(by roedyg on 2 June 2012)

I found this movie fascinating. It took me into strange world where Christianity imbued every aspect of life. It could almost be viewed as a sci-fi future dystopia, though takes place in the middle ages.
Benedictine monk Cadfael is a relatively modern man stuck in time in a horribly superstitious age. He is the voice of kindness, reason and moderation. I felt myself clinging to him as a father figure. He is presented with a suspicious death, and he uses the science of his age and common sense to gradually unravel the mystery.
On the way, we see a teenage monk who feels compelled to confess every sexual thought, and accept the punishment of lashings till unconsciousness.
We see a dealer in phony saint relics. We see a man who manipulates the belief in saints and relics to bilk the gullible. We see incredible cruelty and self delusion in the name of god. We see Benedictine monks extolling selfishness, like modern day Republicans. The notion of penance drives people to masochistic madness. The film does not touch on witchcraft or torture. We see how Christianity poisons the lives of almost everyone but Cadfael.
The special effects of bleeding and festered wounds are more than convincing. They make you wince.
The characters are so grimy, ratty and diseased. The villains are so oily, strange and creepy -- not your garden variety weirdos. The crimes are quite different than you will have encountered before in other films. Griminess is the norm. It made me very happy I can leave the TV and have a long hot soak in the tub, and put on freshly laundered, crisp clothes.
There are another 12 episodes in the series, I eagerly look forward to viewing them.