If Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen got together to write a book, I think it would come out something like this movie (I still need to read the book). Last night I watched North and South, a movie based on the book of the same name by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was presented as a four part tv series, so the movie was four hours long. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, even though it would have made an even better two hour movie.
It's based in the 1850's during the industrial revolution in northern England.
Like an Austen book: Our main characters judge each other harshly and it's not until the girl completely rejects the guy that she realizes that he's a nice guy after all. whoops.
Like a Hardy book: Things get steadily worse. Just when a glimmer of light comes, it gets worse. People are dying left and right. I counted at least five corpses.
Like an Austen book: Our girl meddles and has an opinion about everything. Somehow her meddling eventually brings out the best in those around her.
Like a Hardy book: The guy slowly watches his mill and everything around him crumble.
Unlike an Austen book: People worked.
Unlike a Hardy book: Things magically come together and there is a happy ending.
Conclusion: I liked it. I would have liked better character development and I didn't really understand why the guy initially liked the girl. Hopefully the book will tie up the loose ends. I'll still force some of my friends to watch it with me again.
Oh, I think I might have a celebrity crush, the main guy is pretty darn good looking.
4 comments:
Yeah, why does the guy like the girl? She's not accomplished. She can't even play the piano. It seems like I see that too much in movies. The girl will get mad at a guy for some little thing, but the guy always falls for the girl no matter how badly behaved she is (in this case, three guys fall for her). Maybe that's why it was so fulfilling to see Angela get dumped by both Dwight and Andy.
It's true. I finished the book. Mr. Thornton's love for her makes more sense in the book, but at times his longing for her gets painful. I got tired of it. Mr. Bell doesn't propose in the book (thank goodness), instead he dies. I loved the book though. You'll have to read it.
Sam really likes this movie, but I've never seen it. Someday...
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