Norte y Sur

Elizabeth Gaskell may have invented the concept of the North/South divide in British society - some commentators think so. The adaptation of her novel makes it clear that although the North is viewed as a scary place for young Margaret Hale as she is forced to move there, she eventually falls in love with the working people she meets and with a mill owner, John Thornton, played movingly by Richard Armitage. I hope that people will find the social message of Gaskell's story relevant for today even though many viewers will be caught up in the central love story. The story deals with the infancy of the trade union movement and for those of us who had ancestors in the cotton industry, is very important in its portrayal of the dangerous working conditions. Reading the book is well worth the effort because it provides more insight in to the motivations of the characters and explains why they eventually grow to love each other. This is a very enjoyable TV drama and is worth repeating - hopefully the BBC will do so!

I hope there are high profile producers and directors who will seek out a DVD of North and South to see the outstanding performance of Richard Armitage. His charisma and talent are FAR, FAR BEYOND anything hyped up in Hollywood in recent years (he makes Jude Law, just to take one example, look like a grade school amateur).

This amazing performance should not be missed. I wish I had the means and knowledge to send copies of the DVD to all of the big independent producers, the studios, and directors.

This guy has "it" - talent, stature, intelligence, charisma. Anyone serious about acting should not miss Richard Armitage's performance.

Excellent rendition of Elizabeth Gaskells book.

The production is authentic - set in an impressive, historic working mill - with Edinburgh filling in for Manchester (Milton). The camera work is fluid and modern, and the story is told easily, not stilted, like some period dramas.

The acting is superb - the lead characters John and Hannah Thornton, Margaret Hale, and union man Nicholas Higgins are so natural that you forget that you are watching a movie, and get simply enthralled in their story. The supporting characters are also strong making this an unexpected gem of a movie.

Some of the dialog is taken directly from the book; some scenes are new but feel authentic. Overall I think that the story is very well told - the story of owner vs. worker in the industrial revolution - as well as an unexpected romance between social classes.

North and South took me completely by surprise when it was aired on BBC America. I was flipping through channels and thought I was going to be tuning into the American version based on the John Jakes novels. But Elizabeth Gaskell's work on which the film is based is far more than a mere period romance. This is social commentary and a love story, the struggle of workers and masters/managers as well as the misunderstanding of the intellectuals that forms a triangle in the film that is still alive today. The lead characters all take on a social conscience that grows with their love for each other to an understanding of the different worlds that lived together in this time of radical change. But the true success of the film lies in the actors abilities to show the true emotion and change that takes place around them and in them during the course of the tale. It is unfortunate that the BBCA chose to cut out so much of the film and hopefully the DVD will be available soon for US viewers to force others into watching. A true diamond being lost in the rough. Do yourselves a favor and sit back and enjoy the excellent acting and story, then sit back and watch it again and take note of all the layers of social history being shown. Or just to watch Richard Armitage ;), sooooo good!

North and South is my favorite book because I like the basic story and I really love the characters, and this feeling carried over to the series. Even though the BBC Wives and Daughters series was excellent and stuck more strictly to the book than North and South - I still enjoyed North and South more because of the reasons I love the book. I also thought the acting of the whole cast was as good as anything I have seen. North and South is often compared with Pride and Prejudice and while there is a good reason for that, I actually feel it has as much in common with a Dickens tale. The book was actually first published by Dickens in his weekly paper/magazine and was viewed favorably by him. If I was to try and describe the tone of the piece I would describe it as a cross between a slightly less complicated Dickens tale and Jane Austen. I never thought I would find a series I like better than Pride and Prejudice but I have. While it came to a resolved ending as most drama series do, whether tragic or happy, - there were several relationships in this that I wanted to follow further and I was wishing it would continue.