North & South

North & South (2004) is a beautiful BBC production that details the differences between the genteel and indolent gentry of Southern England and the brisk and often harsh working class of the North. This series is adapted from Elizabeth's Gaskell's novel, the version of Pride and Prejudice where people actually have jobs.

The machinery that makes this production work is the economic backbone of the story. The hero is John Thornton (played with brooding perfection by Richard Armitage), the owner of a cotton mill in the industrial town of Milton. A practical and rather severe man, he clashes terribly in the first two hours with Margaret Hale (Daniela Denby-Ashe), a vivacious young woman from the South who is often offended by Thornton's 'crude' Milton ways. Their romance is unfortunately soured by Thornton's mother (a superb Sinead Cusack), a matriarch who is even more rigid and forbidding than her son, and his absolute tart of a sister, Fanny (Jo Joyner).

Thornton and Margaret's love story unfolds not only in their interactions with each other, but also by the other's actions and perceived prejudices towards the working class. Rarely do we get to see so such richness in a relationship where actual substance beyond courtship is involved. Not only does Margaret see Thornton's job as the mill owner as an integral part of him, but Thornton also admires Margaret in her capacity as an advocate for the workers. To see a relationship based so deeply on mutual respect for each other and their vocations is amazing, especially in the nineteenth century.

Economics is something that the movie does extremely well. We can sympathize with the owners as well as the common workers and feel mutual respect for both parties (something that is sorely lacking for GM and UAW). Moreover, we see the evolution of Thornton as Margaret's influence forces him to see the workers' viewpoint as well as Margaret growing to find a deeper understanding of Thornton's character as well as her own. The love story careens back and forth as Thornton and Margaret dish out plenty of uncoordinated love and disgust. Armitage's smoldering and severe Thornton is so supremely hot that he blows MacFadyen and Firth's Darcys completely off the radar, and the rest of the crew is lively and a pleasure to watch in this much better version of Jane Austen.