Cadfael

The Cadfael Collection

Never tell Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk, your theory of how a crime "must" have been committed. "We must always be wary of 'must,'" he states. "Nothing is certain." And so attest these divine mysteries based on the books by Ellis Peters and originally broadcast in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! Each of the 13 feature-length episodes in The Cadfael Collection is self-contained but plays against the backdrop of England's civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) stars as Cadfael, who at one point is aptly described as "an odd kind of monk." The former "soldier, sailor, sinner, and Crusader" has his faith tested by crimes of royal intrigue and baffling murders that seem to plague the neutral ground of 12th-century Shrewsbury. "The Virgin in the Ice" is a good introduction for Cadfael initiates. This story of "violence and cruelty" involves the near-fatal beating of a young monk, the murder of a nun, and the disappearance of two children. Local undersheriff Hugh Beringar (played over the course of the series by Sean Pertwee, Eoin McCarthy, and Anthony Green) relies on Cadfael when murder subverts his efforts to keep the peace. A tense standoff between these two friends heightens the climax of "St. Peter's Fair." Americans have never seen a sleuth such as Cadfael, a fascinating character who is at once a man of God, of science, and even of action. You'll find few Benedictine monks so skilled at using a quarterstaff. --Donald Liebenson

In this unique mystery series based on the bestselling books by Ellis Peters, Sir Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) stars as Brother Cadfael, a compassionate seeker of truth and justice in chaotic world medieval England.

DVD special features include exclusive audio comments by Derek Jacobi, Derek Jacobi essay, Ellis Peters materials, production scrapbooks, cast filmographies, and captions/subtitles for the hearing impaired.

• Collection Includes
• 
  One Corpse Too Many
• 
  The Sanctuary Sparrow
• 
  The Leper of St. Giles
• 
  Monk's Hood
• 
  The Virgin in the Ice
• 
  The Devil's Novice
  
• 
  St. Peter's Fair
• 
  A Morbid Taste for Bones
• 
  The Raven in the Foregate
• 
  The Rose Rent
• 
  The Pilgrim of Hate
• 
  The Potter's Field
• 
  The Holy Thief

Brother Cadfael, Set 1 (One Corpse Too Many / The Sanctuary Sparrow / The Leper of St. Giles / Monk's Hood)

Brother Cadfael, Set 2 (The Virgin in the Ice, The Devil's Novice, St. Peter's Fair)

Never tell Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk, your theory of how a crime "must" have been committed. "We must always be wary of 'must,'" he states. "Nothing is certain." And so attest these three divine mysteries based on the books by Ellis Peters and originally broadcast in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! Each feature-length episode in this boxed set is self-contained but plays against the backdrop of England's civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) stars as Cadfael, who at one point is aptly described as "an odd kind of monk." The former "soldier, sailor, sinner, and Crusader" has his faith tested by crimes of royal intrigue and baffling murders that seem to plague the neutral ground of 12th-century Shrewsbury. The best of the three, "The Virgin in the Ice," is a good introduction for Cadfael initiates. This story of "violence and cruelty" involves the near-fatal beating of a young monk, the murder of a nun, and the disappearance of two children. Viewers' advisory: one of the chapters in the scene selection menu on the DVD contains a major spoiler. The "strange difficulties" continue in "The Devil's Novice," in which Cadfael's suspicions about a recently arrived novice are heightened by the murder of the bishop's chaplain. Finally, the local merchants are revolting, and the murder of two tradesmen further mar the festivities in "St. Peter's Fair." All three episodes costar Eoin McCarthy as local undersheriff Hugh Beringar, who relies on Cadfael when murder subverts his efforts to keep the peace. A tense standoff between these two friends heightens the climax of "St. Peter's Fair." Americans have never seen a sleuth such as Cadfael, a fascinating character who is at once a man of God, of science, and even of action. You'll find few Benedictine monks so skilled at using a quarterstaff. --Donald Liebenson

Brother Cadfael, Set 4 (The Pilgrim of Hate / The Potter's Field / The Holy Thief)

The Pilgrim of Hate
Brother Cadfael, the Sherlock Holmes of the medieval world, discovers a corpse among the parade of the infirm and diseased taking refuge in the abbey on "Cripples Day." Thieves and con men ply their trades among the pilgrims so there is no shortage of suspects, but a few personalities leap from the crowd, namely a bitter young man accompanied by his pickpocket sister and a dying pilgrim making the trek barefoot while his pious brother pushes him along. The struggle between faith and dogma that rings through all of the Cadfael mysteries takes center stage in this story. The piety of the more judgmental Brothers of the Order comes across as hypocritical in their dealings with the unwashed peasants (who are, much to the monks' dismay, detained within the abbey walls during the investigation), but even their intolerance pales next to Cadfael's terrible discovery in the murder.

The Potter's Field
The brothers of the Shrewsbury monastery are doing some innocent backyard plowing when they turn up a murder victim's corpse--perhaps that of the former wife of their own Brother Ruald. Shrewsbury boils with rumors and accusations as a civil war devastates the countryside. The Potter's Field is a terrific mystery, filled with compelling human drama as well as a knotty riddle with a shocking solution. The production has an authentic feel, showing both the practicalities and the squalor of medieval life, and the direction artfully enhances the story. The acting is excellent across the board, with Jacobi's surehanded embodiment of Cadfael leading the way. This is an excellent, satisfying mystery.

The Holy Thief
Suspicion falls on the holy, the holier-than-thou, and the unholy when the sacred relics of Saint Winifred are stolen from the abbey and the pious prior of a fallen monastery and a greedy land baron both lay claim to them. Kidnapping, the jewel robbery, and murder only complicate the efforts of Brother Cadfael to separate holy miracle from worldly conspiracy. Derek Jacobi fills Brother Cadfael with a warmth to match his logic and a passion for justice that stands in contrast to the often fatal superstition of his world (trial by water as binding law). This episode is one of the darkest and most interesting entries in the series. --Sean Axmaker

Brother Cadfael, Set 3 (The Rose Rent, A Morbid Taste for Bones, The Raven in the Foregate)

Brother Cadfael - The Virgin in the Ice

The first Brother Cadfael mystery to be released on DVD, The Virgin in the Ice captures all of the elements that make these adaptations of Ellis Peters's novels a perennial PBS favorite. The performances and sets bring 12th-century England to vivid life (although the series was actually filmed in Hungary). Derek Jacobi portrays Cadfael with a quiet authority and just the right edge of world-weariness one would expect from a Crusader turned monk. His search for two missing children and for the band of outlaws who brutally beat one of his fellow monks turns up intrigues and surprise twists that make this episode a captivating human drama as well as an expertly crafted mystery. From frictions within Shrewsbury Abbey to the ongoing war between Queen Maud and King Stephen, The Virgin in the Ice plunges viewers fully into Cadfael's world and all of its unexpected joys and perils.

The DVD includes several minutes of audio comments by Derek Jacobi about taking on the role and the appeal of Cadfael. Other special features include biographical information about Ellis Peters (a pseudonym for Edith Pargeter), a production scrapbook of behind-the-scenes photos, and English captions for the hearing-impaired. --Larisa Lomacky Moore

Cadfael - St. Peter's Fair

Americans have never seen a TV sleuth like Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk indelibly portrayed by Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) in the wildly popular series of British films based on the books by Ellis Peters. This self-contained Cadfael mystery may be a bit of a muddle to novices not familiar with 12th-century English history, but mystery buffs will enjoy watching Cadfael in action. The former Crusader is, as one character describes, "an odd kind of monk." St. Peter's Fair promises a respite from the ongoing civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. But the festivities are quickly marred by the murder of a visiting merchant. When it is suggested the victim "must" have been murdered by a common thief, Cadfael replies, "We must always be wary of 'must.' Nothing is certain." Indeed, why would a common thief ransack the victim's cart and wares and leave all valuables behind? With one hot-headed villager falsely arrested, the answer may lie with the merchant's beautiful and feisty niece Emma, whom Cadfael takes under his wing. For Cadfael watchers, a highlight of this episode is a tense climactic standoff between the monk and his friend, undersheriff Hugh Beringar (Eoin McCarthy, replacing Sean Pertwee), who fleetingly lets greed get the better of him. --Donald Liebenson

Cadfael - One Corpse Too Many

Cadfael - The Holy Thief

Suspicion falls on the holy, the holier-than-thou, and the unholy when the sacred relics of Saint Winifred are stolen from the abbey and the pious prior of a fallen monastery and a greedy land baron both lay claim to them. Kidnapping, the jewel robbery, and murder only complicate the efforts of Brother Cadfael--worldly monk, medieval detective, secular humanist before his time--to separate holy miracle from worldly conspiracy. Derek Jacobi fills Brother Cadfael with a warmth to match his logic and a passion for justice that stands in contrast to the often fatal superstition of his world (trial by water as binding law). This episode is one of the darkest and most interesting entries in the series.

The DVD features a brief audio interview with Derek Jacobi, historical background to the struggle between King Stephen and Queen Maude over the throne, stills, filmographies, and Ellis Peters bio and booklist. --Sean Axmaker

Cadfael - Monk's Hood

Wonderfully preposterous as whodunits go, Cadfael proves that sleuthing for clues in 12th-century England can be hazardous to a "mere" monk's health. In this 1994 episode, Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) becomes entangled in a murder investigation. A wealthy landowner disinherits his stepson (played by then-unknown Jonny Lee Miller) and wills his estate to Shrewsbury Abbey, home of Cadfael's clerical order. But the brutal old fellow is soon poisoned, and Cadfael is alone in doubting the boy's culpability.

The case becomes more urgent after the incorrigible monk discovers the suspect's mother is a sweetheart he left behind after joining the Crusades 40 years earlier. Complicating matters is growing corruption at the abbey following news of the deceased man's benevolence. As usual, Cadfael's fearlessness at pursuing truth in the face of powerful interests, along with Jacobi's knowing performance, is the most compelling element of this medieval thriller. --Tom Keogh