North & South [DVD]

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!!! Wow! Now I can only say that it has even eclipsed the BBC P&P film in my heart. It is more romantic anyway! Everything is perfect, the cast, the setting, the photography (the image of cotton flakes in the mill), 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 working. All the characters are marvellous and so likeable. They really make a difference for me because they are down-to-earth, they have 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, you may have the impression that this iron lady always controls her emotions but you just look through her 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 great 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. Even jobless or heartbroken, he remains dignified and calls for respect. Jo Joyner as Thornton's sister is a delight, probably the only source of comic relief in the story. And of course, the film wouldn't be so brilliant if there wasn't Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage in the parts of Margaret and Mr Thornton. Daniela portrays both the vulnerability and the strength of the heroine very well. As for 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 actor is especially fantastic because he makes the character so alive on screen. He is Thornton! I can't believe I am saying that but `forget Darcy, Thornton is so much better'. I mean the man is so dedicated to his work, -and contrary to Darcy, he has known poverty and he has had to fight back-that I can't help being impressed. 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, becomes more aware of the living conditions of the working class. So here you have strength, intelligence and integrity in one man; and, at the same time, his love for Margaret makes him completely 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 really 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 always 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 sweet music behind? I can't tell. All I can tell is that Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale have become as dear to me as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet! Enjoy! This is a jewel!

I really have to be thankful to Amazon in particular and to all of you, reviewers in general, because I would have missed this unforgettable BBC series but for you. I hadn't known of this series at all because it wasn't showed in Spanish television. (Shame on us). So, the first time I heard of it was in these pages... Thank you! I am not going to repeat any of the very well merited praises all of you have written about this series, I couldn't agree more with all of you. The series is perfect in my opinion. Even after reading the book you cannot find fault with it. The atmosphere, the characters (all of them), the rhythm. All beautifully done. Maybe trying hard to find something to complain about, I could think that it was unnecessary to change the way in which Margaret and John meet for the first time. In the book it was not necessary to make John so disagreeable to make Margaret dislike him. This book speaks among other things, about prejudices, hers and his. In this period for a woman like Margaret risen up as the daughter of a gentleman, Thornton was very much behind her, it was not a question of money, but of social status and education. A manufacturer was a little better than a tradesman, somebody who buys and sells things to get some profit couldn't be a gentleman at all. Maybe in the series they thought that we would dislike Margaret if they didn't give us a more "modern" reason for her dislike to Thornton. I don't think it has to be like that at all. The stronger are your prejudices, the higher you have to rise to overcome them, the more you have to change and the better you have to love. In the book you find this perfectly logic. But anyway, the above mild critic is only my personal opinion and always comparing the film with the book, which is almost always unfair to any film. The language of films and books are so different that I only resent the changes when they don't respect the spirit of the book and this is not the case at all. For example, the climax in the film, the famous scene of the railway station which is completely different in the book, I find it perfect, as perfect as I found it in the book. Each of them perfect in their own way. The performances of all actors I find remarkable, of course with special mention to the two main characters beautifully portrayed. It is impossible not to fall in love with Armitage's Mr Thornton with his outstanding performance. He really creates a real alive character impossible to forget. The only thing I regret is that de DVD I bought here it has not subtitles in Spanish and so, I couldn't share my enthusiasm with any of my friends who can't speak English, which has been for me a real shame, so eager I was to comment this series. So, I had to share it with you. Thank you!

Such a good series. Lovely story

I have read Gaskell's book and enjoyed it immensely. Owing to the novel's length I wasn't sure a film adaptation would do the book credit, and I was pleasantly surprised. It is extremely well acted and the settings were fantastic. The director convincingly portrays the industrial town as seen through the heroine's eyes as a smoky, dinghy, frightening and claustrophobic place. It is really heart-warming to see her progress from constantly wishing she was back in her rural southern village to having affection for her new home and the people in the town who are so unlike herself. The novel (and the film) depict a pivotal moment in the Victorian era where The Industrial Revolution is gathering momentum and the old agricultural way of life is slowly disappearing - although in the south it still lingers: Hence the North and South divide. Seen through the heroine's eyes, it's almost as though the northern part of Britain is a completely different country where the inhabitants have alien tastes and customs. The film presents the poverty of the factory workers and the Chartist movement extremely well. This is because the film remains true to the novel which presents the perspectives of the factory owners as well as the workers and therefore avoids being politically dogmatic and narrow. It is definitely worth watching. The only reason I gave it four stars is because I'm not sure the film will suit the taste of every period drama fan because it lacks the glamour of this genre. I thought it was brilliant though.

I had been given this box set for Christmas but hadn't had the chance to watch it until a few days ago. I'm not a massive fan of love stories so I put this on with a degree of trepidation, expecting it to be four hours of "I love you" and soppy glances. While there is a romantic undertone to this, it's actually done in a very subtle way which makes this all the more watchable. Enough people have given an indication of the plot so I don't want to go over old ground in that regard. North & South is a very interesting social commentary as well as a love story. It very subtly illustrates the hypocracy of the workers who feel demeaned and shunned by the 'masters', whereas they treat one of their own in a very similar fashion. They complain about the social heirarchy that exists when they are oblivious that they themselves have their own social heirarchy and have ways of dealing with those who don't adhere to the expected behaviour. Margaret Hale is deemed to be haughty, rude, snobbish and patronising towards the northeners, when the northerners demonstrate those same features to her. Margaret may not fit in with the social convention of an industrial town, but she can shift between a natural friendship with the workers and a marginally tolerant, if nothing else initially, relationship with Thornton and his mother. There are no clear good or bad characters in this production, contrary to how they first appear and it's refreshing to see that almost every character has their good and bad side, Margaret also shows she's not entirely clean cut mid way thourgh the series, albeit with good intentions. It's also interesting to see how the concept of the strike was dealt with. Much of this plot centres on the character of John Thornton. While Thornton appears initially to be a brutal, uncaring man we are gradually shown that this is not the case. His character makes no apologies for the tough way he runs his mill however the character is given the opportunity to say "yes, I beat a man in front of you for what you think is a small matter, but here is the reality...". Thornton's character in many ways is the least selfish in this show. He's certainly the most compassionate (if that's a word you could apply to him, he's a complex character) of the masters and his actions, while harsh, serve to protect his workers from unemployment and to look after his family (his mother in particular). The acting is brilliant and I can't say there was a weak link in any of them. While this has given Richard Armitage more than a big stepping stone in his career (easy to see why the females of UK give a collective swoon when he appears on screen in anything now!) much less has been seen from the other characters. I think it's perhaps because Armitage does steal every scene he's in but that's not to say his co-actors don't step up to the mark. Daniela Denby-Ashe is nicely cast as Margaret Hale. I'm not sure how Ms. Denby-Ashe managed to keep a stern "I really don't like you" look at Armitage's character when he's staring at her or trying to befriend her; it's certainly not a look I could maintain for long! She's a likable lead however and pulls Margaret Hale off with seeming ease. I feel a special mention should be given to Jo Joyner as the (very unexpected) comedy foil in this production. Yes, a BBC period drama doing comedy. Joyner plays John's sister Fanny. She's not the most tactful woman on the planet, but it still extremely likeable. Her facial expressions, comments, litte subtle gestures made me smile every time she was on screen. Without some of the physical acting, I'm not sure Fanny would have been such a funny character but I'm glad they decided to give her some depth. All too often period dramas can be overly stiff and formal. Joyner's character gave a nice refreshing edge to this brilliant drama. Finally, a must mention is the setting. While it's fairly obvious that this was filmed primarily in Edinburgh (and how I love my city, so to see it used for this production was wonderful) the recreation of the mills were also beautifully done. To see Thornton walking through the mill, with the fluff everywhere and his workers all silently operating the machinery while the children collect the fluff of the floors, was striking. I had visited New Lanark Mill town several years ago and to see on TV what the mill must have looked like is something else (well worth a visit if you're now interested in this industry/era!). Please give this a go. Gentlemen, even if you're not into 'lovey-dovey' stuff this is still a must watch. My husband has no interest in romances and is only very slightly tolerant of my Richard Armitage crush, but he's watched this and found it fantastic. I think he liked the notion of the struggle to provide for a family both in the worker environment and the masters' environment. He's also interested in trade union and how collctive labour power can draw industry to a halt so please don't disregard this as just a love story. That's a part of it, but it's very subtly done.

It's a worthwhile tale. This is to replace my original copy that I loaned to a friend..

I saw this when it was first broadcast by the BBC in 2004 and bought the dvd when it came out, so readers may wonder why it's taken me so long to write a review. Frankly, it was because I thought I would get over it but I can't so I want others to know what a brilliant and unforgettable piece of work this is. I watched it again last weekend for the first time in about a year and just the music in the opening titles was enough to send shivers up my spine. Others have summarised the story so I won't do that. I didn't warm to Daniela Denby Ashe on my first few viewings but she has grown on me. I think it must have been a hard part to play as so much of her suffering is internal, she doesn't get the chance to show her feelings to anyone, until near the end. Other actors, all wonderful. There are some changes from the book, notably the beating scene in episode 1. I almost gave up watching it at that point as I thought no-one who could do that could be trusted with the whole adaptation. I do understand the reason it was put in, even if I don't like it, to give present-day viewers a reason to understand why Margaret took such an instant dislike to John and other characters such as Nicholas Higgins (no friend of the Masters) say Thornton was right. I carried on watching and was very glad I did as I was rewarded with some wonderful scenes. I did very much like the other changes that were made, the trip to the Great Exhbition, the "Look back at me" scene which is breathtaking and the station scene, so I just have to take with the rough with the smooth. I think it captures the spirit of the novel. This is I think a literate and thoughtful adaptation, well-acted, beautiful to look at and to listen to (did I mention the music?) and it just gets better every time I see it.

Great screen adaptation. We loved the story and the actors.

Man benötigt nicht mehr als dieses eine Wort um diese Miniserie der BBC zu umschreiben, die 2004 entstand. Und damit möchte ich als erstes meinen Dank an die BBC aussprechen, denn selten findet man in der heutigen schnelllebigen Zeit noch solche Perlen der Filmbranche. Zum Glück sind die BBC und die englische Filmindustrie noch ein Garant für hochwertige Filme und unterlassen die ausbordenden und häufig eher lästigen bonbonartig daherkommenden Klischees der amerikanischen Filmbranche. Zur Serie selbst kann ich sagen, wer die damalige Zeit, also den Zeitraum um 1855 schätzt, der wird mit dieser Serie aufs beste bedient. Leider muss ich gleich zu Beginn meiner Rezension einen Wermutstropfen ansprechen, der mir im Zusammenhang mit anderen Rezensionen zu dieser Serie aufgefallen ist. Die häufigen Vergleiche mit Pride & Prejudice" (Stolz und Vorurteil), ebenfalls von der BBC verfilmt, mit Colin Firth in der Hauptrolle. Meiner Meinung nach gibt es keinen Vergleich. Die Romane Jane Austens spiegeln einen früheren Zeitgeist wieder (Stolz und Vorurteil / anno 1813) und beziehen sich auf romantische Weise auf das Leben der englischen Adeligen und des Mittelstandes. In diesen Romanen wird auf sehr spezifische Weise humorvoll der Zeitgeist charakterisiert, doch Jane Austen nahm niemals für sich in Anspruch auch die Problematik der niederen Bevölkerung größer herausstellen zu wollen in ihren Romanen. Was ich übrigens sehr liebe, denn ein Jane Austen-Roman oder Film entfernt mich auf magische Weise vom eigenen, manchmal trostlosen Alltag und zaubert unweigerlich ein zufriedenes Lächeln auf mein Gesicht. Und hier sei auch gleich angemerkt, ich liebe Colin Firth als Mr. Darcy und die gesamte Miniserie der BBC um Jane Austens Pride & Prejudice" von ganzem Herzen. Trotzdem ist ein Vergleich mit Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South" absolut unpassend. Unweigerlich werden eingefleischte Jane Austen-Fans, die auf pure Romantik, die unvergleichlichen Dialoge einer Jane Austen und die herrlichen Landschaftsimpressionen warten enttäuscht werden. Wer jedoch mit offenen Augen und vor allem mit einem offenen Herzen North & South" ansieht, wird von dieser Serie ebenso begeistert sein wie von Pride & Prejudice". Die männliche Hauptrolle spielt ein ebenso charismatischer Mann wie Colin Firth, wenn er auch auf andere Weise seinen etwas raueren Charme spielen lässt. Richard Armitage. Meiner Meinung nach ein herausragender Darsteller, der sowohl mit seiner ruhigen, dunklen Stimme, wie auch seiner extrem aussagekräftigen Mimik zu punkten versteht. Sein gesamtes Aussehen entspricht sehr genau meiner Vorstellung eines Mannes, wie ihn sowohl Jane Austen als auch Elizabeth Gaskell in ihren Romanen so häufig beschrieben. Ich liebte es in den 240 Minuten seiner wunderbaren Ausstrahlung zu folgen und fieberte jeder Sekunde entgegen in der er wieder ins Bild trat. Übrigens, 240 Minuten ist die Langfassung dieser Serie, es gibt auch eine Kurzfassung von 208 Minuten, die meiner Meinung nach ausreichend ist, da die 32 fehlenden Minuten nicht unbedingt ausschlaggebend sind. Weitere Darsteller der Serie sind Daniela Danby-Ashe, die weibliche Hauptrolle und für meinen Geschmack eine sehr gute Wahl. Nicht nur, dass die beiden Hauptdarsteller hervorragend harmonieren in ihrem Spiel, nein, ich empfinde sie sowohl äußerlich als sehr passend für die damalige Zeit, wie auch darstellerisch als sehr gut. Ebenfalls hervorheben möchte ich Brendan Coyle in der Rolle des Nicolas Higgins, eines Gewerkschaftsführers, der mit viel Herz versucht die Zustände in den Baumwollfabriken im Norden zu verändern. Vielleicht inzwischen besser bekannt aus der Serie Downton Abbey", die derzeit einen überragenden Erfolg verbuchen kann. Und mit Nicolas Higgins kommen wir auch gleich zum entscheidenden Unterschied zu den Jane Austen Romanen/Filmen, den manchmal gnadenlosen Einblick in die Arbeiterschicht, den Elizabeth Gaskell extrem gut zu vermitteln versteht. Hier wird England nicht gar so wunderbar gezeigt, hier sieht man auch die dreckigen Gassen, die düsteren Schlechtwetterstädte des Nordens und die Industrie, mit all ihren Umweltverschmutzungen, Ungerechtigkeiten und der ausbeuterischen Arbeit. Aber, oh Wunder, das tut dem Vergnügen sich diese Serie anzusehen keinen Abbruch. Ich fieberte mit den Arbeitern, den Mastern", den geplagten Kindern und Frauen mit und freute mich über jeden Lichtblick, der sich ihnen bot. Wer nun vermutet, dass North & South" im Gegensatz zu Pride und Prejudice" keine Romantik zu bieten hat, der irrt gewaltig. Allein diese zwei Sätze werden jedem in Erinnerung bleiben, der noch einen Funken Romantik in sein Herz einfließen läßt: "Look back, look back at me!" und "Coming home with me?". Mr. Thornten (Richard Armitage) ist ein Mann, wie ihn sich jede Frau wünschen würde. Vom guten Aussehen einmal ganz abgesehen, weicht er vom harten Geschäftsmann immer ein wenig mehr zum liebenden, und mitfühlenden Mann auf. Er kann seine harte Schale nicht einfach abstreifen, zu lange musste er seinen Mann stehen, doch er lernt beständig hinzu und gibt sein bestes um soviel Hilfe zu geben wie ihm in seiner Situation möglich ist. Seine Annäherung an Margareth Hale (Daniela Danby-Ashe) vollzieht sich mehr durch Blicke und Gesten, denn er weiß sehr wohl, dass der erste Eindruck den er bei ihr hinterließ wahrlich nicht der beste war. Doch Rückschläge werden hier dem Zuseher so einfühlsam näher gebracht, dass es nicht ausbleiben kann mit diesem Mann zu leiden und zu hoffen. Ich möchte keinen Spoiler liefern, aber eines sei gesagt, für mich war es das romantischste Ende, dass ich je sah. Allein die Gestik und die dahinterstehende Symbolik ließen mein Herz überquellen. Ständig bin ich versucht mir dieses Ende noch einmal anzusehen, nur um mir einen guten Abschluss meines Tages zu bescheren. Mein Tipp wäre also einfach unbefangen und vor allen Dingen unvoreingenommen an diese Serie heranzugehen und keinerlei Vergleiche mit Stolz und Vorurteil" im Kopf zu haben. Eines sei noch gesagt, bitte auf alle Fälle den Film im Originalton ansehen. Die deutsche Synchronisation lässt extrem zu wünschen übrig und raubt vor allen Dingen Mr. Thornton / Richard Armitage einen Gutteil seiner Ausstrahlung. Ps: Bin inzwischen was die Langfassung angeht zu einem anderen Schluß gekommen. Nach mehrmaligem Ansehen möchte ich keine einzige Minute der Originalfassung von 240 Minuten missen. Es ist doch ein beträchtlicher Unterschied wenn man in der deutschen Fassung nur 208 Minuten gezeigt bekommt. Wobei man schon deutlich sagen muss, die schlechte deutsche Synchronisation erspart einem dann immerhin 32 nervige Minuten. Wohingegen das Original einfach nur purer Genuß ist.

This 2004 BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South" now ranks as one of my all-time favorite period dramas, up there with 1995's Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition) and Cranford: The Collection (Cranford / Return to Cranford) , among others. Interesting to note that all three BBC adaptations of Gaskell's works, i.e. Wives and Daughters , as well as "Cranford" and "North and South" are all stellar productions. Being a great fan of British period dramas, I am surprised it took me this long to discover "North and South". The story of "North and South" is both a love story as well as a story of class and industrialization. Margaret Hale (portrayed by the beautiful Daniela Denby-Ashe) is the lovely daughter of a clergyman, Richard (Tim Piggot-Smith) and his wife, Maria (Lesley Manville who also played Mrs. Rose in "Cranford"). When her father breaks with the church over an issue of conscience, Margaret is forced to uproot from the idyllic southern town of Halston in Hampshire and move to the industrial town of Milton in Northern England. There the Hale family try to adjust - father Richard finds a job as a tutor and teacher, but mother Maria and Margaret find it more difficult to come to terms with the customs of the Northerners who seem a much coarser lot than the genteel Southerners. Plain speaking and independent-minded Margaret chafes at the strictures placed upon her sex and also comes to learn about the inequalities between the working classes and the mill owners. This sets the stage for the clash between John Thornton (Richard Armitage in a magnificent performance), owner of a cotton mill and Margaret, whose first impression of Thornton is of a cruel and insensitive man who treats his employees abysmally. Sparks soon fly between the two though it is Thornton who feels the initial strong attraction to Margaret. Margaret is too overcome by her first impressions to really feel much for Thornton, and her developing friendship with a young mill worker and her father, Nicholas (played by pre-Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle) further fractures the fragile relationship between Thornton and Margaret (Thornton becomes Richard's pupil, studying the classics and the two men form an affectionate friendship, despite Margaret's animosity towards Thornton). When Nicholas becomes a union leader, calling for a strike at all the cotton mills to fight for a raise and better working conditions, Thornton and Margaret clash even more. Richard Armitage's performance as the brooding, proud cotton mill owner John Thornton reminded me of both Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Edward Rochester of Jane Eyre (Signet Classics) . Armitage delivers a credible and magnetic performance and the natural chemistry between Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe makes for riveting viewing! I could not take my eyes off the screen, especially when these two were engaged in heated conversation. There's so many layers to this wonderfully-written production. There's romance, family tensions, class and gender issues, and many more. All of these are masterfully weaved into a production that not only looks beautiful (with a haunting score to boot) but also flows seamlessly. I watched all four episodes (Prime members get free streaming) in one sitting and plan to re-watch it again. There's much to savor here, and the love/hate relationship between Thornton and Margaret Hale anchors the story, making for a compelling and engaging viewing experience. This is truly a wonderful production and I am purchasing the DVD to add to my period drama collection.

Sceneggiato in 4 puntato tratto dall'omonimo romanzo di Elizabeth Gaskell. Secondo me è ancora meglio del libro! Il libro è molto bello, ma forse a volte è un po' troppo tecnico, si dilunga molto nelle spiegazioni industriali (per quanto molto interessanti). La serie ha riprodotto fedelmente le tematiche ma aggiungendo anche belle scene originali, cambiando qualcosina qui e lì per rendere la narrazione più avvincente, e soprattutto più romantica. La storia d'amore nel libro è infatti un po' in secondo piano, qui risalta maggiormente. Bellissima! Gli sceneggiati BBC sono sempre una garanzia ❤️

Super série, dans la veine des Jane Austen, je recommande le livre aussi pour les fans

Ha sido un placer ver esta serie en su idioma original y con subtítulos en inglés (sólo en inglés, no en otros idiomas). Me ha permitido constatar que la versión en castellano que ya conocía está desgraciadamente incompleta, tijereteada y amputada en su metraje original, aquí y allá, con supresión de escenas que en algunos casos rondan el minuto de duración. El resultado de esta rapiña inadmisible es que en cada uno de los cuatro episodios desaparecen en la versión castellana unos 5 minutos de media, lo que supone un total de 20 minutos recortados. Ya digo: inadmisible amputación en la versión castellana. Ahora, tras haber visto la versión completa, se entienden mejor algunas cosas que resultaban algo enigmáticas cuando contemplaba la versión castellana menoscabada. Como la de la flor que Thornton entrega a Margaret casi al final de la serie y que revela que ha estado en Helstone. En cuanto a los extras, incluyen las escenas total o parcialmente suprimidas en el montaje final y una entrevista con Richard Armitage, el protagonista masculino. Como siempre con los extras, se pueden pedir más cosas, pero éstas no están mal. La contrastada calidad de la BBC ha conseguido una excelente plasmación en imágenes de una de mis novelas favoritas. ¡Cómo no ponerle las 5 estrellas!