North and South(BBC)

I just finished(well, an hour or so ago, but a shower and youtube search were required)  the BBC mini.  Within the first twenty minutes, it was easy to see why so much of my flist is nuts about it, and about Richard Armitage(ok, the picspams were also a good indicator, but he's exceptionally charismatic in addition to being good looking)  In fact, I think I first heard of this mini when someone on the flist had "convince the world that North and South is the best thing ever" on a to do list, though it was this post by winterspelthat got me interested(specifically, the part about Thornton and Higgins intrigued me)  BTW, the post also has links to a bunch of other N&S posts.

(If this post seems haphazard, I apologize, trying to finish it before bed because I plan to head out by 10:30-11 tomorrow and won't be back until after midnight.  Otherwise, I'd save it to do before work tomorrow)

The very short version is that N&S is about Margaret Hale, a clergyman's daughter who grew up in the very open rural southern England, only to have her father uproot the family(he disagrees with his superior...thinks he's getting above himself or somesuch) and moves the family to the industrial north where they live in Milton, a town where cotton mills are the chief source of prosperity and employment is the local cotton mills.  There, she clashes in every way possible-ideologically, class, perceptions of propriety and responsibility, etc.-with John Thornton, a self-made man who clawed his way up from the bottom of the barrel to become the owner of a prosperous cotton mill.  He runs his mill strictly, but(especially considering what many mills and factories of the time were like) fairly, though it doesn't seem that way to Margaret.  Think of Pride & Prejudice, only grittier and with a lot more obstables to overcome.

On first viewing(subsequent viewing may change my opinion, but I doubt it) it's almost flawless, both in execution and in it's history, but, as great as the final scene was cinematically, a public display of affection on that level(especially given the reserve throughout the rest of the mini) is a major historical anachronism.  But I can forgive one flaw.

Before I get to the cut, one thing that stood out to me throughout is the contrast between scenes in Milton and scenes anywhere else...scenes in Milton often had muted, understated colors and conematography...often, the most visually catching part of a scene is the constrast between the snowlike white fluffs of cotton against the dark grey of the buildings, and many scenes and perspectives are mazde to seem smal and closed in.  In contrast, scene set elsewhere are exceptionally bright and colorful, and no matter where the characters are, the setting is made to look large and open...as compared to the scenes in Milton, they acquire and almost fairytale-like, unreal quality, a feeling Margaret seems to share somewhat by the end.

There are several youtube videos of scenes from the mini under the cut, though one of the 2 I wanted the most I couldn't find, sadly.

( babble and clips )

North and South(BBC)

I just finished(well, an hour or so ago, but a shower and youtube search were required)  the BBC mini.  Within the first twenty minutes, it was easy to see why so much of my flist is nuts about it, and about Richard Armitage(ok, the picspams were also a good indicator, but he's exceptionally charismatic in addition to being good looking)  In fact, I think I first heard of this mini when someone on the flist had "convince the world that North and South is the best thing ever" on a to do list, though it was this post by winterspelthat got me interested(specifically, the part about Thornton and Higgins intrigued me)  BTW, the post also has links to a bunch of other N&S posts.

(If this post seems haphazard, I apologize, trying to finish it before bed because I plan to head out by 10:30-11 tomorrow and won't be back until after midnight.  Otherwise, I'd save it to do before work tomorrow)

The very short version is that N&S is about Margaret Hale, a clergyman's daughter who grew up in the very open rural southern England, only to have her father uproot the family(he disagrees with his superior...thinks he's getting above himself or somesuch) and moves the family to the industrial north where they live in Milton, a town where cotton mills are the chief source of prosperity and employment is the local cotton mills.  There, she clashes in every way possible-ideologically, class, perceptions of propriety and responsibility, etc.-with John Thornton, a self-made man who clawed his way up from the bottom of the barrel to become the owner of a prosperous cotton mill.  He runs his mill strictly, but(especially considering what many mills and factories of the time were like) fairly, though it doesn't seem that way to Margaret.  Think of Pride & Prejudice, only grittier and with a lot more obstables to overcome.

On first viewing(subsequent viewing may change my opinion, but I doubt it) it's almost flawless, both in execution and in it's history, but, as great as the final scene was cinematically, a public display of affection on that level(especially given the reserve throughout the rest of the mini) is a major historical anachronism.  But I can forgive one flaw.

Before I get to the cut, one thing that stood out to me throughout is the contrast between scenes in Milton and scenes anywhere else...scenes in Milton often had muted, understated colors and conematography...often, the most visually catching part of a scene is the constrast between the snowlike white fluffs of cotton against the dark grey of the buildings, and many scenes and perspectives are mazde to seem smal and closed in.  In contrast, scene set elsewhere are exceptionally bright and colorful, and no matter where the characters are, the setting is made to look large and open...as compared to the scenes in Milton, they acquire and almost fairytale-like, unreal quality, a feeling Margaret seems to share somewhat by the end.

There are several youtube videos of scenes from the mini under the cut, though one of the 2 I wanted the most I couldn't find, sadly.

( babble and clips )