Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2728 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-16
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 983 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review

Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk, is a fascinating detective, at once a man of God, of science, and even of action. Derek Jacobi stars as the former "soldier, sailor, sinner, and Crusader" who has his faith tested by crimes of royal intrigue and baffling murders that seem to plague 12th-century Shrewsbury. You'll find few Benedictine monks so skilled at using a quarterstaff, but beware never to tell him 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. Each feature-length episode is self-contained but plays against the backdrop of England's civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. Eoin McCarthy costars as local Under-Sheriff Hugh Beringar, who relies on Cadfael when murder subverts his efforts to keep the peace. --Donald Liebenson

Synopsis

The Cadfael - The Complete Collection - Series 1-4 DVD contains all 13 episodes, over 16 hours, from all four series about the crime-solving monk in 12th Century England.

Customer Reviews

Be warned!
As television, these medieval whodunits are ok, but as faithful reproductions of Ellis Peter's novels they are a disaster. If you are a fan of the books, think very very carefully before you watch. Have you had your blood pressure checked recently? Is there anything at hand that could harm the tv if flung at it? Are the children likely to be woken by your shrieks of fury? You will certainly find yourself shouting some of the following comments at the screen: "Do you really think the Severn at Shrewsbury is anything like that mid-European trickle?" "Hugh Beringar? Never!" "Have you ever actually been to Shropshire?" But the worst insult of all is choosing Jacobi to play Cadfael. I can forgive the muddy little stream pretending to be the Severn, I can forgive Hugh Beringar having several different heads, but to ignore Cadfael's Welshness is equivalent to ignoring the fact that Agatha Christie's Poirot is Belgian! Taking away the fact that Cadfael looks Welsh, speaks Welsh and has a character firmly based on a Welsh attitude to justice rather than an English, is to take away more than half of the books' impact. Take the Welsh themes out of the books and frankly there isn't that much left. If you would be quite happy to watch Sherlock Holmes adaptations in which Holmes is no longer a drug addicted genius then watch these Cadfael adaptations. If not, don't.

I Really Want to Give 5 Stars ... but I Just Can't
This series should have been a great success except for the dreary settings, weak supporting cast, and slow plotting. Derek Jacobi is a phenomenal actor and extremely watchable but he can't carry this series alone. I have not read any of the Cadfael books.

In I Claudius he was a stunning success. Unfortunately, as this Medieval detective he just doesn't shine as brightly. Playing the former warrior, now a monk, Jacobi has much more sense of the world outside his village than do almost all of the other villagers. Others come to him for advice and guidance and, of course, when murders occur he is right there with his logical mind and insightful reasoning.

But the series falls short as the political intrigues and personal conflicts seem overly petty and excessive in their results. I understand that the Middle Ages were probably not very much fun, but it's difficult to sit through plodding episodes just to watch Jacobi do his thing. He's a wonderfully talented actor, but the writing and plotting just aren't up to snuff. My husband and I joked that this was a medieval "Murder She Wrote".

12th Century Sleuthing
This is a wonderful boxed set that features the whole Brother Cadfael series (1 to 4). Picture and sound quality are excellent. These stories about a 12th century monk who is a bit of a detective are really entertaining. Beautifully filmed with Derek Jacobi splendid in the lead role. All this comes at a bargain price too!