Pillars of the Earth Interviews and Reviews

[nell]

Thanks for the translation Walt - and what great news. He wants to be on stage at all costs. Yayyyyyy !!!!!!!!
Now all we need if the right project.

[judypatooty]

Thanks, Walt! That's a great find!

[germanlady]

Wonderful news, Walt...
So it is just a matter of time...

[nicole]

Just sitting at London Stansted Airport waiting for boarding.

Thanks Walt, great news. If he is doing theatre again I am back in a second.

[stama]

Thanks, Walt! That's a great!!!

[GreenEyesToo]

Thanks for the translation, Walt.

I think Rai said last year, when she heard from Rufus just after filming on TPOTE wrapped, that he had indicated he was looking to do more theatre work in the coming months. Overdue, Rufus! (oh, well, he has been busy!)

[rufluvr]

Frannie- I'm just going to come out and say it. Much as I like the POTE series, I think the attack of Tom scene was poorly done onscreen. I read the book, and I know it's been a looong time since I've read it, but I don't believe his death seemed stupid in the book as it does on film. It is a sudden, sad, and senseless death in the book as well as the film, but there was a difference, if I can only put my finger on it. In the book the assault I thought happened in a more chaotic atmosphere with more people around, and he did not so much see it coming when he was slain/run over. I do not remember (in the book) Tom just standing there, seeing the bastard coming at him and basically letting himself be clobbered like it looks like in the film. Yes, Tom's brave for refusing to stand down, as they show it onscreen, but really it would have had more impact and made more sense for Tom's character had he made an attempt at unhorsing the guy or at least trying to defend himself. Tom wasn't a stupid character, but personally I think the way they shot that scene makes him look either stupid or like he had a death wish! I'll have to re-read that part of the book. Maybe I'm not remembering it right. Anyway, the scene as shot does not have to be the same as the book, but it should have made SENSE with Tom's character, maybe have been just slightly more dramatic or heroic is all I'm saying. All I could think of that the director was going for is "Tom's proud and will not cow down to tryanny, come what may, even if it costs him his life." But without a fight? Please. He may not have been a warrior but he was an assertive person and not a wimp. Well, I guess according to the director Tom's a builder (and a lover), not a fighter. Hee, hee. What can I say? That part of it didn't work for me.
However the very last shot was a keeper. Showing that the last sight before Tom's eyes before his leaving this world was of his beloved cathedral, was beautifully done, a nice touch, and very right.

[kissmekate]

Interesting thread!

On one of the forums linked here I found a very nice signature which fits Rufus perfectly:

"You can take all your shirtless pretty boys with six packs and line 'em up and they still couldn't equal the searing heat of a compelling intelligent man with piercing eyes and a silky smooth voice."

[judypatooty]

Everyone brush up on your French!

Rufus & Sergio Mimica-Gezzan participated in an online chat about TPOTE today through the French channel CanalPlus. Here's the transcript of Roof's answers only (in French!)

Maintenant c'est l'acteur britannique Rufus Sewell, a.k.a. Tom le bâtisseur, qui répond à vos questions !

@elsa Je ne vois pas du Tom comme quelqu'un de sombre, il est aussi complexe que tout un chacun. J'ai essayé de comprendre son histoire, ses motivations. Il fait des erreurs comme tout le monde, et j'ai essayé de comprendre pourquoi il faisait ses erreurs. Et j'ai beaucoup de sympathie pour lui.

@diane J'ai lu le livre après avoir lu les premiers scripts. Je voulais en savoir plus sur le personnage donc j'ai accepté.

@emma Au début, la production ne pensait pas à moi pour le rôle de Tom, j'ai dû me battre, leur prouver que je serais parfait pour le rôle. Que je pouvais être un rebelle. J'ai été très ému à la lecture du script et je voulais jouer ce personnage.

@mathieu Le personnage du Comte Adhemar est très différent de Tom. Mais c'était bien sûr un avantage d'avoir déjà joué des personnages d'une époque similaire.

@emma Jouer un personnage historique ou un personnage contemporain, ce sont vraiment les mêmes choses. Peu importe le contexte, les gens réagissent de la même manière. Il y a des différences culturelles qu'il faut comprendre, réunir le maximum d'informations, pour comprendre pourquoi ils réagissent de la manière dont ils réagissent.

@sandrine Je ne sais pas si Tom m'a transformé, mais il m'a un peu ouvert les yeux sur ma propre personnalité. Parfois jouer un personnage c'est une manière de découvrir la vérité sur vous-même si vous le jouer avec la plus grande sincérité.

@emma J'étais très déçu de ne pas avoir plus de scènes avec Donald Sutherland, et j'espère pouvoir retravailler avec cet acteur qui est une légende. Il était très amusant sur le tournage, et par ailleurs on apprend toujours beaucoup de choses au contact de gens comme lui.

@marie J'ai tourné pendant 5 mois à Budapest. Il faisait un froid de canard ! Mais heureusement mes partenaires étaient adorables donc nous avons passés de très bons moments et nous avons eu pas mal de temps libre pour visiter la ville, ce qui est toujours agréable !

@marie Si les personnes ne s'entendent pas sur le plateau ça se sent, et c'est très difficile de créer une bonne atmosphère. La production nous a très bien traité et le casting était parfaitement choisi, ce qui a créé une bonne communion dans l'équipe. Nous avons eu beaucoup de chance.

@emma J'ai eu beaucoup de propositions au cinéma mais souvent des bad guys, et j'ai eu mes plus beaux rôles à la télévision. Les personnages qu'on me propose en télé sont beaucoup plus intéressants. Je serais ravi de travailler plus au cinéma mais j'attend des rôles plus intéressant.

@emma Le film THE USHERS n'est pas lancé en production.

@guillaume J'aimerais autant revenir dans le présent, le Moyen Age c'est sympa mais je préfèrerais passer à une autre période.

nicole Vous devriez lire le livre ! Dans le livre tout cela se passe sur la tombe de sa femme au moment où il l'enterre ! Ca s'est rapide ! C'est donc différent de l'original mais nous devions le changer, ça aurait choqué les gens !

@elsa Le fait que Ken Follett ait aimé le livre est évidemment très précieux. Mais je ne voulais pas me laisser influencer sur la composition de mon personnage par l'auteur, c'est intimidant. Mais il était évidemment très gentil avec tout le monde sur le tournage. C'était parfait.

nicole Merci, joyeux Noël à vous aussi !

And here is the Google translation:

Now is the British actor Rufus Sewell, aka Tom the builder, who answers your questions!

@elsa I do not see Tom as someone dark, it is as complex as everyone else. I tried to understand his history, his motivations. He makes mistakes like everyone else, and I tried to understand why he made mistakes. And I have great sympathy for him.

@diane I read the book after reading the first scripts. I wanted to learn more about the character so I agreed.

@emma Initially, production was not thinking of me for the role of Tom, I had to fight, to prove to them that I would be perfect for the role. I could be a rebel. I was very moved to read the script and I wanted to play this character.

@mathieu The character of Count Adhemar is very different from Tom. But it was obviously an advantage to have already played the characters of a similar moment.

@emma play a historical figure or a contemporary character, it is really the same things. Whatever the context, people react the same way. There are cultural differences that must be understood, gather as much information to understand why they react the way they react.

@sandra I do not know if Tom has transformed me, but I just opened my eyes to my own personality. Sometimes play a character is a way to discover the truth about yourself if you play with the utmost sincerity.

@emma I was very disappointed not to have more scenes with Donald Sutherland, and I hope to work again with this actor who is a legend. It was great fun on the set, and also we learn many things still in contact with people like him.

@mary I shot for 5 months in Budapest. It was freezing cold! But fortunately my partners were adorable so we spent a great time and we had a lot of free time for sightseeing, which is always nice!

@mary If people do not agree on the set it feels, and it's very difficult to create a good atmosphere. Production treated us very well and the cast was perfectly chosen, which has created a good fellowship in the team. We were very lucky.

@emma I had a lot of proposals to the movies but often the bad guys, and I had my best roles on television. The characters that I moved into TV much more interesting. I would love to work more in film but I expect more interesting roles.

@emma The film THE USHER is not running in production.

william I would rather return to the present, the Middle Ages is nice but I'd rather go to another period.

nicole You should read the book! In the book it all happens on the grave of his wife when he buried! It was fast! So different from the original but we had to change it, it would have shocked people!

@elsa The fact that Ken Follett has loved the book is obviously very valuable. But I would not let me influence on the composition of my character by the author, is intimidating. But he was obviously very nice to everybody on set. It was perfect.

nicole Thank you, Merry Christmas to you too!

[nell]

Thanks for posting and translating Judy

[anyother]

I'm still amazed at how nice he always is - as it shows in his answers here. Thanks for discovering this.

Tom le bâtisseur...(sighs)

[kissmekate]

Thanks a lot for posting and translating this!

"Tom le bâtisseur" does sound nice, huh?

[kygal]

Enjoyed reading this. Thanks for posting.

[francesca]

Just out of interest
Re the Rufus/Sergio interview
Was it in conducted in French with Rufus speaking in French or did he speak in English and it was translated ?

[GreenEyesToo]

Thanks, Judy!