Based on a crusade I read about in mid January on Ramblings on Romance I ordered and watched the DVD set North & South starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. This is a 2 DVD disk set in four parts–almost four hours total.
Richard Armitage is the charismatic mill owner John Thornton in the northern England mill town of Milton. Margaret Hale is daughter of a minister from the south who moves to Milton with her parents. She must learn to fit into a life very different from what she knew in the south of England. Life in the north is dirty and gritty. The biggest change for Margaret is the presence of the mills and the workers. She discovers the plight of the workers along with their pride and unwillingness to take charity. She gradually makes friends among the workers, but dislikes the mill owners–especially John Thornton.
I finished watching this yesterday and am ready to watch it all over again! I don’t normally like to watch movies again–especially just a day later! This BBC production is based on a book by Elizabeth Gaskell first written as a serial in 1855. I haven’t read the book, but this adaptation is so well done. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I even think my father would enjoy watching it. He was a sawmill worker and union man–he would enjoy that aspect of the story. I remember several strikes he was in when I was a child so unions also interest me. However, I must admit the love story was wonderful! I encourage everyone to watch this.
Is this BBC production similar to the Jane Austin series which is showing on PBS on Sunday evenings? Would someone who likes the Jane Austin productions like North and South?
It is similar to Jane Austen in the sense that they are both British period pieces. I think someone who likes Jane Austen would like North and South and vice versa.
[...] in the north and the gentile society in the south and between the mill owners and labor union). I reviewed the North and South miniseries in [...]