The Pillars of the Earth - Region 1 DVD

In the decades to come, Philip and the earl's children, Aliena (Hayley Atwell) and Richard (Sam Claflin), battle the bishop and the Hamleighs to complete Kingsbridge Cathedral and restore their family name. Jack's mother, Ellen (Natalia Wörner), aids in their efforts, while Jack and Alfred (Jared Leto look-alike Liam Garrigan), Tom's ne'er-do-well son, compete for Aliena's affections. As fortunes rise and fall, there's rape, incest, and executions, resulting in nudity, profanity, and splashes of blood. There are also over-the-top sequences, like a strange smothering, but the multi-character story line is involving, and the principal cast, particularly Sewell, is up to the task. The eight-part series includes extra features that explore the digital effects, the animated opening titles, and the production with Follett, executive producer Ridley Scott, actor/writer John Pielmeier, and director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. --Kathleen C. Fennessy