Cadfael The Series - Impressions #1

[wiseheart]

Yesterday, I got my Christmas prezzie from the wonderful lissas_elves: the complete "Cadfael" tv-series. Greedy-gut as I am, I've already watched the first episodes last night. My impressions so far:

1) Casting
- Sir Derek Jacobi makes an excellent job (and I particularly like the inverview with him, in which he complains about the close friendship between Cadfael and Hugh coming too short and the loss of Hugh's marriage with Aline and his entire family life, with which I whole-heartedly agree), but as much as I'm trying, I just can't see him as Cadfael. The visuals are so very different from the description given in the book, and generally, he's way too refined for the part, IMO. For comparison, here is my Cadfael:



- Contrary to my expectations, I liked Sean Pertwee as Hugh Beringar. The colouring is all wrong, of course (what is this with TV and movie people preferring blonds while the character is clearly given as black-haired anyway?) but I love his sarcasm that's spot-on.

- The characters in "The Sanctuary Sparrow" were... strange at least. I couldn't for my life understand while Daniel Aurifaber would have been considered such a desirable young man by all, had I not read the books. The women were generally very well-chosen, especially Susanna and Margery; Rannilt I'd have imagined a lot thinner and with much darker hair, but she was okay. Liliwin wasn't bad - the type fit, although he looked a lot older than I'd have imagined from the book. Baldwin Peche was great, and so was the daft boy working for him. I'd have imagined John Boneth a lot younger and perhaps taller and better-looking, but I can live with the casting choice.

- Interestingly enough, I find Brother Jerome way too young; Prior Robert isn't bad, but he hasn't had too much to do so far. I mourn the loss of Brother Mark - it seems they go with Brother Oswin all the way. Understandable, as there are too many characters as it is, but still, Mark was the best of Cadfael's sidekicks, ever. Abbot Heribert is cute - I wonder if they bring in Radulfus eventually or stick with him.

- Gilbert Prestcote was, visually, a grab into the toilet. Will Warden is very different from the book description, too, but I like the look. What is it with me and men with long hair, I wonder? Adam Courcelle mysteriously mutated from a reddish-haired, handsome guy to a dark villain - clichéd much? I liked Aline's looks, too bad that she was only in the first episode.

2) Plot choices
All in all, I had no objections in these two episodes. I liked how they showed things that were only mentioned in the books; it made the whole thing a lot more active and lively, which, I guess, is important in a visual medium. My absolute favourite was the fact that they actually made John Boneth fall in love with Susanna Aurifaber - something I've done in "Sparrows", without knowing that they'd already done it in the series. The subtext must have been very suggestive, I suppose.

3) Sets
Liked Cadfael's hut, but was a bit disappointed that we haven't got to see much of the abbey, so far. All was saw was the dark church (no visible details) with only the faces of the monks as they sing the hores. I so hope for gorgeous shots about a gothic cathedral, but so far, no such luck. And all the outside scenes seem to take place in the same barn - which they probably do, for budget reasons. I understand that, but it's still a bit disappointing.

All in all, I love the series so far. I already dread the episode in which Sean Pertwee will be replaced, but who knows, I might like his successor, too. Even if he does look like a big fat Viking.

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I see you share my thoughts on the casting.It infuriates me the massacre of the Cadfael and Hugh friendship.In one episode, Hugh even threatens to shoot Cadfael!The worse episode is "The Pilgrim of Hate" which massacres the plot and characters. I think the best one is "The Devil's Novice."

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I liked the episodes with Sean Pertwee as Hugh; meaning Series One. "The Virgin in the Ice" wasn't bad, either; I understand the reason why they used Brother Oswin instead of a guest charcter who only appeared in that one book. And I liked Olivier.

But "The Pilgrim of Hate" could have set me off on a homicidal spree. That book is my absolute favourite - I still cry every single time when I re-read Rhun's miraculous healing - and the blasphemy they made out of it outraged me to no end. The whole plot (what plot?) was the polar opposite of what "Cadfael" is about. Ellis Peters or her heirs should have gone to court about that episode.

Haven't seen "The Devil's Novice" yet. Will do, soon. Am I right to assume that we won't meet Olivier again, though?

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

How lovely to have someone to share my outrage with! I felt like throwing something at the TV! How could they make the saintly Rhun into a conman?How dare they? I can only surmise they thought modern viewers didn't believe in miracles, but for Goodness sake, the story is about an age that did!

And all that gory stuff about boiling bones too!What was that for!

I actually only live about 40 miles from Holywell where St Winifred's well is.(I can't recall visiting the well,alas) but she is almost a local girl who deserves respect.

Then they slaughtered the redemtion of Luc and turned him into a madman,ugh!

Your Cadfael is nearer to mine too.Derek Jacobi is too much the smooth, cultured modern actor.

I agree it made sense to keep Oswin.

I don't think they filled "Brother Cadfael's Penance" which also had Oliver in it.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Actually, Olivier was in "The Pilgrim of Hate", too - in the book, I mean. That's why I watched that episode next, hoping to see Olivier again. I was very insulted for Luc's sake, too, and I mourned for the romance beween him and Melangell; it was so sweet. But the worst thing was that they made with Rhun. I agree with you that if a story takes palce in a time that believes in miracles, they ought to keep the miracle.

Besides, how many people do believe in miracles in our time? All those people who pilgrim to Fatima and Lourdes and Medjugorje and all the other places, they are all hopeless relics from earlier times who don't count?
*is annoyed*

My Cadfael is an actual Benedictine; a simple brother, not even a priest, who'd served in the Brasilian mission for decades and returned to Hungary some sixteen years ago. A hard worker, with a heart of pure gold and a wonderful sense of humour - very Cadfael, IMO.

The boiling bones part was completely unnecessary. Methings the screenwriter has watched too much CSI. Urgh...

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

So far, (I have not finished the series, either in the videos or books) I miss Sean Pertwee as Hugh. His replacements do an adequate job, but he just seems to play the part to perfection. And, I like their choice for Prior Robert, btw, he does feature more in future episodes.

I can see your (pictured) Cadfael also and ironically, I have a good friend, Brother Anselm, at St. Joesph's Abbey in St. Benedict, LA whom I think of as your Anselm. He too, has an amazing voice and is just a wonderful, kind and caring person.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It must be the name, eh? ;)

I wish I had a proper face for Anselm. None of the Benedictines I know from here would be a good match.

[jilba.livejournal.com]

Lucky Lucky you. I would love to be able to watch Cadfael...one day!

Enjoy your prezzie!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yay! Jillian is still alive! How are your and the hubby doing, hun? I hope everything is all right?

I do enjoy my prezzie a great deal - despite certain aspects. *points at conversation above* I wish I could watch it with you and nitpick together mercilessly. ;)

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

Maybe I can convince my younger sister to make a copy of our DVDs. Would they work?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Can she break the region code, through? Otherwise Jillian won't be able to watch them!

[jilba.livejournal.com]

Don't know..maybe if she copied them region free, which I'm told you can with some. It is kind of you to think of this, very kind.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

I do like your picture of the man who should be Brother Cadfael - he has the smile lines and the look of bulk which match my picture of Cadfael. Jacobi is a great actor, but I've only watched one of the Cadfael TV series (the first one, I think, a long time ago) because he is just such a mismatch for Cadfael.

There is something utterly heart-lifting about Rhun's miracle, and the description of that moment as being when Winifred turns and looks Cadfael full in the face and smiles, and I would hate to lose that - I don't want to see the conman version of the story!

I would miss Brother Mark too - one of my favourites is The Summer of the Danes because of the return of Brother Mark. But I do like Brother Oswin's journey from clumsy uncertainty to confident aide throughout the books - I don't know how much of that is retained in the TV version. Perhaps I'll look out for Sanctuary Sparrow as it's another of my favourites and it doesn't sound like it's that bad an adaptation compared to some of the others mentioned.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

"The Sanctuary Sparrow" isn't that bad at all. Not exactly how I've imagined the guest characters, but close enough. The only character totally miscast was Rannilt, I find.

"The Rose Rent" was acceptable, too. Brother Mark was very shortly in "The Leper of St. Giles", but while I liked him as a character, he was totally mismatched as a type again. Oswin I liked. They did good work with him.

[cirdan-havens.livejournal.com]

For Sir Derek Jacobi, he grows on you and feels like Cadfael, not like some actors who you never get used to playing a character. They switch to a dark-haired Hugh Beringar to fit the description more, I guess, but I definitely thought Sean Pertwee was better. He had better presence even though he's shorter than the new Hugh. In fact, I really liked that about him, maybe because I'm short. Brother Mark shows up but certainly not as much as Brother Oswin. My little sis and I love Abbot Rudulfus because he strikes us as looking very Vulcan. :p I admit I am one of those silly people who wouldn't mind going to visit Shrewsbury Abbey.

I didn't realize you hadn't seen the TV series actually. Kind of cool to be able to read someone's fresh impressions of it. Watching Cadfael is fun. :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

None of the three Hugh Beringars were actually dark-haired, you know; I liked the middle one the least. Sean Pertwee was the best of them by miles.

I loved Radulfus, too. Your sis is right, he's very Vulcan indeed. And I think Prior Robert is well-matched, too. However, even after having seen all but four episodes by now, I still can't buy Cadfael from Derek Jacobi. No matter how great an actor he is, he just isn't the right kind of man to play the part, IMO.

Alert me in time when you're going to visit Shrewsbury Abbey. I sure as hell will be going with you. ;)