The Pillars of the Earth (2010– ) 8.1
Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart. |
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The Pillars of the Earth (2010– ) 8.1
Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart. |
|
| 0Share... |
| Series cast summary: | |||
| Ian McShane | ... |
Waleran Bigod
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Matthew Macfadyen | ... |
Philip
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Eddie Redmayne | ... |
Jack
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Hayley Atwell | ... |
Aliena
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Sarah Parish | ... |
Regan Hamleigh
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Natalia Wörner | ... |
Ellen
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Anatole Taubman | ... |
Remigius
(8 episodes, 2010)
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John Pielmeier | ... |
Cuthbert
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Robert Bathurst | ... |
Percy Hamleigh
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Clive Wood | ... |
King Henry I
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Sam Claflin | ... |
Richard
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Liam Garrigan | ... |
Alfred
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| David Oakes | ... |
William Hamleigh
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Tony Curran | ... |
Stephen
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Donald Sutherland | ... |
Bartholomew
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Alison Pill | ... |
Maud
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Gordon Pinsent | ... |
Archbishop
(8 episodes, 2010)
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László Áron | ... |
Architect
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Féodor Atkine | ... |
Abbot Suger
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Kelly Endresz-Banlaki | ... |
Princess
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Virág Bárány | ... |
Young Woman Whore
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| David Bark-Jones | ... |
Francis
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Tamás Baross | ... |
Gabriel
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Oliver Bauer | ... |
Medieval Child
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Skye Bennett | ... |
Martha - young
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Freddie Boath | ... |
Henry - 15 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Douglas Booth | ... |
Eustace - 15 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Ottilia Borbáth | ... |
Townfolk #3
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Jonathan Coy | ... |
Father Ralph
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Scott Curtis | ... |
Peasant
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Antal Czapkó | ... |
General
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Brooke Dean | ... |
Maud - 6 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Matt Devere | ... |
Gloucester
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Kate Dickie | ... |
Agnes
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Lara Dzikowski | ... |
Townfolk #5
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Gabriella Fon | ... |
Townfolk #1
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Stu Gamble | ... |
Lad
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Kevin Griffiths | ... |
Lord #1
(8 episodes, 2010)
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David Haderer | ... |
Robin Goodfellow
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Jody Halse | ... |
Johnny Eightpence
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Máté Haumann | ... |
Messenger #3
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Jeremy Haward-Grau | ... |
Little Henry
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Emily Holt | ... |
Martha - older
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Péter Horkay | ... |
Steward
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Ákos Horváth | ... |
Simon Goodfellow
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Barna Illyés | ... |
Labourer
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Csaba Jakab | ... |
French Mason
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Sidney Johnston | ... |
Jonathan - 4-5 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Mike Kelly | ... |
Messenger #2
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Péter Kertész | ... |
Stephen's Physician
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Bernadett Kis | ... |
Midwife
(8 episodes, 2010)
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László Konter | ... |
Bishop
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Alexis Latham | ... |
One-armed Wool Man
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Antal Leisen | ... |
Townfolk #4
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Peter Linka | ... |
Townsman
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Skye Lourie | ... |
Elizabeth
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Pál Makrai | ... |
French Master Builder
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Michael Mehlmann | ... |
Prior James
(8 episodes, 2010)
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George Mendel | ... |
Lord #2
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Lisa Millett | ... |
Kate
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Piroska Molnár | ... |
Grandmama
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Ben O'Brien | ... |
Winchester Clerk
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Kende Orbán | ... |
Eustace - 4-5 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Miklos Pavel | ... |
Sentry Edgar
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Mark Phelan | ... |
Otto
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Tibor Pintér | ... |
Shareburg
(8 episodes, 2010)
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John Rado | ... |
Sentry
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Kevin Rees | ... |
Jonathan - 30 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Barnabás Réti | ... |
Brother Paul
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Richard Rifkin | ... |
Matthew
(8 episodes, 2010)
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András Sándor | ... |
Page
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Nicolas Sipek | ... |
Stephen's Fake Son - 4 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Tibor Süle | ... |
Antoine
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Margaréta Szabó | ... |
Young Woman
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Tatiana Szalay | ... |
Gabriel's Mother
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Sándor Téri | ... |
Physician
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Dorian Thomas | ... |
Teenage Boy
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Geoffrey Thomas | ... |
Earl of Weymouth
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Zoltan Toth | ... |
Prince
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Zsófi Trecskó | ... |
French Peasant Woman
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Tamás Varga | ... |
Townfolk #2
(8 episodes, 2010)
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András Várkonyi | ... |
Captain
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Zsolt Zágoni | ... |
Shiring Messenger #1
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Marcell Závodi | ... |
Tommy - 9 years old
(8 episodes, 2010)
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Bianca Bauer | ... |
Medieval Child
(8 episodes, 2010)
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| Rufus Sewell | ... |
Tom Builder
(7 episodes, 2010)
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| Götz Otto | ... |
Walter
(7 episodes, 2010)
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The Pillars of the Earth is set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart. In that time, there rises a magnificent Cathedral in Kingsbridge. Against the backdrop, love-stories entwine: Tom, the master builder, Aliena, the noblewoman, the sadistic Lord William, Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack, the artist in stone work and Ellen, the woman from the forest who casts a curse. At once, this is a sensuous and enduring love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age. Follett masterfully weaves these stories through political turmoil of 12th century England, creating a relevant and viable world for today's audience and for generations to come. Written by Anonymous
I have read everything Ken Follett has written, but I pretty much had him pegged as a writer of extraordinarily readable suspense potboilers. Better than Stephen King, but no Cormac McCarthy. Then, in 1989 he unveiled "Pillars of the Earth" and I was stunned. Follett gave full rein to his incredibly vivid and compelling storytelling abilities. When I finished I was sad. I could no longer follow the adventures of these heroic and scheming English men and women in the the tumultuous 12th Century, a time of uncertainty over who should be on the throne.
I have now watched the first six episodes (available on Netflix for instant viewing) and am dying to see the final two when they come available. I didn't know what to expect, but I can declare myself fully satisfied.
What worried me most going in was the series was what the tone would be. Follett is a master of grand, operatic gestures. The mini-series captures that.
He also is far from shy about sex, barbarism and vulgarity. There's a scene when the monks put Ellen on trial as a witch that made my jaw drop. No F-bombs, but one startling c**t bomb. The incest theme between William and his mother is not explicitly shown, but very clear.
Occasionally, it's a bit "stagey" and the CGI is good, but not state of the art.
Still, "Pillars" is a triumph of epic storytelling.