Nord et sud III

Where was cooper Main in the first two parts? Didn't Stanley and Isabel go to jail at the end of part 2? Why are they back as if nothing happened? Did Bent not get blown up in part 2? He looks good for a dead man. This is one of the worst follow-ups in history. Instead of following the concept that the first two mini-series follows, it decides to follow the book by John Jakes. It does do a pretty good job at following the book that it is based on, but unless you have read the books, you would be lost. A note to Hollywood: Do not make a movie that does not follow the book, than decide to make a sequel to it that does. It makes no sense as does this mess of a mini-series.

Although this movie follows the book more closely, with a few exceptions (Bent miraculously surviving everything, Cooper Main appearing out of nowhere), it is not as bad as everyone states.

The production values and editing of certain scenes could have been up to par with the first two books. Not to mention that Patrick Swayze declined to reprise his role of Orry Main, which is probably why the producers decided he will be killed in this one. Also, I think that the storyline involving Ashton scheming to take Mont Royal for herself could have been expanded.

As for the other characters, I liked the original Charles Main (played by Lewis Smith), although Kyle Chandler delivered a satisfactory performance. And, to agree with everyone else, the appearance of Cooper Main makes no sense, especially since there is no mention of Cooper in the first two movies.

If the movie were twelve hours long like the previous ones, then more explanation for certain things would have made the movie a better piece.

6/10

In 1985 ABC TV debuted a tv mini series that garnered everyone's attention from all races creeds and colors. North and South made Patrick Swayze an overnight success as a leading male star. James Read was already a tv star wth NBC TV's Remington Steele. This mini series is the first in three mini series based on John Jakes's civil war novels. North and South ran one whole week as did the sequel North and South Book II, Love and War. Book III Heaven and Hell ran only 3 nights and was not that big a deal as the first two books in the series. It was as if though ABC TV wanted to wrap up all loose ends that went undone with the first two series. Time Warner Home Video has declined to transfer all 3 mini series to DVD format. It is always the same sorry excuse each and every time. There are currently no plans at this time to release this series on to DVD.

I've only just started watching the first episode of book three after going through a marathon of watching two episodes a night of books one and two. Didn't know there was a third until I got the DVD. Have read the book, but it was a while ago.

Inconsistencies avail in this series. Orry Jr. never seems to age. I noticed this at the end of book two. Orry tells George at the hospital he hasn't seen Madeline in two years. We he reunites with her, the baby looks like he's six months if that. He should be almost two years old!! In book three the time line is fuzzy at best. How soon after the war does the setting take place? Orry Jr. is still not that much older, but Gus, Charles' son, is five years old!! He was born after Orry Jr. who looks like he's maybe a year old.

George mentions kids, as in more than one, but no mention made at the end of book two that he has more than one.

Why would Madeline want to build a house in Mont Royal's front yard, when the slave quarters were not destroyed? I thought she was interested in rebuilding Mont Royal, yet she takes the time to build a school for freed slaves. Doesn't she have Justin's house she could sell or live in, or if that was burned down, the property could be sold to help refinance Mont Royal.

If Charles hated the war so much, why wouldn't he stay behind, raise his son, and help rebuild Mont Royal with Madeline.

Why bother replacing Ezra and Simi with Jane and Issac? Why not bring back the two freed slaves that stayed with them to the end of book 2? And the opening scene with the footage of Patrick Swayze making his way across to the front door. That is obviously Mont Royal, because when Madeline is meeting with Ashton at the friend's house in Charleston, from which the double for Patrick exits, the set up and lighting are way different inside.

Though I am a big fan of the first two, I would only recommend watching the third one out of curiosity. It doesn't have nearly the same quality all around. Thank God it was only three episodes instead of six.

Just like so many people before me I also am disappointed by the third part of North and South. In part the problem is that too many changes from the original story in books 1 and 2 had been made in the mini series. Therefore a lot of things didn't quite work out. In John Jakes' novels, Orry Main died in "Love and War", having been shot in the head by Elkanah Bent. So he wouldn't have been there anyway. But the biggest problem was the omission of Cooper Main in the first 2 mini series. For those who didn't know the book his sudden appearance must have been quite puzzling. Also, in the mini series part II Virgilia Hazard is executed, but not in the second novel. She shows up in the third novel! As to the murders mentioned in other comments, there are quite a few in the novel. And what I also don't like about part III is that so many actors were replaced. Was that necessary?