The Pillars of the Earth (2010): Season 1, Episode 2 - Master Builder - full transcript

WOMAN 1: Where
do you want this then?

WOMAN 2: Lay that
down here.

All right.

MAN: Steady, Brother Paul.

TOM: Afternoon, Brother.

I'm looking for
the new prior.

In the church.

Don't be long.
I don't want to stay
if there's no work.

What's that?

St. Adolphus.
It's his cathedral.

Is that his real head?



The Romans cut it off,
threw it in the river.

His headless
body pulled it out
and carried it here.

Forgive him, Father. He's...
He's just a curious lad.

Which should be
encouraged in the young.
How can I help you?

I'm Tom Builder.
This is my son, Alfred.

We'd like to
repair your church.

Well, I'm Prior Philip.

And I want it repaired,
but I can't hire you.
We haven't a shilling.

Sorry.

(SCREAMS)

Martha!

You!

(YELLS)

(GRUNTING)



Get away from me!

That man nearly
killed my daughter!

No!

I saw him that night.

What night?
What are you talking about?

The night that
your woman died.

(BABY CRYING)

He took it.

He took what?

(BABY CRIES)

Please, I won't hurt him.
I promise.

I'm no good to you, am I?

I'm no good to anyone.

(SOBBING)

He's better off here
than he is with me,
but I don't want to leave.

I left him once before.
I can't do that again.

You have little choice.

I know that.
You think I don't know that?

I'm useless.
I can't support my family.
I can't stay with my son.

Why can't God give me
work just this once?

(MONKS CHANTING)

My God!

(BELL TOLLING)

MAN 1: There's a fire
in the roof!

How could this happen?

What do we do?

MAN 2: St. Adolphus,
save your church!

MAN 3: The roof's afire!

MAN 4: God save us!

MAN 5: What do we do?

Hurry, hurry!

(MONKS YELLING)

Quick, quick!
The chalices and the vesper!

Quick!

Philip! Philip! Come out!

No, the relic!
I must save the relic.

Philip!

MAN: St. Adolphus,
save your blessed church!

(COUGHING)

This is the Devil's work.

ELLEN: Jack!

What happened?

We can stay now.

At least no one died.

I prayed for this last night.

God help me.

It was lightning.

Without a storm?

All my life I've
waited for work like this.

Now it's here,
they can't afford to pay me.

We could work for free.

They give us food and lodging,

you could stay
with your little boy.

It's gone, smashed.

We're finished.

You can't rebuild a cathedral
without its relic.

A skull's a skull, Philip.

We don't even
know it was his.

What about the miracles?

I've been praying to
that skull for years

to save my poor
sister from the street.

Useless.

It does take belief, too.

Yes, but what if people
believe another skull is his?

One from the ossuary.
There's thousands.

And who's to say the monk
whose head we
choose isn't a saint?

Because that
would be a lie!

Not a lie, a leavening,
a means to an end.

And the end
is God's glory.

Well, at least
the crypt was spared.

You can use it for services,
can't you?

Until the new
church is roofed.

What makes you think
there'll even
be a new church?

Because I will build it.

You house us, you feed us,
and I will defer payment.

This may be
the Devil's work,

but it was God that sent
you a master builder.

(MONKS CHANTING)

PHILIP: My dear Bishop.

Undoubtedly, you have heard
of our misfortune.

But God has blessed us
with a rough-handed angel

to help us
through this crisis.

Tom Builder is his name,

and he is determined
to give us a new cathedral.

There is much work to be done
and workmen to be hired,

and, of course,
this brings up
the question of money.

I don't wish to burden you
as you begin your office,

but perhaps,
with your permission,
I could approach our new king

and ask his favor
in this trying time.

The plans for the expansion
of the palace, Your Eminence.

We're repairing all
of the old buildings,

as well as the chapel,
of course.

And we're adding
an entire new wing over here.

Did you scratch it?

Yeah.

You shouldn't wear it
picking up heavy rocks.

Is it worth a lot of money?

Hey, Jack, give it here.
I'll put it in a safe place.

TOM: Jack...

May I speak to
you for a moment?

I want you to make
a statue of St. Adolphus.

Me?

I've never worked in stone.

That's not true.

I saw the carvings you did
in the walls of the cave.

I think you'll manage.

I wouldn't know
where to start.

Take your time.

Experiment.

Listen.

To what?
TOM: To the stone.

You're a distraction,
you are.

I've seen the monks
watching you while they work.

They don't know
what to make of you.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, I think they
do, Tom Builder.

Are you jealous?

No, I'm not jealous.

(BOTH PANTING)

TOM: We'll have
a wooden ceiling,
like the old church.

I'd prefer it in stone,
but it's far too heavy.

Also, it's hard to find
long pieces of timber,

so the nave will have
to be only 32-feet wide.

But it'll be high.
It'll be very high.

How will the walls
support the weight?

Well, have a look at this.

PHILIP: Pointed arches?
I've never seen such a thing.

TOM: Lt'll
bear the weight better.

Which, along with
the buttresses,

will allow
the windows to be tall.

Tall enough to
let in the light.

A cathedral...

It's God's anteroom.

It's halfway to Heaven.

And the light...

The light is everything.

How long will this take?

It depends how many
people you employ.

But if you were
to hire 30 masons

with enough laborers,
carpenters and
smiths to service them,

that's 15 years.

Have you done this before?
No.

How do you know it'll work?

Lt'll work.

What do you think?

I think it's extraordinary.

REMIGIUS: It's from
Bishop Waleran, Prior.

He wants me to meet
him at Shiring Castle
on my way to see the King.

I don't know why.

I shouldn't be long,
Remigius,

but until I return,
as subprior,
you're in charge.

Safe journeys.

Where's my ring?

Jack! Jack!

I hung it around my neck,
and you stole
it in the night!

Why should you care?
You said it was worthless!

Calm down!
You said he took your ring.

How do you know?
Maybe it fell off
during the night.

I looked everywhere.

What's wrong?
He took my ring!

I don't want his bloody ring!

Where is it? Look at me, boy!

Hey.

You can't witch me!

You killed my ma
and you stole my da,

but you can't work
your charms on me!

Is anybody here?

Who are you?

Philip, Prior of Kingsbridge.

What is your business here?

I've come to see the Bishop,
on my way to the King.

Let him go, Matthew.

I'm Aliena,
daughter of the Earl.

I saw you at
the harvest service.

My lady.

And I'm Richard,
his son and heir.

Welcome to Shiring Castle.

Does anyone know
you're here?

Why should they?

Have you seen our father?

I hear he's in Winchester,
in prison.

He's not a traitor, you know.
He loves his
kingdom as much as anyone.

Once I learn who libeled him,

I'll have
the sheriff give the brute
a public hanging.

How did you escape, my lady?

Show him, Richard.

It's a secret passage.
Would you like to see it?

(HORSE NEIGHING)

No, thank you.

You're going to see the King,
you said?
Yes.

Then you must demand
our father's release.

Tell him to give
us back our castle.

I don't think that
will be possible, my lady.

Hello, Philip.

Good morning, My Lord Bishop.

You really want to
rebuild your church?

Yes, Father, I do.

The cathedral is
God's shadow over history,
Father.

We...

We live in a world that
is striving for order,

which is art,
which is learning,

which is people
creating something

that will bring God's heart
into their community,

that will survive
wars and famine,
that will survive history.

I thought I was ambitious.

Father, I only want...

Philip, Philip, Philip!

Look around you.

This is the smallest
earldom in the kingdom,

but it has a huge quarry
which produces
first-class limestone,

and its forests, good timber.

If you had this land,
you could
rebuild your church.

Why would the King give me
land instead of money?

You unmasked the traitor.

Bartholomew confessed.
Maud and Gloucester
ran away to France.

Stephen owes you his crown.

Think about it.

Why did Waleran meet
the Prior of Kingsbridge
in Shiring Castle?

It's our land, isn't it?
He should have
asked permission.

Why do you say it's our land?
You're not earl yet.

It's a mere formality.

The King will
give me the title
within the month.

He owes it to me.

Well then, I think we
should remind the King
of what he owes.

And I think we
should do it soon.

She is a witch.

I saw her.

Doing what? Say it.

Making a potion
out of dead frogs.

She gave it to my
ma and it killed her.

Then she bewitched my da
and made love to him
on my mother's grave.

You swear to that?
On your soul?

Yes.

Brothers,
the boy speaks true.

I knew this woman years ago,
when I first came here.

She was
condemned for witchcraft
and a price put on her head.

She disappeared with her son,

and the people said
the Devil had
taken them home.

It was she who
started the fire.

She must burn.

Leave the talking
to me, Philip.

And if the King does
ask you a question,
answer plainly.

Whatever you do,
don't beg.

MAN 1: Make room!

Here comes the traitor,
Bartholomew!

MAN 2: Hey! Shame on you!

MAN 3: Traitor!

What the devil
are they doing here?

MAN 4: Shame on you!

MAN 5: Yeah! String him up!

My Lord Bishop.

It's been a long time
since our paths crossed.

Welcome to Winchester.

Who's this?

Philip, Prior of Kingsbridge,
Your Majesty.

You seem worried.
Why?

I don't have
a clean robe to wear.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Well, I like a monk
to look like a monk.

I heard about your fire.
How soon will you rebuild?

As soon as I find the money,
sire.

I hope you haven't
come to beg for it.

We're paupers here.

I think I have
found a way to rebuild

without further
diminishing your coffers,
Your Majesty.

Give Shiring and all its land
to the diocese of Kingsbridge,

and we will give
you a new church.

STEPHEN: What a clever idea.

Unfortunately, I gave Shiring
to Percy Hamleigh

less than an hour ago.

Well, it's not official.

Well, not yet.

Present a strong argument
for your case,
and I might reconsider.

We could rename the church
after a saint of your
choosing, Your Majesty.

St. Stephen, perhaps?

Or St. Elmo,
the patron saint of
sailors lost at sea.

Come back tomorrow.
You'll have my answer then.

You're working hard.

I thought you might be
thirsty, Tom Builder.

Ah, thank you.

What are they staring at?

Their turn to be jealous.

(CHUCKLES)

You need to send her away.

What's that?

Remigius says she's a witch.
He sent a letter to
the Bishop last night.

Why'd he do that for?
It's just gossip.

It's worse than gossip.

It's malicious
and it's dangerous!

He has a witness.

MAN: His Majesty will
now see Lord Harefield

and the Bishop of Lancaster.

Your Eminence, I'm told
you're seeking
an emissary to Rome.

I would be
happy to volunteer.

You are too new to the post,
my good Bishop.

Rome demands a more
experienced politician.

Perhaps a visit to my palace
would convince you.

I have worked
changes to the diocese.

(CHUCKLES)

It's hardly a palace,
when I visited years ago.

More like a ruin with a roof.

Excuse me.

Not a ruin for long.

How could you be so stupid?

Waleran is using you
and your burned down church

to get
the earldom for himself.

That's a lie.

Is it?

Then why did he tell
the King to give Shiring
to the diocese of Kingsbridge

and not the priory?

It was a slip of the tongue.
Besides, he only means...

What it means is that
he will control
the purse strings.

And believe me, monk,

a church is not
where he wants
to spend his gold.

He's hired this man
to triple
the size of his palace.

Show him.

REGAN: He'll need
Shiring's forests and quarry
to fulfill this design.

Your good Bishop
doesn't care a whit
for your precious cathedral.

Thank you, master builder.

William.

Side with us, monk.

We will make
a generous contribution
to your building fund.

No.

We go to the King instead

and divide
the earldom equally,

with you getting
the better half.

What do you mean?

Which is more valuable,
arable land or forest?

Arable land.

Then I'll have
the forest.

I need the forest to hunt.

You can hunt there,
but I want the timber.

And which would you prefer?
The income from
the markets or the quarry?

What if I said the quarry?

You won't, though,
will you?

And when Waleran objects?

If he's told the King
that he needs Shiring

to finance the cathedral,

how can he object
on the grounds that

he wants to build
his new castle instead?

Hmm.

You're a keener politician
than I gave you credit for.

Politics is a bargain
between beggars, my lady.

And I have...
I have one other request.

I must have protection
for the lady Aliena
and her brother Richard.

You've seen them?

They're hiding
in the castle,
starving and penniless.

They need to be
taken care of.

But of course.

We'll see to that.

Your Eminence.

REMIGIUS: Beloved Lord Bishop,
we have a witch among us.

A woman, as you know,
long wanted in these parts.

A witness has come forward.

Why did you say that?

Answer me!
Why'd you say that?

She's been good to me,
that woman!
Better than I deserve.

Don't make me
choose between you, boy.

Brother Remigius
has been claiming
you're a witch.

He's got Alfred here
to give proof to the lie.

It's not a lie.

Not entirely.

See that this woman
is arrested immediately

and that she
speaks to no one.

Jack's father had a secret.

Something to do
with the ring he had.

He wouldn't tell
me what it was.

He wanted to see the King,
to tell him what he knew.

But I was only
a naive novice.

How could I help?

I hid him in a barn on
our convent property,

where he asked
me for a quill, paper,
sealing wax and ink.

I then went to my
priest confessor.

I found him on the beach,
Father.

He needs your help,
your support.

He has a secret
he will tell no
one but the King.

The next day,
he was taken from the barn

and accused of stealing
the Kingsbridge
Priory's chalice.

He was tortured, confessed,

and his tongue was cut out.

He was held for
nearly three years

before he was
brought to trial.

The prior whose
chalice was stolen
testified against him.

The Lord of the District
served as his judge,

and my priest
confessor passed sentence.

Then,

a remarkable thing happened.

(VOCALIZING)

I curse you,
all three of you!

Stay back!

Touch me and you'll
be dead by morning.

Your church, dear Prior,
shall burn to the ground.

Your children, My Lord,
shall die on the gallows.

And you, good Father,
the confessor whom I trusted,

you shall one day
climb very high,

only to fall.

...only to fall.

What was the secret
they didn't want him to tell?

I never learned.

I found his ring,
the one Jack wore,
until it was stolen,

but no paper.

So, yes,
I'm a wanted woman, Tom.

I'll leave in the morning.
No argument.
You're staying here.

And you are
staying with them.

I've made the decision.

My loyal subject,
Percy Hamleigh,

today becomes
the Earl of Shiring.

He shall have the castle
and all arable lands
and low-lying pastures.

All other farmlands,
I give to

the Priory of Kingsbridge

for the building of
the new cathedral.

And the quarry?

Belongs to the Hamleighs.

But you may take
what stones you need.

But... But that's not...

Enough.

My decision stands.

You'll pay for this, Philip.
I don't take kindly
to priests who steal.

And God doesn't take kindly
to bishops who lie.

I swear by all that's holy,

you'll never
build your church.

Open the gates,
in the Bishop's name!

I'll show you where
the witch is. Follow me.

(SCREAMING)

No! No!

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven,
eight, nine...

Allie?

I'm over here!

(LAUGHING)

(GRUNTS)

RICHARD: Allie!

(GRUNTING)

No!

No! No!

RICHARD: No, please!
Don't hurt her!

RICHARD: Let me go!

(CRYING)

Lie still or the boy dies.

Cut off his ear, Walter!

No!

(SCREAMS)

(GROANING)

(GRUNTING)

You see, bitch?

I'm a better man
than you deserve.

(NEIGHING)

(SHUSHING)

Get away from
the horse!

(GRUNTING)

Fucking bitch! Come here.

Looks like it's
your lucky night.

(MAN GRUNTING)

Look what you've done to me!

Kill him.

You fucking bitch!
ALIENA: Shut him up.

How?

I don't know how.
Just cut off his head.

Kill him before
anyone can hear.

Allie, please.

You have to do this, Richard.

MAN: Don't!

(CRIES)

Where is the woman?

Locked away, Your Eminence.
As you wished.

Good. Prepare for
a trial this evening.

But we don't have
a witness anymore.

The boy will not testify.

I'll be the witness.

I want this
thing ended quickly.

A woman in a monastery
is like a mare in heat.

Even a gelding
would misbehave
in her presence.

Monks may be celibate,
but they can still smell cunt.

SOLDIER: Halt, woman!

You, too, boy.

Richard, listen to me.
You mustn't tell
Father what happened.

I'll tell the King then.
He'll have both their heads.

No. You mustn't
tell anyone, ever.

Aliena?

Father.

Philip, the Bishop
is here.

And Ellen
has been arrested.

Yes. I received
word on the way.

Where is she?
In one of the basement cells.

They won't let
anyone see her except...

Where is Tom?

In his work shed.

Waleran has us
building a pyre.

We've come to see the King,
to ask if he will grant mercy.

He will do nothing for me.

Listen,

I hid 50 gold coins in
a belt under my shirt.

They're being held
for you in safekeeping

by a priest who
heard my confession.

We can use it to
buy your freedom.

My freedom

is not for sale.

Well, is it true?
Is she a witch?

No.

I swear by all that's holy.

She's not the mother of
your children, though, is she?

No.

Are you living in sin?

You can't burn her for that.

If I save her,

you must marry her...

I will.

...and bring her
back to the Church.

That's her decision.
It's not mine.

It's God's will.
It's my condition.

Whatever. Whatever you say.

MAN: Beware of the witch,
Brother.

I ain't supposed
to talk to you.

But Prior Philip told me
to let you hold
the baby one last time.

Be careful of
his bottom, though.

He's carrying
a bit of a load.

REMIGIUS: This woman here
stands accused
of consorting with the Devil.

The Bishop himself
bears witness against her.

Do you want to say anything
before we pass sentence?

MONK 1: Such witchcraft!

MONK 2: She's the Devil!

(ALL CHATTERING)

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

MONK 3: Avert your eyes
from the witch.

Piss on you, Lord Bishop!

MONK 4: Don't touch her!
Let the Devil
pass out of here.

REMIGIUS: Your Eminence!

SOLDIER: There she is!

Was she a virgin?

Oh, yes.

And did she struggle?

Frightfully.

And you showed her
what a fine young man

you are down there,
didn't you?

Father,

just as Maud and Gloucester
are raising an army
to reclaim the throne,

so too will I claim
back what is mine,
what is ours.

I swear by Jesus Christ
and all His saints

that I will not rest
until Richard is
the Earl of Shiring

and lord of the land
that you once ruled.

Do I have your
blessing in this?

Always and forever.

I swear,

no matter where
your affections fly,

you shall
always rule my heart,

sweet William.

We've begun.