Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

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.