Brother Cadfael - The Raven in the Foregate
by Sebastian Graham Jones
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Derek Jacobi, Julian Firth, Mark Charnock, Michael Culver, Terrence HardimanDirector: Sebastian Graham Jones
Writer: Simon Burke
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-10-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Brother Cadfael - The Raven in the Foregate
Movie Review: Kind of dark, even for a medieval mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
As always, production quality was excellent, and the characters believable. This was one of the more intricate of the mysteries I have seen, and it was hard to choose a likely suspect because it was easy to sympathize with the many people wanting the new priest Ailnoth dead.
There are two deaths to puzzle out: the disliked priest, and the parishoner whom he refuses absolution to, for her unwed pregnancy.
Cadfael struggles with personal feelings alot in this tale, both for the girls he has known since childhood (one gets drowned) and over the animosity the new priest infects nearly everyone with. In fact, it is with difficulty that the village mob is commanded to release the priest, whom they accuse of killing the drowned girl.
There is also a lot of political play going on to complicate the investigations. There are enforcers bent on killing any and all dissenters who oppose the current king - who is not really the "rightful" ruler, but holds the power, and his spies looking for the traitors, who are loyal to Queen Maud. One of these is the manservant of Ailnoth, hence a prime suspect. Being handsome, he is aided to hide by a village woman, and eludes even Cadfael for a time.
The actual series of events leading to the priest's death seems a bit contrived, and I was not comfortable with it, but there you go - editor's discretion. Maybe it is more likely in that setting as written.
The resolution is sad, as the killer has lost both his lover and her unborn baby, and has the burden of religious guilt to crush him further. The priest, unlamented, is buried on hallowed ground, while the girl is ruled a suicide, and Cadfael has to sorrow at her grave in unhallowed ground ... which he had been trying so hard to avoid.
There is a gleam of light, because there is a final love interest kindled at the end between 2 people touched by the death of the woman. I'll let you see the end yourself, though.
Summary of Brother Cadfael - The Raven in the Foregate
Political passions ran high in 12th-century England, and the Church was often caught in the middle of the feud between King Stephen and Empress Maud. This feud takes its toll in Shrewsbury upon the appointment of a new priest whose political sympathies outweigh his human compassion. With unrequited love and farmland dispossession adding to the local turmoil, the long list of people who wanted to see Father Ailnoth dead keeps both the sheriff and Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) busy for days. As with all episodes in this medieval mystery series, the writing, acting, and production values are of the highest quality, re-creating the 12th century's grand and small passions in rich detail while viewers try to puzzle out who done it.DVD extras include an audio interview with Derek Jacobi in which he shares his thoughts on Cadfael's faith and sense of guilt, an Ellis Peters biography and book list, and a production scrapbook of behind-the-scenes stills. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
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