North & South   [DVD 2005]

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• 1) The best British period drama ever made!!!

  by Marcy Gomez on August 19 2005
    400+ helpful votes

  "North & South" was released in the UK in November 2004 and in the US in July 2005. Since its first broadcast, viewers across the globe have hailed it as one of the best - if not the best - British period miniseries ever produced. It was voted BBC's "Best of 2004" in drama, actor and actress categories, among others.
  
  Many in the US will probably confuse Elizabeth Gaskell's "North & South" to John Jake's civil war drama of the same name. While Jake's tells the story of America's north and south, Gaskell's story is rooted in Victorian England. John Thornton, a handsome, stern, passionate manufacturer from Milton represents the north. Margaret Hale, an outspoken, beautiful and spirited young woman from Helstone represents the south. When the Hales move from the idyllic village of Helstone to the bustling, industrial city of Milton, Margaret and Thornton's lives collide.
  
  John Thornton is instantly attracted to Margaret while she is repulsed by his haughty demeanor and the way he treats his employees. She develops a disdain for the wealthy 'masters' (manufacturers) and strikes a friendship with the daughter of the local union leader, much to Thornton's dismay. As Margaret becomes better acquainted with Mr. Thornton, she gradually comes to admire him. She discovers that he is hardworking, a devoted brother and son, generous and kind to Margaret's parents, and is loyal and honorable. However, when the workers in Milton strike, the turn of events that follow drive a wedge between Margaret and Thornton and eventually threaten to pull them apart.
  
  "North & South" is produced by the excellent BBC and the screenplay was written by Sandy Welch, who also penned the outstanding "Our Mutual Friend." Everything you would expect from a topnotch BBC production is here - locations, sets, costumes, casting, direction, cinematography. The story is an adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's little known but well loved 19th century novel. Mrs. Gaskell also wrote "Wives & Daughters" which was turned to another superb miniseries starring Justine Waddell, Keeley Hawes and Francesca Annis in 1999.
  
  I would be very remiss in writing a review for this miniseries without applauding the exemplary cast. The little known Richard Armitage has earned a throng of fans overnight because of his unforgettable portrayal of John Thornton. He has since replaced Pride & Prejudice's Colin Firth as my favorite brooding hero and infuses so much passion and charisma into his role. Daniela Denby-Ashe is wonderful and charming as Margaret Hale. Also excellent are Brendan Coyle as the gruff but good-hearted Nicholas Higgins, Sinead Cusack as John Thornton's haughty but devoted mother, Joy Joyner as the funny and superficial Fanny Thornton, Lesley Manville as Mrs. Hale and Tim Piggot-Smith as Mr. Hale.
  
  "North & South" has since replaced 1995's "Pride & Prejudice" as my favorite miniseries. It tugs at the heart and sweeps the viewer off their feet. The relationships that develop between its main characters (notably, Thornton and Margaret; Thornton and Higgins; Margaret and Bessy Higgins) and the journey that Margaret and Thornton go through are truly unforgettable. In fact, you will wish that the ending didn't come so soon!
  
  "North and South" went through a sad process of editing when BBC America aired it in July 2005. A full hour was cut from the miniseries to make room for commercials. Finally, with this dvd release US viewers now have a chance to see this instant classic as it was meant to be seen - with a 233 minute running time and with all the scenes intact. The dvd also includes a delightful interview with Richard Armitage, a handful of deleted scenes (including an extended 'proposal' scene), commentaries and cast biographies.
  
  If you are an anglophile or a fan of high-quality period drama, you owe it to yourself to see "North & South." Fans of "Pride & Prejudice," "Wives & Daughters," "Middlemarch," Dickens / Austen adaptations and the like should not miss this. I have no doubt that most of you will fall in love with this miniseries as many of us have. Everyone whom I have recommended this miniseries to have at least liked it (and at most, are completely obsessed with it). This dvd is a keeper and deserves a place in any period drama fan's dvd collection.
  
  

• 2) The BEST BBC mini-series in a DECADE!!

  by randomartco on August 22 2005
    350+ helpful votes

  When I stumbled across an upcoming DVD entitled "North & South" on Amazon UK's website earlier this year, I had no idea what was in store...I bought the DVD sight unseen, taking a chance that the BBC would do a good job as always: man, was I surprised! This BBC series is absolutely fantastic!! I have always been a huge fan of 1995's "Pride & Prejudice", as well as other BBC (and other companies') period movies: "North & South" has endeared itself to my heart, and is quickly becoming my favorite period film in at least a decade!
  
  Margaret Hale's world is turned upside-down when her minister father gives up his Southern "Helstone" parish and moves her and her mother to the Northern industrial town, "Milton." Her first encounter with mill owner Mr. Thornton leaves much to be desired and leaves her feeling that "the North" is an untenable place to live. After spending time getting to know the plight of the various poor mill workers and taking care of her beloved and now-ailing mother, Margaret begins to warm to her new town: but can a "Southern" gal as she ever truly feel at home in such an alien "Northern" place? And will she ever be able to get past her initial dislike of Mr. Thornton?
  
  This is a fantastic, beautifully-filmed and well-done series (aired on BBC USA in July)! The cinematography is so excellent and compelling, and the scenes wonderfully acted: Daniela Denby Ashe as Margaret Hale and Richard Armitage as Mr. Thornton are completely wonderful. If you have seen this series, let me just say the train scene is one of my favorites of all time! The content is kept to mild violence (of angry mill workers) and little else: clean and family-friendly, this great TV series will endear itself to your heart as much as mine, just give it a chance...
  
  If you can find the time, read the book by Elizabeth Gaskell: I just finished it, and let me tell you, it is absolutely amazing! BBC did a good job of adapting it (although some storyline and characters have been altered for the sake of time).
  
  Again, this is a wonderful series and well worth the time, effort and money you will spend!

• 3) One of THE Best British Miniseries Ever Produced!

  by Tiggah on January 02 2006
    80+ helpful votes

  With his sharp, hawklike features and piercing eyes, Richard Armitage (Cold Feet ser. 5), gives a breathtaking perfomance in what is doubtless to become his signature role as the stern, powerful, proud cotton-mill owner, John Thornton, in this splendid four-part 2004 adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's turbulent 1855 novel, North & South.
  
  Margaret Hale is a beautiful young woman who has been a part of London society and who "hales" from an Edenic village in the South of England--a part of the world where life moves at a slower pace, untainted by the filth, over-crowding, anonymity, and abject poverty which was a by-product of the industrial revolution in the North. Her life is turned upside down, however, when her father, a local vicar, suffers a crisis of faith which results in him leaving the church and uprooting his family to the dreary, smoky, northern industrial town of Milton where he hopes to eke out a living as a tutor.
  
  Margaret is disgusted by all she sees in this new, foreign place which is unlike anything she has ever known. She lays the fault for the appalling social conditions at the feet of the industrialists--the "masters"--towards whom she betrays an almost instant prejudice. The industrialist who bears the brunt of Margaret's antagonism and criticism is John Thornton, a pupil and friend of her father's.
  
  The central story revolves around the antagonistic relationship between these two characters, and it is hard not to make comparisons with Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Though he's a hard-working industrialist rather than an idle, landed gentleman, Thornton is very similar to Darcy, as much for his serious, stern, brooding nature as for his integrity and strength of character. Also like Darcy, he falls desperately in love--despite himself--with a strong-willed, proud, outspoken, intelligent young woman who spurns his love and sends him off with his tail between his legs. Like the aloof, prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet, it is only after spurning her would-be lover that Margaret Hale comes to realize just what sort of man she has rejected. That said, I will say no more regarding their relationship, as I don't wish to spoil the story for those unfamiliar.
  
  North & South also deals with the working and living conditions of the mill workers and with the labour unions of the time. We see the union from the perspective of both the masters and the workers, but we also see tension within the ranks of the workers. Solidarity is the foundation upon which the union gets its strength, but we are forced to question the justification of the union's tyrannical enforcement of it when we see cruel harships befall certain individuals as a result.
  
  Dvd extras include deleted scenes and an interesting 15-minute interview with Richard Armitage. Text-based extras include interesting production notes and "bios" of 5 of the main actors, which consist of little in the way of biography and are mostly comments about themselves and their roles! There is also a commentary on episodes 1 & 4.
  
  North & South is a powerful, passionate, beautiful story (not to mention rivetting--I initially watched it on television, and rarely have I seen a show in which it was SO hard to wait for the next episode). The acting is flawless and the production values unsurpassed, which result in a visually stunning, rich, dynamic presentation. I have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the best dramas (period or otherwise) produced by the BBC in a very long time. It will be a special treat for anyone with a penchant for period productions; as for those who enjoyed 1995's Pride & Prejudice, it is absolutely a must see! In short, this is one mini-series which I cannot praise highly enough, and I recommend it unreservedly to anyone looking for top quality dramatic entertainment.
  

• 4) Top Twelve Reasons N&S Is a Ten

  by Danusha Goska on April 15 2007
    50+ helpful votes

  Top Twelve Reasons "North and South" is a ten:
  
  PRODUCTION VALUES: Historic looms weave again. Lemon-yellow sunlight floods a garden's translucent petals and leaves. Made me cry. Gave me chills.
  
  MARTIN PHIPPS' HYPNOTIC SCORE: reminiscent of Gorecki; minimalism that drills past the kapital-K-krap of the last hundred years of pop culture and reaches something as fundamental as the beat of a human heart, the lungs' breath. Honors both one of the most wrenchingly intimate onscreen moments ever and yet also the sweep of the Industrial Revolution.
  
  SINEAD CUSACK: breathtaking as a ruthless matriarch; better, even than Nancy Marchand as a Mafia queen in "The Sopranos."
  
  POSTURE: Never has so much drama been milked out of actors' vertebrae. Helen Hayes' czarina pose in "Anastasia" was good, but Sinead Cusack's carriage and Richard Armitage's spinal column earn special Academy Awards.
  
  PLOT TWISTS: I did not know where this one was going until the very last moment of the very last scene. Twists pulled me into the issues the plot engages, and made me engage them myself.
  
  IT'S COMPLICATED: Leftist academics' pinko-tinged glasses depict the workers as beautiful and bosses as diabolical. But tycoon Andrew Carnegie, who brutalized his workers, was an epic philanthropist; workers scabbed, drank, and beat their kids. N&S depicts historical complications with its heroic/brutal workers/bosses. All characters are sometimes sympathetic, and sometimes utterly alienating - just like real life! A complex script works to earn our understanding, and our love, for complex human beings, the service, art, at its best, performs.
  
  CHICK FLICK: "Fight, flight, or fix it" is a male response. Guy flix: explosions, chases, gadgets. "Tend and befriend" is a female response. We restore the world by ministering to its root: human hearts. N&S presents its heroine and its viewer with misunderstandings she must address; doing so, she matures, and we mature with her. Margaret's blossoming is an integral cog in a shock striking the world even today: the journey from tradition and pastoral beauty to sharp-elbow competition and industrial ugliness. Margaret's flailing culture shock and attempts to find, remain, and cultivate her best self under a rulebook she hasn't yet seen mirrors millions' struggle. Daniela Denby-Ashe limn's Margaret's triumph with honesty and grace. She's not afraid to be unlikeable; she's not even afraid to be noble.
  
  MISOGYNY-FREE ZONE: We are so awash in misogyny, often fed by women themselves - who can forget the blow struck for women's dignity by celebrities who go out without their underthings? - that N&S is almost shocking in the respect it shows women. Margaret Hale has a front-row seat to one of the greatest upheavals in human history: industrialization. She takes on its rewards and woes. She makes decisions, engages with the powerful, grows and changes. And she does all this without once trivializing herself, or allowing anyone else to trivialize her. *And* she's accompanied by interesting women and girls, both rich and poor. That, alone, makes N&S worth more than a hundred critical darlings in which misogyny is an inescapable ingredient.
  
  MORALITY. CHRISTIANITY. HOPE. REMEMBER THOSE? Gaskell's book and this adaptation take on really hard challenges: workers v. capitalists, traditional rural life's poverty and its beauty v. laissez-faire capitalism's new opportunities, ugliness and anomie. N&S could have just exploited the Industrial Revolution as colorful backdrop; it didn't. N&S attempts to offer solutions and hope, based on fundamental Christian values like non-violence and sharing. Gee, what if the folks who had made the nihilistic downer film "Syriana," about our dependence on petroleum, had tried something similar? When the N&S boss and his workers sat down to a meal together, I cried cynicism-free tears. But . . . what WERE they eating? It looked like sludge. The redemption in the movie's key kiss is not just about eros, it's also about agape. And that made me cry. (Cried many times.)
  
  BRENDAN COYLE AS NICHOLAS HIGGINS: Let's import Higgins, making sure he keeps that snazzy, puffy-sleeved shirt that displays his chest hair. He'd be a greater boost to the trade union movement than locating Jimmy Hoffa.
  
  NOT A SINGLE WASTED CHARACTER, PERFORMANCE, OR SCENE: A bereaved husband converses with his late wife, as a maid looks on, her facial expression speaking volumes. A desperate man gazes at running water dyed purple. The most amazing scene of all, every bit as stunning as the famous crane shot in GWTW: a woman, her straw hat and bumpkin gait rendering her an agrarian silhouette in an industrial landscape, drawn by a seductive, menacing, thrum, walks up to a large wooden door, pulls it back, and steps into the Industrial Revolution. "I have seen hell, and it is white, snow white." Mebbe so. But that scene is cinematic heaven-on-earth.
  
  RICHARD ARMITAGE: I don't even want to go there. Let's just say that I've just purchased the latest ticket to his crowded harem of adoring fans, and this: even if I had watched N&S with the sound turned off; Armitage's performance was so exquisitely articulate I could have transcribed pages of dialogue and backstory just from studying his face. But if I watched with the sound turned off, I would have missed the most arresting screen voice since Orson Welles, and the dreamiest since Ronald Coleman . . . Ladies, cave. Resistance is futile.

• 5) Love During the Industrial Revolution

  by Michael Kim on February 07 2007
    30+ helpful votes

  I viewed the recent BBC production of Jane Eyre. Then I heard about another well reviewed series North and South. I read Elizabeth Gaskell's noveland purchased and viewed the DVD of the 2004 BBC production. It's a wonderful story of love, reminiscent of Darcy and Elizabeth from Austen's Pride and Prejudice, in a backdrop of the changes being wrought by the Industrial Revolution. The BBC production stays mostly faithful to the overall themes of the novel, although it does take a major leap of dramatic license at the end. What makes this work so interesting is instead of the closed world of landed gentry portrayed in Jane Austen's work or the gothic psychological inwardness of Charlotte Bronte, Gaskell through her characters (especially the interaction between the Hales and Thorntons) explores how the Industrial Revolution was overturning the last remnants of the old feudal/aristocratic order -- to be replaced by commerce and money. At first, Mrs. Hale and Miss Margaret Hale look down on the mill-owning Thorntons because they are engaged in trade, while Mr. Hale is an educated ex-clergyman of the Church of England. The females in the Thornton family look down on the Hales because they are relatively poor while they have achieved great financial success in textile manufacturing. The BBC series reinforces this societal tension when Mr. Thornton meets some relations of Margaret's -- who live in London -- at the Great Exhibition (no such scene took place in the novel), and one of them in a condescending tone mentions his brother wants to "dabble" in the cotton trade; Mr. Thornton as his usual brooding self responds, to paraphrase, that 'he does not dabble.' Also, as a Yank I was captivated by the different accents of the southern Hales versus the northern Thorntons. On top of this conflict between the old and new elite, labor strife is personified by union leader Nicholas Higgins, who organizes a strike against the cotton mills -- including Mr. Thornton's, with the hope of improving the lives of downtrodden mill workers.
  
  The production value of this mini-series is tremendous. In scenes in the Hales' old residence of Helstone one sees an idyllic rural setting where the sun always shines. In contrast, in the industrial city of Milton (Manchester) it's always gray, and I do not remember ever seeing the sun come out. The scene where Miss. Hale meets Mr. Thornton for the first time is spectacular, another departure from the novel, as she is shocked to see the workings of a cotton mill as particulates of cotton float around her as if it is snowing. The overall feel of the mini-series is rather grim, appropriate for an industrial setting, with sorrowful music dominating the score.
  
  There are many great acting performances. Among them is Richard Armitage as John Thornton. He fits Gaskell's portrayal of the self-made man who underneath his proud, brooding exterior has inner self-doubt about his worth because he is not a gentleman based on Margaret's standards. His mother Hannah Hale played by Sinead Cusack steals the scenes she's in. One can call her the original Iron Lady but underneath a hard as nails exterior is a mother devoted and proud of what her son has achieved. One sees a beautiful portrayal of a mother's love for her son when she consoles him over Miss. Hale's rejection of his proposal of marriage. Of course, immediately after that she growls her indignant hate of Miss. Hale for rejecting her son. Brendan Coyle is excellent as the union leader Nicholas Higgins who tries to get what he feels are fair wages for his workers. Despite being on opposites side of, to use Marxian terminology, the bourgeoisie/proletariat divide he and Mr. Thornton discover they are more alike than they are at first willing to admit. Finally, Tim Pigott-Smith plays the quiet, dignified Mr. Hale who is burdened by what he has done to his family in leaving the Church of England over a matter of conscience.
  
  Besides these factors what really stands out is how the series presents both sides of the conflict between workers and capitalists. In one scene, we see the workers under Higgins' leadership discuss how their wages were cut five years ago, and how they want their old wages restored just to keep up with the increasing prices of food and other necessities -- while in another scene Mr. Thornton and his mother discuss their problems in competing against the flood of textile imports from America. Viewing this series was a nice antedote to having to watch that horrid Norma Rae in college.
  
  Finally, in an era in which businessmen are portrayed as evil in most Hollywood movies, this series presents a compelling protagonist in Mr. Thornton the capitalist. We really see his mind at work when his hosts a supper with the other mill owners and invites Mr. Hale to join them. (I find myself wishing to be in the company of these men who look like they are having a good time drinking, smoking and talking business than in some stuffy drawing room discussing polite topics.) They are discussing whether to install fans at the mills to lessen the "fluff" in the air. Mr. Hale argues it's a Christian thing to do. But Mr. Thornton who has installed the fans argues morality has no role to play. He installed the fans because it keeps the workers healthy and more productive, justifying the investment in the fans. One can see the torch passing from the spiritual world to one of impersonal economic calculation. I must admit my blood was roused by Mr. Thornton's clear economic rationale and how the power of market forces in this case benefits both workers and owners. I have not seen a more positive portrayal of a businessman in quite some time. Yes, he does soften around the edges as the story progresses but he does not renounce who he is.

• 6)  Simply captivating and Richard Armitage's acting is fantastic!

  by April79marie on August 27 2006
    30+ helpful votes

  This BBC film is a pure jewel! Like some of the reviewers on Amazon, I didn't see the film on TV because French TV seldom broadcast British films like Pride and Prejudice and North&South. But luckily for me, I have a strong liking for everything that is English (cinema, literature, theatre and music) and I am always deeply interested in what British TV can produce. I've seen the BBC Pride and Prejudice many times (I've also read the book) I like it -even though my preference goes to the new 2005 movie (sorry, can't help it)- and I am even familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's work (I've read Mary Barton and I've started reading North&South). So, on reading the positive reviews on Amazon and on the BBC website, I decided to buy it, although I knew little about the whole story. My God, I never imagined that this BBC film could be so good! I can't even describe how I felt when I first watched the first episode except that I became completely hooked and I couldn't stop watching until I knew how it ended. And what an end!!! Now I can only say that it has even eclipsed the BBC P&P film in my heart. Everything is perfect, the cast and the acting, the setting, the photography, the dialogues, the music, the social background. The background definitely adds another interesting layer to the film because you can see both sides, the mill owners' and the workers' and you can see them at their work. All the characters are marvellous and so likeable. They really make a difference because they have a lot of depth and there is always a certain dignity about them.
  We can thank Elizabeth Gaskell for creating such wonderful characters, yet they wouldn't make such an impression in the film if the actors weren't so great. They really got into their parts. Sinead Cusack is a magnificent Mrs Thornton, this iron lady who does her best to control her emotions but then you look through her eyes and realize that she is not as cold or hard as she seems, especially when you take full measure of the depth of her love for her son. What a fantastic mother she is! And what about Brandon Coyle/ Higgins, I mean, I've just talked about the dignity of the characters, here is a fine example, you just have to look at the face of this union leader to know that he is at heart a good man, even though he is a bit ruthless sometimes. Jo Joyner as John's sister is a delight, probably the only source of comic relief in the story. But the whole cast is great! And of course, the film wouldn't be so captivating if there wasn't Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage in the parts of Margaret and Mr Thornton. Mr Thornton, oh, God, What a man! I fell in love with this fascinating character. Of course, Richard Armitage is already so charismatic that you can't take your eyes off him. But the man is so dedicated to his work, -contrary to Darcy, he has known poverty and he has had to fight back-that you feel an admiration for him! Out of nothing but using his wits, he has been able to run a fine business and when we first meet him, he is a well-off and powerful mill owner. His position in society makes him arrogant and brutal, yet, he remains fair with his workers and, thanks to Margaret, he becomes more aware of the living conditions of the working class and even becomes a caring master. He has such a strength or resilience; yet, at the same time, his love for Margaret makes him vulnerable. Oh, the way he looks at her! (sigh)
  It is incredible what the two actors can produce on screen. In the proposal scene, the interaction between them is so intense. There is so much passion on their faces and in the way they respond to each other that it is breathtaking. I was really shaking inside. -I always feel a bit frustrated by the BBC P&P, although the actors are excellent, because the film sticks too much to the book. And I wish that we could see more touching of hands or more signs of passion between Firth and Ehle.- Thankfully here, the film, North &South, is not completely faithful to the book especially concerning the dialogues and so they have more impact in the film. The ending scene, in particular is so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes. Is it due to R. Armitage's magnetism on screen or to the tenderness that is palpable between them when they talk or when they look at each other or to the way they touch each other's hands with the enchanting music behind? I can't tell. I don't think any words can really describe how I feel about this film so I will just stop there and let you enjoy the film for yourself. The DVD is also worth the money because it includes an interview with Armitage and commentaries.
  
  

• 7) Not to be missed! An instant classic! An absolute gem!

  by Amazon Enthusiast on April 18 2006
    30+ helpful votes

  This movie is an instant classic! Wow, what a gem! It will stand beside (maybe even replace?) "Pride and Prejudice" as THE period piece of all period pieces!
  
  Let me just say, I rarely buy DVDs (especially without viewing them first), and I rarely watch movies again in a short time span. However, after reading the reviews of this movie and finding my local library did not have it, I purchased the film. I AM SO HAPPY I DID BECAUSE IT SURPASSED ALL OF MY EXPECTATIONS! This movie is so HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL and STUNNING that I have owned it for only five days and I've already watched it twice--and I can't wait to watch it again! This movie just draws you in--it's so romantic and yet subtle, and it does a fabulous job exploring the social issues created by the Industrial Revolution. It truly takes you on a remarkable journey, sweeping you off your feet! The film makes you take a keen interest in the characters' lives, and you can't turn it off until you find out how it ends. (And the ending is SUPERB! *SIGH* You will love it! It's definitely THE most romantic movie ending I've ever seen, and it's accomplished with "less is more". It's so tender and beautiful that I predict you'll watch the last 8 minutes over and over!)
  
  The characters and their development are FABULOUS! Mr. Thornton is so complex and has so many dimensions--you come to appreciate what a compelling character he is after exploring his motivations and thoughts during the course of the film. And to see how tender he is at the end (and to see him smile!) is so breathtaking and satisfying! Richard Armitage is STUNNING in this role. He gives the performance of a lifetime--a certain classic. He really made Mr. Thornton into a real person, a person you want to understand and want Margaret to love. WOW! I have to admit, I thought Daniela Denby-Ashe was a little weak as Margaret (she was just a little too breathy and whiny at moments for me), but Richard Armitage made up for everything and was SUPERB. Truly outstanding!
  
  I'm on a period-movie kick right now (much to my husband's dismay!) and have watched "Wives and Daughters", A&E's "Pride and Prejudice", the new "Pride and Prejudice", and "North and South" over the space of two weeks. I have to say, "North and South" is the one that I can't stop thinking about. The music is hauntingly gorgeous, and the story has so many fabulous dimensions to draw you in. You will not be disappointed! An absolute classic!

• 8) Richard Armitage Rates an 11!

  by LuvDemBrooders on August 26 2005
    20+ helpful votes

  I knew nothing of either "North and South" or Richard Armitage when I first sat down to watch this wonderful 4-part series.
  
  But I sure did once I got up four hours later!
  
  I knew that I'd discovered one of the best working actors I'd ever seen.
  
  All of the other reviews have pretty much covered the overall excellence of the production itself, the other actors, the music, etc. I just want to wax on about this amazing man who so totally infused John Thornton with his energy and talent.
  
  Aside from his general "swoon-ability," he never hit a misstep. Every look, line delivery, and body movement was spot on! From the first time he opened his mouth to scream, "STEPHENS!" at the top of his lungs to his soft, boyishly joyful "Coming home with me?" at the end, I simply couldn't take my eyes of him.
  
  He's not handsome in a traditional way. At first glance, I was rather dismissive of the much-heralded "Darcy" factor. He looked autocratic, harsh featured, and snarly as he was seen through a cloud of cotton fluff surveying the workers in his cotton mill. Two or three scenes later, when he smiled, I nearly fell onto my floor in a swoon. And I am not particularly given to giddy swooning as a general rule.
  
  Unfortunately, the BBCA cut out nearly 14 minutes from each episode, so it wasn't until I watched the region 2 DVD that I bought from amazon.co.uk, that I saw some key missing scenes which explained the story development better. And of course, included with the "goodies" is a post-production interview with RA himself.
  
  I think that one of the main reasons that I enjoyed RA's portrayal so much was because he really brought a fully-developed male character to life in a Victorian drama. So many times, the stories are told solely from the female aspect. The viewer is left with only the brooding exterior of the male to watch. This character of JT had such growth in his personal philosophy, his inter-personal relationships, as well as his professional dealings, and I found myself excited about sharing those growth steps with him.
  
  By the end of Episode 4, I was torn between wanting to see some resolution between the lovebirds and wanting to stay with them on their endless search for an uninterrupted conversation with each other. But, if it had to end...WOW!!! What an ending! It was the most romantic ending I could have desired. It was so sweet and tender that I had tears in my eyes. I probably looked a loony goon sitting there grinning at my TV but I didn't care. And I still don't care each time I sit and sigh as they embrace. The light feathery kisslings [made up word] elicit sighs even though I'm working on high double digit viewings of this DVD right now!
  
  If you loved Colin Firth as "Mr Darcy" in "Pride and Prejudice," trust me you'll be ecstatic over the amount of screen time RA has as "JT" in "N&S." And what excellent use he makes of that screen time!
  
  RA Rulez!
  
  diane

• 9) My new FAVORITE Romance!!!

  by M. Thomas on March 13 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  Richard Armitage is to the role of John Thornton as Jeremy Brett was to the role of Sherlock Holmes!!!
  ...that is *the* highest compliment I would know how to give an actor.
  
  All of the characters are portrayed brilliantly in this film, with the only real flaw being the actresses who speak their parts with that annoying wishy-washy voice at times, even our strong heroine. This is more of a personal annoyance I'm sure; I've just never understood the extra whiny or sugary presentation in many a period piece.
  
  As I'm sure you'll read in many other reviews, the direction/production of this film is absolutely top-notch! Couldn't possibly be better! And the story line holds your attention from beginning to end, with the suspense building & building as to whether or not (& when) our hero & heroine will finally end up together. Very romantic, indeed!
  
  I saw this film ONCE on BBC America, and HAD to own it! Can't say enough about the character of John Thornton, and Richard Armitage's performance to bring him to life. If only such men *really* existed!! ..one can always dream. ;-)
  
  Like many others, "Pride & Prejudice" (the Firth/Ehle version, 1995) has been a LONGTIME favorite, ...but I never quite "felt" the spark between the characters that is much more obviously represented in "North & South". We seem to get much more insight into Thornton's character, and can really "feel" the admiration and passion that grows between Ms. Hale & Mr. Thornton from start to finish. ..Almost every single scene is filled with romance, however subtle or direct. One of the most moving scenes being the simplest, ...as Mr. Thornton says, "Look back, ...Look back at me". ..really takes your breath away! Also makes a girl want to pack her bags and move to jolly ol' England in search of one of those fine gentlemen we're always reading about in these English novels.
  
  For those of you who have not yet seen this film, this is a MUST HAVE! And yes, it has the same (if not better) replay factor that "Pride & Prejudice" has, so you won't be sorry you spent the dollars on it!

• 10) Another Winning Adaptation From Elizabeth Gaskell's Novel

  by Sir Robert on August 19 2005
    20+ helpful votes

  I give high recommendation for you readers to see this exceptional production of BBC, based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. I have a number of BBC productions here, but this one is remarkable and quite different.
  
  To begin, this four-episode film has a darker shade than the rest of them; for good reasons, too, since the story is set in the industrial town of Milton in northern England, sometime during the mid 1800's, if I'm not mistaken. As one of the characters puts it: "a God-forsaken place where people breathe smoke and eat money!" Pollution, death and class distinction between workers and their masters are much evidently played out here. Even the message about unions and strikes are unashamedly laid out on the table. BBC's renditions of "David Copperfield" and "Our Mutual Friend" were never this dark, brooding and straightforward.
  
  Another merit this film has is its fiery intensity and passion. Just the scene where Margaret rejects Mr. Thornton is proof enough. People may say that this scene is just another "Pride and Prejudice" in another packaging, but still Director Brian Percival did a very good job of distinguishing this one from the former, even topping it out, as many testimonials in Amazon.UK and here will point out.
  
  Many reviewers will say that this and that character steals the screen, but in my point of view, they are all scene stealers. The performances are top-rate, especially by the two mothers, who seem to symbolize opposite ends of disposition to me. I love both of them. Just watch as the soft-spoken Mrs. Hale (Lesley Manville) scold her husband for dragging them into "this God-forsaken place!" Watch, too, for the scene where tough Mrs. Thornton (Sinead Cusack,) in a surprising turn, counsels her son to pursue Miss Hale. As for the two younger leads, they are marked for their likability and attractiveness. Miss Denby-Ashe is simply beautiful as Margaret Hale, our sweet-natured but surprisingly head-strong female protagonist. Her belief in other people's good is what won me over. As for the uncommonly handsome Mr. Armitage, well, I read a review at Amazon.UK where the reviewer commented that she ovulated everytime the guy popped into the screen. Now although it is impossible for me to ovulate, I can at least give weight to her praises. I don't ever recall seeing such a strong male screen presence before. This may be the reason why the "rejection scene" was pulled off perfectly.
  
  Hey, isn't that the adorable Pegotty (Pauline Quirke) from "David Copperfield" in another role as household servant?
  
  I do admit that this production has at least one misfire: the ending was a bit maple-syrupy. After all the fiery intensity the movie went through, the ending seems a bit out of place. Mr. Thornton became quiet and subdued and happy all of a sudden, after much scowling and smouldering throughtout. I wondered whether Margaret doubted his intentions since she had come into a considerable fortune. But ladies, I don't believe any of you will care about what I just said here. All you will care about is Richard Armitage, and Richard Armitage alone, plus his kiss!! And guys, isn't Daniela Denby-Ashe simply adorable? So who cares about that tiny misfire, right? And anyway, Margaret could not have had thoughts of doubt regarding Mr. Thornton's character, since it was she who believed in him first and foremost.
  
  All in all, the production values are exemplary, the performances top-notch. The electricity and romance are to die for. E. Gaskell's message is truthful enough, I just wished that the world we live in nowadays could solve its problems by simply understanding the other side, and dialogue. This film teaches something about giving way to others.
  
  Finally, special mention to the magnificent score by Martin Phipps. Here, I wish to gain the attention of BBC: kudos for including "Deleted Scenes" into the Special Features. But it would have been more interesting if you didn't dispose of "The Making Of..." and "The Music Of..." that were normally mainstays of your DVDs. These are things I have come to love in a BBC DVD. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who share my views on this matter.
  
  A note to would-be viewers: one particular death scene (there are four in all!!) might disturb younger viewers.
  

• 11) So beautiful! A must-see BBC period movie

  by Sarah O. on September 26 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  Richard Armitage, who plays the enigmatic mill owner John Thornton, gives fellow Brit Colin Firth a run for his money in terms of great acting and yes, the hottness factor. Speaking of Colin Firth associations, the proposal scene is reminiscent of Darcy and Elizabeth in terms of misunderstandings and unjust, preconceived opinons. It seems that from the moment of her refusal, Margaret is thereafter interested in and (subconsciously) attracted to this self-made man.
  
  I thought the relationship between John and his mother particularly beautiful. Yes, Mrs. Thorton had a harsh opinion of Margaret Hale, but that was mostly out of her desire to protect her son from Margaret's romantic rejection. Mrs. Thorton said that a mother's love will outlast every other type of love, and she believed in her son and knew he'd take care of her even after his prospects had changed. (Fortunately, Margaret's (contrived) business proposal would get the mill up and running again.)
  
  This movie (based on Elizabeth Gaskell's novel) allowed for all points of view--we saw too close for comfort the plight of the mill workers who'd soon strike: some of them lived in constant fear of starvation, while others contracted consumption because of unhealthy working conditions and died well before their time. We also see child labor and how it was normalized at this point in time. Yet John Thorton, our romantic hero and the proprietor of one of the three or four cotton mills in Milton, is not without compassion or principles. However, the interests and perspectives of the mill owners and workers were at cross-purposes. Mr. Thorton and the other mill owners discussed concerns about the impending strike, whether they should seek cheaper suppliers outside of England, and whether they should recruit Irish workers to fill in for the strikers. Margaret's dad, a displaced parson (he had qualms about the mandatory role of the Book of Common Prayer in the Anglican Church) offered spiritual advice to the mill owners, but I don't think his well-intentioned interjections were much heeded. However, he observed that when he heard reasoned arguments from both sides of the dilemna, he could understand both points of view, and therefore, he recommended that both parties (mill owners and striking workers) have open dialogues.
  
  Mr. Thorton became Rev. Hale's pupil, and the two of them tackled Plato and other monumental works. Mr. Thorton's education was interrupted when he was forced to leave school at 16 and take care of his mother and younger sister while repaying his deceased father's debts from speculation.
  
  The role of Fanny, John's younger sister, seemed one-dimensional and stereotypical. She seemed to have forgotten that she and her family were impoverished not too long ago b/f her brother's Horatio Alger rags-to-riches turnaround. The mother was far more connected to the family's source of income and purposely lived close to her son's mill and even supervised some of the workers. She was beaming with pride over her son's accomplishments, yet she forgot how to see from the layman's perspective.
  
  Elizabeth Gaskell wrote with a great social conscience. Yet she also wrote with a great romantic imagination. That two people who seem so different would come to fall in love and be willing to revise their faulty perceptions and grow and change is sight for sore eyes. My favorite scene from this movie is the last scene at the train station where John and Margaret "publicly display their affections" (a bit risque for the Victorian era) after Margaret nervously proposed her "business plan" to save the mill. I don't think John's thoughts could have been further from the mill as he kissed and embraced Margaret. (I confess to having been more than a little jealous of Daniela Denby-Ashe during this scene! :-)
  
  The music was "specially composed by Martin Phipps," yet I think I recognize some of Mahler's symphonic music in the movie. As a Mahler fan, the music makes the movie even more beautiful.

• 12) Wonderful! All the reviews here are correct!

  by Beth on March 18 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  I was very pleased to have this dvd pop up as one I might be interested in while I was reading about another favorite of mine ('Persuasion' with Amanda Root). With so many great reviews, I knew I had to get it. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write reviews. The story has several similarities to Pride and Prejudice, but it truly has original elements. I did not feel any impatience with parallels between the two. All the actors were perfect for their roles. They all brought grace and intelligence to their roles. No overblown theatrics...these actors make Gwyneth Paltrow's performance in 'Emma' look heavy-handed and artificial. Daniela Denby-Ashe as Margaret is luminous and intelligent--never annoying. She is sincere about wanting to understand her new town and its residents. And Richard Armitage is the most appealing actor I have ever watched anywhere! I never have had a crush on an actor. I do now! He is so compelling to watch. I agree with the other reviewers who state that he just might have topped the terrific Colin Firth in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice. Richard Armitage has formidable talent and charisma, and I hope more movies and productions feature him. I put the dvd in and watched it straight through with no pauses to eat dinner, even though I hadn't eaten all day. It was that wonderful.

• 13) Refreshing and beautiful

  by Miss Courtadoo on January 29 2007
    20+ helpful votes

  I borrowed this DVD set at the insistence from a friend, and I'm so glad that I did. It was hard to find 4 hours time to finish the whole thing, but after the first hour, it was a necessity to finish it! I haven't watched much from BBC, but I do plan to watch more now. The movie was beautifully made, with the camera work and the costume and set design. There's so much of the upper class portrayed in most period films, but they went into great detail to show the lower working class in its reality. The two main characters were the obvious stars, though I think Daniela Denby-Ashe lacked in showing emotions as an actress, while Richard Armitage blew me away with his passion and grit. While each of the side characters were also masterful actors and mostly endearing, (aside from Mrs. Thornton) I instantly fell in love with Mr. Bell, Mr. Higgins and Fanny Thornton.
  
  I was so impressed with this mini-series. I had never heard of Elizabeth Gaskell before, but I look forward to reading her novel now. The plot was so intricate and detailed yet carefully written, and the characters were so loveable and realistic to the time. When the movie first opened, I didn't like Margaret or Mr. Thornton; she was too snooty and he was too crass. But as the story wore on and the characters grew and developed, I found affection for both of them, though especially for Mr. Thornton. He is the epitome of the tall, dark and handsome man, brooding and emotionless; a heavy heart waiting for a beautiful young woman to step into his life and fill it with love and happiness.
  
  After months of trials and tribulation, of miscommunication and pure angst, the end is tied up beautifully. I'm such a sucker for romances, and this movie did not disappoint. An uptight and broody Mr. Thornton is now lax and smiling as he meets Margaret again, and she is no longer the stubborn and sheltered young woman from before. She is now wise and affectionate, and offers a "business deal" to Mr. Thornton to get what she wants - what they both want. I couldn't picture a happier ending, and I was very pleased to be so delightedly treated after my four-hour endeavor.
  
  I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in history, or to any of the hopeless romantics like myself. I only wish that more people knew about this beautiful piece of work. It was different from any "movie" I had ever seen, but it was a refreshing change. It's worth the money to buy and keep, and worth the four hours time it takes to watch.
  

• 14) Keeping up the chorus

  by WAMophile on June 05 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  The only reason I bought this DVD was because of the raves on this site and comparison to Firth's P&P. Even as I was buying it, I was sceptical--I didn't think any miniseries could match up. And I thought I would find it too "industrial grey", And it is.
  
  And it doesn't compare to P&P. Even though they have a similar love story arc, the look of it, the duration, the pacing, the music, just everything is very different than P&P. P&P is light and witty, leisurely paced, pretty. N&S is dark, more frenetically paced, moody and yet gloriously romantic. And I completely fell in love with it.
  
  This is a series that will immerse you completely in a fascinating story; you'll be thrown deep into a period of time, a mood, and watch a great great love story; you'll suffer like people of the past who had so many struggles just to feed their stomaches yet felt so intensely. It's a love story and a terrific window into the industrial revolution.
  
  There have been some complaints about the license taken with the ending and some other parts of the story. But these changes were consciously done to bring a contemporary sensibility to the story and it really works. The ending is one of the most glorious I've ever seen in it's rightness.
  
  I join the legion who have already experienced N&S and will find it hard to find anything else that can grab the imagination quite so thoroughly as this did.

• 15) *sigh*

  by J. Tran on November 03 2005
    20+ helpful votes

  Having enjoyed the brightness and light heartedness of films such as the 1990's Emma and Pride & Prejudice, I was not impressed by the initial dark and bleakness of North & South.
  
  But by the end of the first episode, my doubts at purchasing this DVD (without ever seeing or hearing of the movie/book) were banished and I was a goner.
  
  No long descriptions from me just: OH MY GOSH. *sigh* I have never loved a movie as much as this. I have never been swept up by passion as strong as this. I wish for amnesia just so I can be mesmorised for the first time ... again! I know, what a nutter.
  
  Thank you Elizabeth Gaskell for the story the movie is based on. Thank you Sandy Welch for a magnificent adaptation.
  Thank you Brian Percival for your wonderful direction. Thank you to all the cast for taking my breath away. And thank you to the BBC for making it all possible.

• 16) Move Over, Mr. Darcy!

  by Silvergirlsails on April 06 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  Based on a fan's review at IMDb, I bought this DVD, knowing nothing about Elizabeth Gaskell's book or this BBC production.
  
  Needless to say, not only was I not disappointed, this film (as well as the novel) quickly became my favorite romance of all time. No small feat, as I love Pride and Prejudice, The Winslow Boy, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, among others.
  
  All you need to know are two words: Richard Armitage. Okay, three words if you add a "yummy" or an audible *sigh*. This guy makes the film, owns the character, and for me at least, pushed Colin Firth off the top of the be-all-end-all list of best looking guys in a cravat. But just wait til Mr. Thornton removes said cravat! Wet-shirt Darcy will be quickly replaced by sans-cravat Thornton in your silly girl dreams.

• 17) An Uncivil War

  by S. Tucker on February 19 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  For those of us with an unashamed weakness for good period dramas, the BBC's NORTH AND SOUTH satisfies on several levels, despite it's gloomy industrial leitmotif. Since it is based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, we know that it will be more genteel than the Brontes, yet still pack a Romantic, but Victorian, wallop. It's beautifully done cinematically: the physical contrast between Northern and Southern England is stark---the former, has skies that are, cold, gray, and constantly on the verge of storm. It is home to cotton mills whose interiors are prey to the the whirling snow of cotton fibers. Our window into the South tends toward green fields needing mowing, yellow primroses or time in a London townhouse with a "bell jar" atmosphere.
  N & S has engaging characters we admire and come close to detesting at the same time. Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe) comes to Milton, a Northern factory town, with her father, a former vicar, who has given up his parish on a point of conscience and her mother, an invalid with an over-protective servant in tow. Margaret casts a wary eye on life as it is lived in Milton because these rough-tongued Northerners upset her ideas of everthing from good manners to independent women. The foremost villan of her North is John Thornton (Richard Arimtage), a factory owner who beats a factory-worker under her nose at her first meeting with him. A close runner-up is Nicholas Higgins (Brendan Coyle), an idealistic labour leader whose rough honesty and wary hospitality humanizes him in our eyes from the start.
  What the story-line lacks in originality is made up tenfold by the fine performances of the cast previously mentioned and other notable performance by Sinead Cusack as Thornton's cold, wary, bristling mother and Anna Maxwell Mantin's turn as the aggressively air-headed daughter of the Thornton house.
  This four part (two disc) set will be something I'll view again and again in the future because it is satisfying on so many levels---the music is powerful, the political theory is irrefutable, and I defy the viewer not to be deeply moved by the last scenes in a train station. This is not to be missed.
  

• 18) My favorite miniseries

  by ML on December 23 2005
    20+ helpful votes

  I can't find the words to express how wonderful this production is. It's truly truly beautiful. Not since the Ehle/Firth version of Pride and Prejudice have I been so in love with a story. If you adore Lizzy and Mr. Darcy you will adore Margaret and Mr. Thorton. Their relationship begins with much dislike and misunderstanding which of course leads to a deep and soulful love. The ups and downs we experience in watching these 2 characters is wonderful. And the ending is...MAGICAL. Oh so romantic. I can't recommend this movie enough. For you period piece romance lovers--this movie will be at the top of your list.

• 19) "I believe I have seen hell. And it's white. Snow white."

  by CodeMaster Talon on May 30 2006
    20+ helpful votes

  Let me tell you how just how good "North and South" is: My aunt decided to put it on for just a few minutes before going to work, and ended up staying home from work to watch the whole thing. My aunt is a loan-broker. If you, too, would like to risk your job and thousands of dollars because you simply HAVE to know if the gorgeous yet volatile mill-owner ends up with the annoying, straight-laced parson's daughter then by all means buy "North and South" today.
  
  Based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell (who also wrote "Wives and Daughters", dying after 800 pages but just before the end, for which I shall never forgive her) "North and South" follows the adventures of the allegedly fiery Margaret Hale as she moves form the sleepy South of England to the fast-moving, soot-covered North. I say "allegedly fiery" because she is played by Daniela Denby-Ashe, who is the series' one weak point. It's not that she's bad--she isn't. But she doesn't really display the strong spirit the script demands. She's pretty, alright, but she lacks emotional weight, and in several scenes where Margaret is supposed to be in turmoil Denby-Ashe just looks vacant. Normally a less-than-stellar performance on behalf of the female lead would sink a story, but then most series don't have Richard Armitage playing the male lead. Coming off like Hugh Jackman's older brother, Armitage is fantastic and makes the story truly addictive. His John Thorton is the lower-class Mr. Darcy, and he tempers the mill master's anger with shades of true humanity. My rating stays five stars because of Armitage.
  
  Lending fine support are Anna Maxwell Martin (also excellent in the recent "Bleak House") as Margaret's lower class friend, Brendan Coyle as a combative union supporter, and some truly gorgeous music and cinematography. For all those Brit-lit geeks out there "North and South" is a home-run and not to be missed. I haven't seen anything so good since "Berkeley Square", and if that doesn't motivate you, my BBC-loving brethren, nothing will.
  
  GRADE: A

• 20) Mr. Darcy who?

  by Toomuchtimeonmyhands on August 24 2005
    20+ helpful votes

  I kid, I kid-I love Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth just as fervently now as I did when "Pride and Prejudice" first came out.
  
  But I have to give huge props to BBC for doing the near impossible-of being able to pull off yet another literary adaption that can just pull the viewer in as well as "Pride and Prejudice."
  
  I won't bore you with synopsis details, but you will care about these characters immensely and root them on 'til the end. The gal who plays Margaret is just perfect-she's a nineteenth century I-am-woman-hear-me-roar and you just want to high five the gal as she insists upon doing the right thing, even when it costs her. She's a 'lil spitfire, don't let the drab dresses fool you!
  
  And of course, let's get to Mr. Thorton. Armitage is just flawless, you can't deny it. His Mr. Thorton can smolder with the best of them(aka Colin Firth) and yet his doesn't let the smolder obscure his character, warts and all(and even those come off attractive in some odd way)..
  
  And the ending scene? Geesh, talk about a big payoff for us modern viewers! I know some have criticized the ending for the "payoff"(I won't spoil it for you folks) for not following the eitquette of the day or the book, but who cares! Let's just say I'm buying my husband one of those hot little white poet-like shirts asap and making him meet me at a train station this weekend...
  
  ps-I have a sister who HATES Victorian and Regency literature and thinks most of these period dramas are too corny etc. I actually got her to sit down and watch the first episode, and the girl was hooked. She loved Margaret's spunky spirit and social commentary, so this really is a crowd pleaser in alot of ways...

• 21) "I believe I have seen hell, and it's white. It's snow-white."

  by CoffeeGurl on January 22 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I love period pieces. There is nothing greater than to be transported into an era that is different from this one. I am a sucker for historical novels and enjoy imagining the scenery, clothing and characters of those times, but watching them come to life on my television could be just as wonderful. I bought the BBC DVD called North and South because of all the rave reviews here. Oh. My. God! This has got to be one of, if not the best historical mini-series I have ever watched. It is right up there with Pride and Prejudice and a few Spanish-language historical "telenovelas" I've seen over the years. This is the series adaptation of the classic Elizabeth Gaskell novel (which I read almost ten years ago) about Margaret Hale, the beautiful daughter of a middle-class clergyman and her sudden departure from the southern countryside to the seedy world of factories and tradesmen in the north of England. Milton is quite a different world from what she is accustomed to, especially when she meets the Thornton family, namely the disarming cotton manufacturer Mr. John Thornton, whom she sees as uncouth and uneducated based on his ill treatment to one of his employees. When Mr. Thornton becomes one of her father's pupils, feelings ensue between them, but pride and prejudice keep them from getting close. To his annoyance, Margaret befriends a family of steel workers whose main breadwinner is leading an union that will enable manufacturers to increase their underlings' wagers. This does not sit well with Thornton, for his business is in trouble...
  
  This wonderful Victorian love story set against the backdrop of the industrialized England is one beautiful surprise! I used the "pride and prejudice" thing on purpose because the plot is vaguely similar to the Jane Austen novel. In fact, there was a particular scene that reminded me a great deal of the proposal/rejection scene in P&P, only this one is more heartfelt. Despite the comparisons, North and South is a memorable story in its own right. Daniela Anby-Ashe is wonderful as the spirited Margaret Hale. Brendan Coyle was compelling in his portrayal of the sweet-natured and determined union leader Nicholas Higgins, Sinead Cusack was incredible in her role of the proud and protective mother Hannah Thornton, and Jo Joyner does a good job in playing the snobbish and annoying sister Fanny Thornton. But it is Richard Armitage that took my breath away in his role of Mr. Thornton. He brought the hero with a tough and brutal exterior but with a heart of gold to life! He also brings a great deal of sensuality to his character using his beautiful eyes. Mr. Armitage is not handsome in a conventional way, but his eyes, smoky voice and nuance portrayal of a flawed romantic hero has drawn many female viewers to him, including me. Swoon. He is right up there with Colin Firth when it comes to adding sex appeal to his acting. He is a gifted, wonderful actor and I shall look forward to watching something else with him in it in the future. As for the mini-series, the story is wonderfully woven and executed. The story doesn't follow the novel through and through though. Some changes were made and I think Thornton is more complex and in depth here than he was in the book. The ending is also different from the novel, but I enjoyed this ending because it kept the overall romantic feel of this adaptation. There are several memorable scenes in this series. My personal favorite is the one where Thornton says, "Look back at me." (You'll see what I mean when you watch the film. Sigh.) As for the other aspects of the series, I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the seedy world of Milton and its inhabitants, and the wardrobe and scenery are beautiful! The cinematography is amazing. I marvel at the lighting and how it set the mood when they changed from the colorful scenes in the countryside cottage to the dark and gloomy ones in Milton. The music scores also set the perfect tone for the scenes. You can tell just how much attention to detail went into the filming process. I cannot recommend North and South enough. Hollywood hasn't created something this beautiful in a long time. It appears that I will have to look to BBC for wonderful acting, gorgeous sets and beautiful stories whenever I'm in the mood for a period piece. I look forward to watching more novel adaptations like this one.

• 22) Wonderful! Very romantic ending!

  by Ravyn on January 24 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I rarely buy DVDs without having first seen the film, but based on reviews posted here and over on Netflix, the very favorable comparisons made to Colin Firth's Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice" and Richard Armitage's John Thornton in "North and South", I rushed out and bought this sight unseen. I didn't really expect it to live up to all the rave reviews, but I'm delighted to say it exceeded them, and oh, what a romantic ending -- compares favorably the ending in the Kiera Knightley/Matthew Macfayden movie, "Pride and Prejudice" although it takes place beginning on a railway platform and ending inside a train carriage.
  
  I certainly can see why many compare "North and South" with "Pride and Prejudice" although most refer to the 1995 BBC production. But I would include the 2005 film in my comparison (and I love both versions) because, for example, I really noticed the close-ups on the touching of Thornton's and Margaret's hands, especially at the dinner party (I half expected Thornton to flex his hand as Macfayden's Darcy did; he doesn't) and later Margaret kissing his hand -- both these events compare very favorably with Matthew Macfayden's Darcy's reaction to holding Lizzy's hand to help her in a carriage and the ending when she kisses his hand. And Thornton's more casual look in the final sequences without his coat and cravat -- which gives him a romantic Lord Byron look in his big sleeved white shirt with wide cuffs which come to his knuckles -- rivals the casual look Darcy presented when he comes to Lizzy at dawn at the end of the film. These men go from being buttoned up and formal to more casual romantic suitors. It's very pleasing. I think most women will swoon at the kisses -- the best I've seen in a very long time -- as I did and it is true the 5+ minute ending is one of the most romantic and satisfying ever filmed. I've rewatched it many times.
  
  Although the excellent story (wonderfully acted throughout by a talented cast) is grim at times (people do die in this), and it is certainly not the lighthearted fare of "Pride and Prejudice" as it deals with the Industrial Revolution -- the horrifying working conditions in the cotton mills, strikers versus their employers -- I think the story is more real and easier to relate to than "Pride and Prejudice." And, interestingly enough, it is a story which would more easily be updated to a present day story in some ways (look at United Airlines, General Motors and others which are struggling with worker's vs. management, layoffs and averting financial ruin). I found it is easier to relate to businessman/entrepreneur John Thornton struggling to run his cotton mill, a huge manufacturing complex, as he deals with restless workers and the market forces of the cotton industry (the pre-Civil War Americans -- this story is set around 1850 -- are flooding the English markets with cheap cotton products and English manufacturers like Thornton are having a hard time competing) than to landed gentry and matchmaking of Jane Austen's books. This business aspect, as well as certain parts of the love story, are almost contemporary.
  
  The love/hate, pride/prejudice behavior between Thornton and Margaret definitely rivals in many ways the Elizabeth/Darcy relationship right down to her rejection of his offer of marriage, their verbal barbs, his walking from her home after his rejected proposal (shades of Colin Firth's Darcy leaving Mr. Collin's house after Lizzy rejected him). Above all, Richard Armitage (a very handsome actor) as Thornton definitely does smoulder as much as Colin Firth's Darcy did -- maybe more so. I hope to see a lot more of him because it's not just looks here, but he's a very fine and talented actor.
  
  All the actors in this production are terrific. This is a wonderful BBC production I can highly recommend and again, the last 5 minutes are among the most romantic ever filmed!

• 23) Wonderful!

  by Selective Reader on February 15 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  It has taken years for "Pride and Prejudice" to be topped, but here it is in all it's glory! North & South with Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage is absolutely one of the finest movies that BBC has done and I thank them for it. I watched it three times before I finally decided to wait another week to watch it again! Daniela Denby-Ashe played her part beautifully and Richard Armitage will more than likely be boosted to stardom for his portrayal of Mr. Thornton.
  
  This is an absolute "must see" movie and then you will definitely be glad you bought it for all times.

• 24) Speculation & Mediation in 19th Century Love & Business

  by C Ruiz-Esparza on June 22 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  North and South, based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, is Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Upton Sinclair taking a walk through Milton. In these days when we are questioning who has the right to work here and what is a living wage, this reports on the times and projects into the present. Have we really learned how to talk to each other to bridge gulfs of class and other differences? The story starts a little slow, but it warms up in the 2nd episode.
  
  The love story starts that way, too. For all her talk of unionists and masters learning to speak to eachother instead of fight, Margaret is a fine one to talk. She can't even talk sincerely about what she wants. (Then again, if she did, there would not be a fabulous 4-hour BBC series.) Through most of it it, I wanted to shake Margaret and her parents, very believable passive aggressive characters played brilliantly. They are an interesting vehicle for exploring Milton and the North and the industrial cloth trade. I fell in love with Higgins, Thornton and Bell and the actors that played them. Armitage plays Thornton with all the burden, authority, and search for joy - he enjoys his job when everything works. (I think I have a thing for Yorkshire men.) He cuts a dashing figure, but, more, he strikes a strong realistically ethical cord. Sinead Cusack is so strong and plays Mrs. Thornton with so much complexity. She also, in spite of the harshness of the character, is beautiful - harsh beauty, like a lonely yellow flower hidden in a thicket. The chemistry of the cast and the sense of history transports you. The commentary on Episodes 1 and 4 are very interesting, but don't listen to them until you watch the whole series. This is an ace production. Watch it and take the time to be entertained and taught. I think I need to read the novel.

• 25) Hauntingly Beautiful

  by Wendy Powell on April 17 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I first stumbled on North and South when BBC America did a North and South marathon one Saturday a few months ago. I immediately checked with Amazon.com and saw all these glowing reports to substantiate what I had just witnessed...What is likely the best miniseries I have ever watched.
  
  From the opening scene, through the turmoil of the classes that was the industrial north of that period...to love and loathing between John Thornton and Margaret Hale. The story intertwines the classes and draws you in. It is so hauntingly beautiful and I challenge you to turn off the DVD player after episode 1. Personally, I've watched my DVD to many times to count and always watch the whole series in one sitting.
  
  The locations and costumes are expertly recreated, the music is haunting and beautiful and will resonant in your mind for hours after you have finished viewing, but the characters will live with you forever...especially John Thorton and his love for Margaret.
  
  The acting was brilliant. I'd not heard of Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe prior to seeing them portraying the lead parts but Richard Armitage has snatched my love and affection for Mr. Darcy and made me fall utterly and devotedly in love with his Mr. Thornton.
  
  This DVD is a treasure that you will keep returning to time and time again.

• 26) The BBC at its best

  by GEORGE RANNIE on January 30 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  As a would-be anglophile, I certainly agree with the previous glowing reviews of this BBC presentation. It too, for me, is one of the best (if not the best) BBC miniseries that I've ever seen and I have seen many. What I love the most about this series is that it shows the "class struggle" at all levels whether it is social status, geographical status (from what area a person is from or what local they might inhabit) employment level status (worker, employer) etc.-(I'm still of the strong opinion that it still DOES matter no matter where one might live) Anyway, this presentation does a wonderful job of showing the class differences in England mid-1800. The acting is simply superb by a huge cast; however, I must single out a few of my favorites.
  
  Richard Aarmitage plays the moody mill owning Thornton.-what a wonderful character very much like Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice". He's a dark, brooding, handsome and seemingly not too nice man; however, in actuality he is a very good man. Aarmitage turns in a fantastic performance on the level of Colin Firth (as Mr. Darcy) in Pride and Prejudice. Daniela Denby-Ashe, as Margaret the heroine of the story and Thornton's love interest, is marvelous as one of those very strong "Jane Austin type of women" Thornton's haughty but basically good mother is played wonderfully by Sinead Cusack. I also love Tim Piggot-Smith (in more of a subdued role for him) as Mr. Hale, Margaret's father. To be honest all of the actors are great in this presentation.
  
  This miniseries exhibits great direction along with a great script. The recreation of the era and local is marvelous. I love the cotton mill scenes with the machines roaring and cotton dust flying all over the place-fabulous. (The final scene in the train station is one you'll always remember--it's heart tugging!!)
  
  If you want to be well entertained and love great acting, a great story, great direction and great recreation of an era gone by, buy this disc-believe me, you'll love it.
  

• 27) Truly Magnificient

  by Reader on November 21 2005
    10+ helpful votes

  I just wanted to share my enthusiasm for this wonderful BBC adaptation. I'm a fan of classic literature, particularly 19th century English literature. I read and absolutely loved "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell, and was excited when I saw the DVD would be made available in the US. I just got my pre-ordered copy a couple days ago, and all I can say is that it was AMAZING. I've watched and loved many other BBC adaptations, including the beloved "Pride and Prejudice" and Gaskell's own "Wives and Daughters." "North and South," however, is my absolute favorite.
  
  What's so great about it is that it accurately depicts middle and working class life in the Victorian era. So many other adaptations made the time period seem to consist entirely of morning calls, dinner parties, and balls. "North and South," however, shows the daily struggles and class differences. You keenly feel the pain and pleasure of every character, however minor.
  
  And of course, what's truly wonderful is watching the progression of the love story between Margaret Hale and John Thronton. The Margaret from my reading of the novel was different in my head, so Daniella Denby-Ashe took a little getting used to. But by then end I thought she was wonderful. Richard Armitrage, however, was wonderful as Thornton. His acting was so nuanced that you could read his feelings from his facial expressions. I loved how he got a lot of screen time compared to the male characters in other adaptations/novels. Each scene showing the interaction between Thornton and Margaret was perfectly played out. So many favorite scenes! Though in particular I thought the part where he sees Margaret and her brother at the station, then the whole resulting police investigation and Thornton and Margaret's first interaction after that was really good. Behind his hurt pride and outward cold demeanor, you could see the pain and hidden love in his eyes. Also noteworthy is the scene where Margaret is leaving Milton, and Thornton is watching the departing carriage saying "look back at me." I could go on and on...
  
  Initially I was disappointed that a few of my favorite scenes from the novel were not included (such as Thornton laying Margaret on the sofa after the riot scene, here's quoting from the novel:
  
  "He bore her into the dining-room, and laid her on the sofa
  there; laid her down softly, and looking on her pure white face,
  the sense of what she was to him came upon him so keenly that he
  spoke it out in his pain:
  
  'Oh, my Margaret--my Margaret! no one can tell what you are to
  me! Dead--cold as you lie there, you are the only woman I ever
  loved! Oh, Margaret--Margaret!' Inarticulately as he spoke,
  kneeling by her, and rather moaning than saying the words, he
  started up, ashamed of himself, as his mother came in. She saw
  nothing, but her son a little paler, a little sterner than usual."
  
  though obviously she was not dead only unconscious. A lot of things were also changed (such as Henry Lennox's character, the whole situation under which Thorton and Margaret first met, the addition of the character Anne Latimer, etc), but the spirit of the book remained and the changes make sense for the purposes of the screen adaptation. In fact, much of the added dialogue is true to what Gaskell herself might have written, such as Margaret writing to Edith about the cotton mills "I believe I've seen hell, and it is white, snow white."
  
  Basically, I strongly recommend you get both the DVD and the book. Don't get discouraged by the slow start to the novel, it's worth sticking to. BTW, the theme music on the DVD was perfect as well. Enjoy!

• 28) One of the BEST book adaptations and period films!!!!!

  by The Inveterate Reader on October 22 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South is one of the most enthralling and illuminating period films I have watched yet. Elizabeth Gaskell's story, set in the dirt and cotton dust of a northern industrial town in Victorian England, manages to marry the incisive socio-political commentary of Dickens, the romances occluded by pride and social propriety of Jane Austen, and the psychological depth of Edith Wharton.
  
  You will fall in love with Mr. Thornton (aka Hotty McHotty), rally against poverty and injustice with Marget Hale, gain understanding of the social consequences of the industrial boom, and wretch with pain and delight at Margaret and Thornton's tortuous love. 10/10

• 29) Watch out Pride and Prejudice. Meet your match!

  by P. Hofhansl on October 28 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I am a die hard BBC drama fan and in this film they have done it again. I saw this movie and couldn't stop thinking about it. It gets in your head. There are many parallels to Pride and Prejudice. In fact I would say this film is a perfect blend of Austen and Dickens. The acting is outstanding, the locations are perfect, and the music is beautiful. I never thought that I would find a better pair than Darcy and Lizzy but John and Margaret may replace them. I have always hailed Pride and Prejudice as a film without fault or equal but North and South is now sharing that position. You will cry with sadness and with joy. It is impossible to not lose yourself in this film. Absolutuely Brilliant!

• 30) Fantastic BBC Production

  by Christa L. Moore on October 08 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I bought this recently from Amazon and was enraptured by the high production values and superb translation from the book. The excellent dialogue and sequences from the novel are captured in many places through the series, but there are some notable departures from the novel that transport it brilliantly.
  
  The writers heighten the romance by creating more angst for both Thornton and Miss Hale with the creation of Miss Lattimer and an expansion of Mr. Bell's role. Mr. Bell, who was mischievious in the book, is here a bemused meddler who has keenly surmised the attraction between Thornton and Margaret.
  
  The greatest departure from the novel is also what elevates this series for me above the classic Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth. The romance in the novel wraps up very suddenly, too suddenly to do justice to the torturous romance between Thornton and Margaret. In the series, however, the culmination of all that has passed is poignant, breathtaking, and ultimately fulfilling.
  
  By far the best thing about this series is the subtle and nuanced performance of Richard Armitage. He is able to evoke such restrained intensity and passion and give Thornton the emotional stature to equal his physical stature. He is a superb actor and I am very much looking forward to seeing him in BBC's new production of Robin Hood as Guy of Gisborne.
  
  I highly recommend owning this as it only gets better with repeaded viewings. If you love period dramas, especially romance, this series will likely be in your top 5 all-time favorites like it is for me and everyone I know who has seen it.

• 31) Go out and buy this NOW!!!

  by Melissa G. Dove on June 18 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I am a budding period movie buff and have seen all the movies based on the works of Jane Austen (BBC, A and E and hollywood versions), as well as some others like "Tess of the Durbervilles", "The Scarlet Pimpernel", several versions of "Jane Eyre", the works of Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and more. I can honestly say that I have never been as entralled with anything as I was with this movie!!
  
  I bought this movie based solely on the reviews on this site, and the fact that it is an A&E production and I had recently enjoyed watching "Wives and Daughters", also based on a Gaskell novel. I put the dvd in one night before bed to watch the first episode and see what it was like. Big mistake...I proceeded to stay up WAY passed my bedtime to watch the entire thing in one sitting (I should have known better, as A&E miniseries often have that effect on me)
  
  I may even like this movie slightly better than the ever-famous "Pride and Prejudice" starring Colin Firth, and before I get brow-beaten by a bunch of P&P fanatics (I was one of you once, please be kind), let me explain myself. The love story here is very similar to that between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. She takes an initial dislike while he reluctantly forms an attration, there is a botched proposal, she gradually comes to see his good qualities and falls in love herself. It is the REST of the story that puts this one over the top. The hero, Mr. Thorton, is the master of a cotton mill, while the heroine, Margaret, befriends a group of strike-ready mill workers. The viewer can understand both sides of the struggle and it is really interesting to see how it plays out. And of course, as others have mentioned, there is that last scene at the train station which is incredibly romantic : )
  
  In short, if you are at all interested in period films, don't hesitate to purchase this. Believe me, you will want to watch it more than once.

• 32) My favourite BBC miniseries

  by DJ on June 16 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  I ordered the DVD sight unseen, based on online reviews (something I've never done, by the way), and I cannot find the words to do justice to it. Wow.
  I read the book a couple of months beforehand and liked it a lot, especially because of the social issues and how the internal lives of the characters (especially Margaret & Thornton) are developed by Gaskell. Yet somehow, while watching the miniseries I felt that it was, in some ways, an improvement over the book (sacrilegious though this might sound to fans of the book). This could be because it shows in a few scenes, with great economy, what Gaskell takes pages to tell, about the stresses and strains of the Industrial Revolution, class conflict and poverty, and also about the characters' feelings and motivations. It could also be because several of the characters are strengthened in Sandy Welch's script (Higgins and Bessy being the most notable examples). The early shots of the cotton mill were striking and Welch's line "I've seen hell and it's snow white" was a highlight for me.
  Although I somewhat disagreed with some choices made - such as the circumstances under which the two leads first meet - I still felt that these changes fit in with the overall tone and flow of the adaptation, allowing me to understand or overlook them.
  The music was deeply moving and appropriate, and significantly added to the emotional impact of the story. The camera work was very much to my liking, not static unlike many period dramas. As for the acting, I found both Daniela Denby-Ashe AND Richard Armitage convincing; though some think that RA does steal the show, DDA has a very difficult job playing a resilient, reserved character who internalises so many of her struggles. It's worth mentioning that even in the book, Margaret's (DDA's) emotions always have to be kept under wraps, (though I can still sense the tension simmering under the surface); Thornton's angst is more visible somehow, especially in the book, so RA has more material to work with than, say Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice, and he does a wonderful job with it.
  
  Let me quickly add that any comparisons between John Thornton and Darcy are odious and unfair to both, because in the respective books, John's perspective was far better developed than Darcy's. I adore both, though Darcy was my first literary love and so just about sneaks ahead. Thornton is among my top 2-3 favorite literary heroes, though.
  
  And despite my liking for the humorous ending from the book (abrupt though it is), its counterpart in the miniseries, which was, shall we say, more fully developed, was simply sublime.
  
  Someone once said that great film can be made from a very good book, but very rarely (if ever) is great film/TV the product of a great book. Perhaps this is why I will never be completely satisfied with an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice; not to denigrate any of the Pride and Prejudice adaptations, I will always ultimately return to the source for that satisfaction. As far as the book and miniseries versions of North and South are concerned, much as I liked the book, I just might feel differently :-)
  

• 33) You're coming home with me

  by Charlotte S. Web on January 31 2006
    10+ helpful votes

  North and South (2004) has been categorised as the next Pride and Prejudice (1995). A few similarities are there but North and South is distinctly more satisfying in its conclusion. Richard Armitage's Thornton has the same unforgettable presence and appeal as Colin Firth's Darcy. No one with a heart can fail to be stirred by the scene where Thornton says, "Look back at me." and the last scene is the most romantic wish-it-will-happen-to-me scene for which any true believer would hope.
  My recommendation: Beg, Borrow or Steal, but North and South must be seen.

• 34) North & South - the BEST period drama ever!

  by Portia on September 20 2005
    10+ helpful votes

  You thought you liked Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, JAne Eyre etc etc...well you are about to enter another level of period drama heaven....RUN don't walk to buy this one, buy two, because you will be lending it out to all your friends...
  Why?
  The most compelling story from an excellent novel, the tightest, leanest script by Sandy Welch, the superb cinematography and production design, make this the best period drama I have ever seen, it makes the others pale into comparision.
  
  The actors are a fantastic ensemble, including the superb Sinead Cusack as Mrs Thornton the matriach, Daniela Denby-Ashe is the spirited and lovely heroine Margaret, and Richard Armitage who plays Mr Thornton is the most talented, brooding, smouldering, intelligent, moving and compelling leading man it has been my pleasure ever to witness.....this man was robbed of a BAFTA - he is nothing short of magnificent...
  and it's not just for women, it's a sad, funny, romantic, stirring story of loss, love and struggle that anyone can enjoy.. and I believe you will enjoy this.
  

• 35) Great Substance and Beauty

  by RJRo20 on July 12 2007
    10+ helpful votes

  I admit. I bought this DVD, because of its intriguing cover. I didn't know if it was worth the big bucks, but the rave reviews were very encouraging. Well, I wasn't disappointed! Along with the other outstanding BBC production, Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996), "North & South" ranks on top as one of the best miniseries ever! Having not read Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, which this TV serial is based, I cannot comment on the book-to-screen adaptation. However, I do agree with previous reviewers. "North & South" is truly fabulous! Excellent cast, wonderful directing, and beautiful music. Also includes one of the most exquisite and romantic love scenes ever captured on film! Kudos to Sandy Welch (the miniseries scriptwriter). Her screenplay is indeed "a persuasive mix of historical context and character study." Highly, highly recommended for period piece lovers and romance readers alike.