflächen befindet sich eine Scheibe. Die Rückseiten sind mit Promofotos der Charakteren versehen. Es gibt ferner ein Faltblatt. Dieses enthält ein Poster aller wichtigen Charakteren auf der einen Seite und auf der anderen Seite ein Who's Who so wie eine Landkarte. Damit ist die Box schick gestaltet und in jedem Fall ein Hingucker für das Regal.