Brother Cadfael - The Virgin in the Ice

Starring:Derek Jacobi, Anthony Green (II), Albie Woodington
Director: Graham Theakston, Sebastian Graham Jones
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The first Brother Cadfael mystery to be released on DVD, The Virgin in the Ice captures all of the elements that make these adaptations of Ellis Peters's novels a perennial PBS favorite. The performances and sets bring 12th-century England to vivid life (although the series was actually filmed in Hungary). Derek Jacobi portrays Cadfael with a quiet authority and just the right edge of world-weariness one would expect from a Crusader turned monk. His search for two missing children and for the band of outlaws who brutally beat one of his fellow monks turns up intrigues and surprise twists that make this episode a captivating human drama as well as an expertly crafted mystery. From frictions within Shrewsbury Abbey to the ongoing war between Queen Maud and King Stephen, The Virgin in the Ice plunges viewers fully into Cadfael's world and all of its unexpected joys and perils.

Amazon.com

Never tell Brother Cadfael, the medieval mystery-solving monk, 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 three divine mysteries based on the books by Ellis Peters and originally broadcast in the U.S. on the PBS series Mystery! Each feature-length episode in this boxed set is self-contained but plays against the backdrop of England's civil war between forces loyal to King Stephen and those to Empress Maud. Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius, Gladiator) stars as Cadfael, who at one point is aptly described as "an odd kind of monk." The former "soldier, sailor, sinner, and Crusader" has his faith tested by crimes of royal intrigue and baffling murders that seem to plague the neutral ground of 12th-century Shrewsbury. The best of the three, "The Virgin in the Ice," is a good introduction for Cadfael initiates. This story of "violence and cruelty" involves the near-fatal beating of a young monk, the murder of a nun, and the disappearance of two children. Viewers' advisory: one of the chapters in the scene selection menu on the DVD contains a major spoiler. The "strange difficulties" continue in "The Devil's Novice," in which Cadfael's suspicions about a recently arrived novice are heightened by the murder of the bishop's chaplain. Finally, the local merchants are revolting, and the murder of two tradesmen further mar the festivities in "St. Peter's Fair." All three episodes costar Eoin McCarthy as local undersheriff Hugh Beringar, who relies on Cadfael when murder subverts his efforts to keep the peace. A tense standoff between these two friends heightens the climax of "St. Peter's Fair." Americans have never seen a sleuth such as Cadfael, a fascinating character who is at once a man of God, of science, and even of action. You'll find few Benedictine monks so skilled at using a quarterstaff. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Sir Derek and the Chronicles of a Truly Rare Benedictine........2006-09-08

When the decision was made to produce for TV several episodes from her mystery series about Brother Cadfael, that 12th century crusader turned monk turned detective who has been, ever since his creation, one of the most compassionate and unusual sleuths of literary history, novelist Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) was not entirely happy. In fact, as the series' star, Sir Derek Jacobi, explains in the extra footage provided on the now-released DVDs, Ms. Peters had very mixed feelings about giving up her brain child and entrusting it to other people who went about cutting and adjusting everything, from the storylines themselves to the way the protagonists speak and even the Chronicles' sequence, to the necessities and limitations set by the new medium. But she eventually acquiesced and at one point promised that "the next one I write, I'll make sure it's easier for you all to film."

While the thirteen episodes that were eventually produced are, thus, not entirely true to the individual Chronicles they are based on, they are closer than many other movie or TV versions of famous works of literature. Most importantly, they maintain not only the core story lines but also the historical authenticity, atmosphere and spirit set by Ms. Peters's books in a marvelous fashion. And Sir Derek Jacobi brings both the wealth of his experience and skill and all of his own shrewdness, intelligence, sense of humor and empathy to the role of the medieval Benedictine sleuth and thus truly becomes Cadfael -- for the thousands of new fans who are discovering the series through its enactment for TV just as much as for us who loved the books before they were ever transposed to a visual medium. A tremendous cast of supporting actors rounds out an overall excellent production; to mention just a few, Julian Firth as the ambitious and narrow-minded Brother Jerome, Terrence Hardiman as Abbot Radolfus and Sean Pertwee (and later Eoin McCarthy) as Under-Sheriff Hugh Beringar, who joins Cadfael in his investigations whenever, as is so often the case, these transcend the world of monastic life and require the administration of secular justice as well as clerical insight. Several episodes also feature noted guest stars.

The episodes are not entirely in the same order as the books; however, as most of the cross-references between the books have been eliminated in the screen versions, this is no great harm (although the lacking cross-references are probably one of the things avid readers of the books will find missing). The DVDs also provide background information on Ellis Peters, Sir Derek Jacobi and a number of the individual episodes' other actors.

Summary of the episodes contained in this set:

"St. Peter's Fair" (the fourth Chronicle): While traders arrive from near and far, townsfolk claim a share of the Abbey's dues from the annual fair. Then a merchant is found murdered -- but there's more to this than meets the eye!

"The Virgin in the Ice" (the sixth Chronicle): After the sack of Worcester by Empress Maud, a nun, a young nobleman and his sister get lost in the Marshes. Cadfael rushes to the rescue ... and meets a messenger from his own past.

"The Devil's Novice" (the eighth Chronicle): The Abbey accepts a novice with a troubling zeal for monastic life (but not its virtues), who may or may not be connected to the death of a cleric traveling through his home village.

Episodes contained in other sets:

First set:
"One Corpse Too Many" (the second Chronicle).
"Monk's Hood" (the third Chronicle).
"The Leper of St. Giles" (the fifth Chronicle).
"The Sanctuary Sparrow" (the seventh Chronicle).

Third Set:
"A Morbid Taste for Bones" (the first Chronicle);
"The Raven in the Foregate" (the twelfth Chronicle);
"The Rose Rent" (the thirteenth Chronicle).

Fourth Set:
"The Pilgrim of Hate" (the tenth Chronicle);
"The Potter's Field" (the seventeenth Chronicle);
"The Holy Thief" (the nineteenth Chronicle).

Brother Cadfael, Set 2.......2004-12-03

The Virgin in the Ice

"Between friends there is no owing."
Once again there is a mystery with many threads overlapping. Father Cadfael uses intuition and a great deal of forensics to sort out what really happened.
You guest it; Sister Hilaria is found in the ice and the last time she was seen was with Brother Oswain of who is delirious from an encounter with bandits. Two kids are missing and a mysterious woodsman (with a sward) is creeping around. Things only get more complicated. In the process of sorting this out Father Cadfael leaves words of wisdom as "There is no shame in tears when they are worth shedding."
The identity of the mysterious woodsman holds great significance.
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The Devil's Novice
"Even in the worst deed there is some good."
You know this is going to be a good one when it starts out with a bloody face staring at you. Later there is the bragging priest and you know if he is not the one to die that he should be. And what is with the soon to be bride playing on both sides of the fence?
A new novice that speaks strangely in his sleep, a missing king's chaplain who should have staid in the cars or rather not go out alone, and a mystery wild man is just the right mix for a murder mystery.
Once again Cadfael uses forensics, logic and intuition (with a little last minute information) to smoke out the truth and bring the culprit/s to justice.
You will suspect everyone up to the end.
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St. Peter's Fair

In the final reckoning we are all traitors to our hearts.

There is to be the annual St. Peter's Fair in which vendors from all over come to hawk their wears. The town merchants are required by law to close for this time. Not satisfied with this law the merchants threaten Abbot Radulfus (Terrence Hardiman) and get told that he has no choice in the matter.
This leads to a scuffle between the merchants and the visiting vendors. In the morning a wine merchant's body seems to be watered down with a hole and no tong. Abbot Radulfus charges Cadfael to find out if it was the Abbots fault for refusing to share with the towns people.
Naturally things get complex. There are crosses and double crosses, beautiful girls and suspicious sheriffs. This may even lead to a rift between the Sheriff Hugh Beringar and Cadfael (old friends.)Cadfael uses forensics, intrusion and logic to help solve the mystery.

Cadfael my Son.......2004-03-01

This is one of the best sets in the series. Although I think Sean Pertwee in the first set was a better sheriff, this group of stories is incredible. We see consoling, love, intrigue, lechery, murder, highway bandits, rape, kidnapping, and a host of other acts of love and violence. Some true chivalry, an evil monk but not the one that is accused, and mysterious disappearances of people make this set great to watch. The set contains many sub stories in each story that makes them all the more interesting. We find out a piece of the puzzle in Cadfael's love life while he was on the Crusades. The set does not contain much as far as extra's but the series alone is well worth the price. The quality is comparable with the rest in the series and quite adequate.

Fun, but some bad decisions here.......2003-09-16

This set has gone a bit downhill from the first series. These are still enjoyable, but not nearly as close to the world of the books. The first big problem is the very unfortunate decision to merge the characters of the two sheriffs. The actor in the first series was a great Hugh Berringer and this one is a great Sheriff Prestcote, but the two were such totally different personalities that their lines can't be combined into a coherent role. Which raises the question, why weren't the books done in the order they were written so that the two characters could be handled properly? Secondly, Cadfael loves the world and its creatures, but has a certain detachment, befitting a monk, viewing worldly folly more with sorrow and compassion than anger. He seems here to be sliding more towards the Last Angry Man with a contempt for the fools around him. He isn't set so far apart from the rest of the cast in the books. The quality of costuming varies wildly, with some of the women looking more like attendees at a late 20th century prom than medieval women. Some of the other supporting characters, notably Brother Jerome and Prior Roberts and the two abbotts are great!

So what if this Hugh isn't the *real* Hugh (Sean Pertwee)?.......2003-02-19

... Brother Cadfael is *still* the most unique, complex, fascinating detective out there. Add to that the endlessly treacherous and intriguing setting, and you've found a winner.

The production standard is incredible; visually, it's an impressive effort and very realistic. It manages to be grand and gritty at once.

The acting is likewise superb. I could never have pictured a better Cadfael than the sterling Sir Derek Jacobi.

Amazon.com

The first Brother Cadfael mystery to be released on DVD, The Virgin in the Ice captures all of the elements that make these adaptations of Ellis Peters's novels a perennial PBS favorite. The performances and sets bring 12th-century England to vivid life (although the series was actually filmed in Hungary). Derek Jacobi portrays Cadfael with a quiet authority and just the right edge of world-weariness one would expect from a Crusader turned monk. His search for two missing children and for the band of outlaws who brutally beat one of his fellow monks turns up intrigues and surprise twists that make this episode a captivating human drama as well as an expertly crafted mystery. From frictions within Shrewsbury Abbey to the ongoing war between Queen Maud and King Stephen, The Virgin in the Ice plunges viewers fully into Cadfael's world and all of its unexpected joys and perils.

Customer Reviews:

Between friends there is no owing........2004-12-11

Once again there is a mystery with many threads overlapping. Father Cadfael uses intuition and a great deal of forensics to sort out what really happened.

You guest it; Sister Hilaria is found in the ice and the last time she was seen was with Brother Oswain of who is delirious from an encounter with bandits. Two kids are missing and a mysterious woodsman (with a sward) is creeping around. Things only get more complicated. In the process of sorting this out Father Cadfael leaves words of wisdom as "There is no shame in tears when they are worth shedding."

The identity of the mysterious woodsman holds great significance.

One of the better entries.......2001-01-20

Brother cadfael, 12th ecntury benedictine monk and herbalist of the abbey of St Peterand St Paul, of Shrewsbury has been transformed into life by Sir Derek jacobi,and in a way, has become his as much as his creators,Ellis Peters. In this entry,the civil war raging between King Stephen and Empress Maud[never far from any of the 20 stories]is raging on...It opens with Brother oswin,cadfaels clumsly,sweet novice wandering about in a snowstorm,then coming uopn a gropup of badints, and being beaten and stabbed and left for dead. A missing pair of teens,their teacher{a nun}, a lord,some wayward crusaders,another crusader and our intrepid slueth are intertwined very well. The scene of the frozen corpse being melted by candle while gregorian chant in sung is very well done,though much of the snowfall looks like soap flakes. The acting is first rate. Jacobi has done, to the same degree with a lesser literary figure, what the late Sir Alec Guiness did with John Le Carre's Geroge Smiley: made him so much his own it is difficult to distinguish between the two.There are a couple of surprises here, a twist at the end,and a satisfying conclusion to this chapter. The video is not vey well filmed at least my dvd was poorly shot. I do not think it was the transfer,I think it was the quality of the original recording. I have vhs copies of this series that are much better productions. Also, there are no special features worth talking about. So to sum up, nice storyline, superb acting from Jacobi,interesting moments,poor quality recording.

Excellent viewing for mystery fans.......2000-11-21

I love the Brother Cadfael mysteries - I watched them on TV quite a few times and when the DVDs became available I ordered them immediately. Brother Cadfael is a Benedictine monk living during the war-torn years of the middle ages. Stationed in England but of Welsh descent, he was a crusader during his middle years and therefore has knowledge of both the outer world as well as the church life.

This episode shows that life 'back then' wasn't always quiet and peaceful. Two children are lost, nuns are violated and killed, ransom and murder are the items of the day. Even with these rough acts going on, men and women find ways to show compassion and love.

It is one of the earlier episodes, with the set and costumes being perhaps a bit sparklier than they need to be, but the acting is fantastic and the plot great as well. The atmosphere is also wonderful.

This is one of my favorite episodes because of a sub-plot with the mysterious crusader who helps find the children - quite special. There are many weavings going on in this story, and the tapestry they create is truly beautiful.

Great.......2000-07-20

Yes Cadfael is great.Derek Jacobi has immense presence.He grabs your attention easily even when he is giving the audio only interview that is part of the extras of this DVD.It's the usual BBC production and it has that TV/BBC production look to it.Sometimes it looks like the plot is being hurried to fit in the required TV time constraints of the series, but that can be a bonus for some.

One of Cadfael's best cases..........2000-06-11

Do you like BBC dramatizations with fine actors such as Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) and Alan Rickman (Sense and Sensibility)? Do you like first class mystery stories you can watch over and over because the plots are complicated and you miss some of the detail the first or second time you see the film? Do you like romance and action set in the Middle Ages? Are you fascinated with daily life in a monastery and the fine art of healing with herbs and remedies learned by an ex-Crusader now turned healing monk?

The time is the mid-1100s. Queen Maude and King Stephen, first cousins who each claim the throne of England, have divided the land in Civil War. "The Virgin in the Ice" is set in the town of Shrewsbury England, near the border with Wales. Brother Cadfael (Jacobi) is an ex-Crusader, who in his old age has become a member of the Abby of Saints Peter and Paul. When he was as a Crusader, Cadfael acquired the knowledge healing from Miriam, a woman he knew in the Holy Land (and the Biblical sense). He ministers to the monks at the abbey, the town folks, and any others who may need his services.

One bleak mid-winter night, Cadfael's young assistant is found half frozen on a road near the abbey. He has been badly beaten and is semicomotose from a skull fracture. Cadfael nurses him back from death's door. Meanwhile, Brother Jerome, the abbey "snitch" and troublemaker overhears Cadfael's assistant ranting about a woman. Brother Jerome jumps to the conclusion the young man has done something very bad. The young monk had been in the company of a young noble woman and her tutor a young nun when last seen. Now he has been found alone. What could possibly have happened?

Cadfael, being a careful and sensible monk does not jump to conclusions. He goes in search of clues. In the process of tracking footprints in the snow, and other traces of the party of travelers, Cadfael stumbles on a young boy who says he was overrun by brigands and separated from his sister and her tutor. Cadfael discovers the boy is the son of a nobleman loyal to Queen Maude's side of the civil dispute. En route back to the abbey, while crossing a stream, Cadfael spots a face peering up at him from the frozen water--a virgin in the ice.

The rest of the story Cadfael tries to determine what happened. How did the young woman die? Who killed her? Where is the sister and where is the nun? Was the party attacked by King Stephen's loyalists? Was it attacked by a rebel band of ex-Crusaders who have become thieves and highwaymen? Did the young monk attack the women? How does the young nobelwoman's fiance figure into the equasion. And then, there's the mysterious young man with an olive complexion who was clearly a Crusader, and has orders to bring the young man and woman to a preselected destination south of Shrewsbury.

"The Virgin in the Ice" was one of the best of the dramatizations of one of the best of Ellis Peters 20 volume series on Cadfael.

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