Brother Cadfael: The Potter's Field (1998)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Christopher Russell, based on the novel by Ellis Peters
Directed by Mary McMurray
Starring: Derek Jacobi, Michael Culver, and Peter Copley

Features:

• Audio comments by Derek Jacobi
  
• Ellis Peters biography and booklist
  
• Production scrapbook
  
• Filmographies
  

Rating: NR, suitable for audiences 12+

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Buy it.

Brother Cadfael, based upon the original novels by Ellis Peters, tells the story of a monk and herbalist who solves mysteries by his wits, his love of the people around him, and a willingness to do what other people are afraid to do. As a former soldier, Cadfael has a past of his own, and this lends a certain wisdom and broad information base to his investigations. The Potter's Field begins with a potter who feels a vocation to monastic life, but is confronted by his wife, who does not relish the thought of living alone on public charity. When a woman's body is found in the potter's field a year later, Cadfael must not only identify the body as the potter's wife, but must find her murderer. What follows is a tale of love, lust, revenge, and what it means to be a medieval woman that only Ellis Peters could have created.

The historical background of the Cadfael series is complex and tumultuous. Luckily, this twelfth-century setting truly comes alive in the hands of the author and the actor. The mysteries take place after the death of Henry I, who died without an heir, though he had named his daughter Maud (aka Matilda) as his successor. Even though many of Henry's vassals had pledged to support her, after Henry's death, many nobles instead supported Maud's cousin Stephen, citing primogeniture as their reasoning, as well as her ties to France. The following years of civil strife, invasions, and continuing Norman/Saxon tension left England shaken and in search of faith; in these times, Cadfael's reasoning and compassion would have been most welcome and treasured.

Jacobi lends a great sense of strength and wisdom to Cadfael's screen presence. He is able to subtly portray the differences between the Welsh Cadfael and the other coddled monks of Shewsbury without being too heavy-handed. The other actors are equally brilliant, with perfect timing and a wonderful blend of pity, snobbery, foolishness, and/or selfishness. Pay particular attention to the late scene between the potter's wife and the lord's wife told in flashback--it's stunning.

The features on this disc are top-notch. Jacobi's audio comments are very illuminating, and fans of the series will appreciate the Ellis Peters biography and booklist. The production scrapbook is interesting, especially to film buffs, and the filmographies are also nice. All in all, a stacked DVD.

The Potter's Field can be recommended to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or to medieval buffs in general. The ending won't be a surprise after the first viewing, but as with all of the PBS Cafael mysteries, you won't watch this film just to know who-done-it. Even history or literature teachers could make use of this series to discuss such ideas as social mobility, the Investiture Controversy, feudalism, medievalism, and, with The Potter's Field specifically, feminism.