Alice Tanner is visiting her friend at an archeological dig in France. She wanders into a cave and comes across skeletons and a metal ring with a labyrinth design on it. Then, she has a weird flashback, where she seems to be physically transported to 1200 medieval France. She's also stabbed and there's a gaping wound on her side. She sees Crusaders killing villagers and forcing them into a pit of fire. When she wakes up she's understandably freaked out but physically not injured. She tells her friend about this and she's pissed for her contaminating the dig site. Alice continues to have these flashbacks--and becomes the center of a conspiracy that has to do with a search for the legendary "Holy Grail". And people around her start being killed as she gets closer to the truth. The movie is equally divided between Alice and a French girl from 1209 named Alais. It's through her that we get the backstory of the Cathars, who were deemed as heretics by the Catholic Church and the information that the Holy Grail is actually information contained within three ancient books. You know when John Hurt is introduced as a wise old man with some extra-natural abilities that he's far far older than he appears but it's a surprise as to who he actually turns out to be. I found the movie about an hour too long but it's an interesting variation on the "Search for the Holy Grail" story. This mini-series is beautifully shot and the medieval scenes convincing. Recommended.
Alice Tanner is visiting her friend at an archeological dig in France. She wanders into a cave and comes across skeletons and a metal ring with a labyrinth design on it. Then, she has a weird flashback, where she seems to be physically transported to 1200 medieval France. She's also stabbed and there's a gaping wound on her side. She sees Crusaders killing villagers and forcing them into a pit of fire. When she wakes up she's understandably freaked out but physically not injured. She tells her friend about this and she's pissed for her contaminating the dig site. Alice continues to have these flashbacks--and becomes the center of a conspiracy that has to do with a search for the legendary "Holy Grail". And people around her start being killed as she gets closer to the truth. The movie is equally divided between Alice and a French girl from 1209 named Alais. It's through her that we get the backstory of the Cathars, who were deemed as heretics by the Catholic Church and the information that the Holy Grail is actually information contained within three ancient books. You know when John Hurt is introduced as a wise old man with some extra-natural abilities that he's far far older than he appears but it's a surprise as to who he actually turns out to be. I found the movie about an hour too long but it's an interesting variation on the "Search for the Holy Grail" story. This mini-series is beautifully shot and the medieval scenes convincing. Recommended.
