I liked the old days when you could browse in a store and find DVDs you'd never heard of and discover treasures. Nowaways, you must order, so no discoveries are made. A few years ago I came across a BBC production of Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South" (2004). Set in the turmoil of the industrial revolution, with the culture in England changing quickly, we see a young girl, Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe), brought up in rural southern England, forced to move to the industrial north when her father uproots them to move to Milton. Margaret's immediate reaction is revulsion at the lack of culture, the sooty environment, the condition of the mills. Her father takes on a student of classics, John Thornton (Richard Armitage), the owner of Marlborough Mils. Gradually, Margaret's sympathies are engaged by the mill workers, their struggles and their kindnesses.
Margaret finds herself increasingly attracted to Thornton, despite his strange and vulgar family, and he is drawn to her intelligence and refinement. Their chemistry is powerful, and the plot and subplots are engaging and educational. Sinead Cusack as Thornton's mother is excellent, as is Tim Pigot-Smith as the worker torn by who to trust and his desperation to support and save his family, including his young daughter whom Margaret befriends. When Margaret comes into money, will she abandon her new friends and head for London or be pulled to a new and different life in a place she once scorned?
The series, at 233 minutes is well worth watching, and the class issues are fresh and riveting.
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