Somebody Bring Me Some Water!

Hoo-boy! Tonight I finished watching BBC's production of Elizabeth Gaskell's book North and South. It's the story of the Hale family who move from the south of England to Milton in the north, after Mr. Hale steps down from his position as a vicar due to differences with the church. The Hales find Milton vastly different from anything they've experienced. In looking for a residence, Margaret witnesses a worker at a local mill being beaten by the master of the mill, John Thornton. An ongoing series of misunderstandings between Margaret and John as they navigate the difficulties that an impending strike at the mill, Margaret's relationship with striking workers at the mill, and Margaret's mother's illness produce tension throughout the movie.

The movie is, as with all BBC productions, sumptuously shot. When Margaret is in the south, everything is bright and colorful. Milton is shot with a blue/gray filter and it seems dreary and sad from almost the beginning. But as Margaret and John begin to circle closer and closer to each other, little moments of brightness incur on the scenes. A walk through the park brings a passing shot of colorful flowers, or daylight glistening on the rooftops of Milton, which seemed so dark and dreary before.

The story evolves slowly with Margaret and John seeming to work at cross purposes often. They certainly experience what the romance community calls "The Big Misunderstanding" although it's not so much ONE misunderstanding as many small ones. As a viewer, I found myself wanting to close them in a room and make them talk to each other. Because here's the thing, both are characters of strong moral direction and pride. And they're good people -- you find yourself rooting for both of them throughout the story. Margaret is trying hard to keep the household running as her mother's health fails. John feels great responsibility towards both his family and those in his employ. We see their motivation throughout the story.

Both of the leads in the production are superb. Daniela Denby-Ashe is lovely and understated as Margaret Hale. She has many quiet moments throughout the production, where we can see her struggle to adapt and make her way, despite several obvious social blunders.

And Richard Armitage...what can we say about him? In the beginning of the movie, I couldn't really understand what the big deal was, but as I came to understand the honor of his character, and his strong moral code, he became more and more handsome to me. When he first proposes to Margaret, the scene was utterly agonizing. Both of them needed someone to whistle "time out" as they hurl insults at each other, and make them just sit down and talk. So when the final scene comes, I was yearning for them to be together. But it is Armitage's humanity I think that makes John Thornton such a compelling character. His eyes are so expressive, and we can see him struggle with his pride, social constrictions and also his growing affection for Margaret.

It is truly a lovely story set against a stark and moving backdrop. I'd wholeheartedly recommend North and South both as a wonderful period piece, but also as a terrific romance that will make your heart melt.

Many, many thanks to Dev, Stacy, Katiebabs and Kristie for talking the film up. I'm definitely a convert now!