SummaryKen Follett's novel about the construction of England's Kingsbridge cathedral during the turmoil of Empress Maud and King Stephen's reign is adapted into an eight hour miniseries.
SummaryKen Follett's novel about the construction of England's Kingsbridge cathedral during the turmoil of Empress Maud and King Stephen's reign is adapted into an eight hour miniseries.
Ken Follett's 1989 historical novel had a resurgence in popularity as a 2007 Book Club selection, and should finally achieve world domination with this adaptation. Who knew the Middle Ages were so soap-operatically . . . dark?
This is one of those potboilers where the good guys (Madfadyen as a pious friar, Sewell as a master builder) are impossibly noble, suffering in a lawless time through the murderous machinations of the endlessly scheming villains (most notably McShane hamming it up as a cunningly ambitious church official).
Very faithful to the book, this miniseries succeeds in every way. The acting is as good as it gets and the scenery is beautiful. Very good job! I'm eagerly awaiting the miniseries for a World Without End!
Pillars does a surprisingly good job of maintaining story coherence. It also avoids what might be called the Fairytale-Princess Fallacy of costume dramas; the muck and brutality of the Middle Ages are on full display.
Admirers of the novel probably will be pleased. Average viewers who never read the novel (or any historic fiction) will be either confused or bored--possibly both.
With a little bit of effort on your part--The Pillars of the Earth is pretty good viewing. It's the sort of expansive miniseries that we never see on network television anymore.
I never read the book but this mini-series brought me much, very much knowledge on the building of a cathedral, I think it was very well done and the last scene was just breathtaking I clearly adore this mini-series and I recommend anyone to watch it
I have watched 4 episodes so far of the series, and I found it quite enjoyable and interesting. Also another reminder of the power of the church in these days. They not only influenced peoples souls but also mingled in the affairs of the country. I thought the actors are playing their parts very well.
thought this series to be very weak, having read the book aswell. i put the responsibility on folletts inability to write realistic 3 dimensional **** good elements from the book, the dark potrayal of a hard time period is not conveyed to the screen. for example the whole cast look like they just had a hot shower and a good meal. if i go camping for just one night i look like rubbish compared to any one of these characters. to me the novel was quite average, but the tv series went a couple of steps in the wrong direction. either lose any attempt at medievel realism and make it a fantasy. or lose folletts childish characters and replace them with interesting downtrodden morally ambiguous people that reflect the setting
Well... this TV Serie or Movie or whatever that it ****'s just bad... the sceneries and the decoration it's just bad, sometimes there's unnecessary scenes... and plot too.
Please don't watch this Serie or you are gonna just get bored..
Plodding and just rubbish, has some very odd editing, McShane in a bizarre performance and Matthew (Spooks) McFaden (?) has an accent that defies logic and geography in equal measure. Gave up during Episode Two and thought well...hope the Cathedral gets built and who cares