--- product_id: 49602656 title: "North & South [DVD]" price: "€ 12.32" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.at/products/49602656-north-and-south-dvd store_origin: AT region: Austria --- # North & South [DVD] **Price:** € 12.32 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** North & South [DVD] - **How much does it cost?** € 12.32 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.at](https://www.desertcart.at/products/49602656-north-and-south-dvd) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description North & South is a splendid, four-hour adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 19th century novel about an unlikely, and somewhat star-crossed, love between a middle-class young woman from England's cultivated south and an intemperate if misunderstood industrialist in a northern city. Daniela Denby-Ashe plays Margaret Hale, forthright and strong-willed daughter of a former vicar (Tim Pigott-Smith) who relocates his family from a pastoral village outside London to unforgiving, largely illiterate Milton, a factory town where John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and his mother (Sinead Cusack), survivors of poverty, rule their cotton mill with an iron hand. Thornton befriends Margaret's father but incurs her wrath for his severity with his workers. What she doesn't notice is Thornton's core sense of responsibility for his employees' welfare. On the other hand, he misinterprets some of Margaret's own actions and intentions. Equally stubborn, the two drag out their obvious attraction over many painful months and events. North & South 's two leads are both very good, though Armitage's brooding, penetrating performance may very well be considered a classic one day. There are other wonders in the cast: Cusack and Pigott-Smith are superb, and Brendan Coyle is memorable as a firebrand union organizer who ultimately becomes an ally to a softening Thornton. The miniseries script by Sandy Welch is a persuasive mix of historical context and character study. Brian Percival's direction is full of moments that linger in the imagination, such as the winter-dream look of a busy cotton mill, with thousands of snowy fibers floating in the air. --Tom Keogh, desertcart.com North and South is a powerful adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's feisty and passionate British novel, set across the social divides in the changing world of Victorian industrial society. Margaret Hale is one of literature's most original heroines: a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and wilfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton... DVD Extras: Specially recorded interview with Richard Armitage, Commentary on Episodes 1 & 4 with Kate Bartlett, Brian Percival and Sandy Welch, Deleted Scenes & Production Notes Review: Simply captivating and Armitage's acting is fantastic!! - Like some of the reviewers on desertcart, I didn't see the film on TV because French TV seldom broadcast British films like Pride and Prejudice and North&South. But luckily for me, I have a strong liking for everything that is English (cinema, literature, theatre and music) and I am always deeply interested in what British TV can produce. I've seen the BBC Pride and Prejudice many times (I've also read the book) I like it -even though my preference goes to the new 2005 movie (sorry, can't help it)- and I am even familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's work (I've read Mary Barton and I've started reading North&South). So, on reading the positive reviews on desertcart and on the BBC website, I decided to buy it, although I knew little about the whole story. My God, I never imagined that this BBC film could be so good! I can't even describe how I felt when I first watched the first episode except that I became completely hooked and I couldn't stop watching until I knew how it ended. And what an end!!! Wow! Now I can only say that it has even eclipsed the BBC P&P film in my heart. It is more romantic anyway! Everything is perfect, the cast, the setting, the photography (the image of cotton flakes in the mill), the dialogues, the music, the social background. The background definitely adds another interesting layer to the film because you can see both sides, the mill owners' and the workers' and you can see them working. All the characters are marvellous and so likeable. They really make a difference for me because they are down-to-earth, they have depth and there is always a certain dignity about them. We can thank Elizabeth Gaskell for creating such wonderful characters, yet they wouldn't make such an impression in the film if the actors weren't so great. They really got into their parts. Sinead Cusack is a magnificent Mrs Thornton, you may have the impression that this iron lady always controls her emotions but you just look through her and realize that she is not as cold or hard as she seems, especially when you take full measure of the depth of her love for her son. What a great mother she is! And what about Brandon Coyle/ Higgins, I mean, I've just talked about the dignity of the characters, here is a fine example, you just have to look at the face of this union leader to know that he is at heart a good man, even though he is a bit ruthless sometimes. Even jobless or heartbroken, he remains dignified and calls for respect. Jo Joyner as Thornton's sister is a delight, probably the only source of comic relief in the story. And of course, the film wouldn't be so brilliant if there wasn't Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage in the parts of Margaret and Mr Thornton. Daniela portrays both the vulnerability and the strength of the heroine very well. As for Thornton, oh, God, What a man! I fell in love with this fascinating character. Of course, Richard Armitage is already so charismatic that you can't take your eyes off him. But the actor is especially fantastic because he makes the character so alive on screen. He is Thornton! I can't believe I am saying that but `forget Darcy, Thornton is so much better'. I mean the man is so dedicated to his work, -and contrary to Darcy, he has known poverty and he has had to fight back-that I can't help being impressed. Out of nothing but using his wits, he has been able to run a fine business and when we first meet him, he is a well-off and powerful mill owner. His position in society makes him arrogant and brutal, yet, he remains fair with his workers and, thanks to Margaret, becomes more aware of the living conditions of the working class. So here you have strength, intelligence and integrity in one man; and, at the same time, his love for Margaret makes him completely vulnerable. Oh, the way he looks at her! (sigh) It is incredible what the two actors can produce on screen. In the proposal scene, the interaction between them is really intense. There is so much passion on their faces and in the way they respond to each other that it is breathtaking. I was really shaking inside. (I always feel a bit frustrated by the BBC P&P, although the actors are excellent, because the film sticks too much to the book. And I wish that we could see more touching of hands or more signs of passion between Firth and Ehle. Thankfully, here, the film, North &South, is not completely faithful to the book especially concerning the dialogues and so they have more impact in the film. The ending scene, in particular is so beautiful that it always brings tears to my eyes. Is it due to R. Armitage's magnetism on screen or to the tenderness that is palpable between them when they talk or when they look at each other or to the way they touch each other's hands with the sweet music behind? I can't tell. All I can tell is that Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale have become as dear to me as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet! Enjoy! This is a jewel! Review: Excellent - I had been given this box set for Christmas but hadn't had the chance to watch it until a few days ago. I'm not a massive fan of love stories so I put this on with a degree of trepidation, expecting it to be four hours of "I love you" and soppy glances. While there is a romantic undertone to this, it's actually done in a very subtle way which makes this all the more watchable. Enough people have given an indication of the plot so I don't want to go over old ground in that regard. North & South is a very interesting social commentary as well as a love story. It very subtly illustrates the hypocracy of the workers who feel demeaned and shunned by the 'masters', whereas they treat one of their own in a very similar fashion. They complain about the social heirarchy that exists when they are oblivious that they themselves have their own social heirarchy and have ways of dealing with those who don't adhere to the expected behaviour. Margaret Hale is deemed to be haughty, rude, snobbish and patronising towards the northeners, when the northerners demonstrate those same features to her. Margaret may not fit in with the social convention of an industrial town, but she can shift between a natural friendship with the workers and a marginally tolerant, if nothing else initially, relationship with Thornton and his mother. There are no clear good or bad characters in this production, contrary to how they first appear and it's refreshing to see that almost every character has their good and bad side, Margaret also shows she's not entirely clean cut mid way thourgh the series, albeit with good intentions. It's also interesting to see how the concept of the strike was dealt with. Much of this plot centres on the character of John Thornton. While Thornton appears initially to be a brutal, uncaring man we are gradually shown that this is not the case. His character makes no apologies for the tough way he runs his mill however the character is given the opportunity to say "yes, I beat a man in front of you for what you think is a small matter, but here is the reality...". Thornton's character in many ways is the least selfish in this show. He's certainly the most compassionate (if that's a word you could apply to him, he's a complex character) of the masters and his actions, while harsh, serve to protect his workers from unemployment and to look after his family (his mother in particular). The acting is brilliant and I can't say there was a weak link in any of them. While this has given Richard Armitage more than a big stepping stone in his career (easy to see why the females of UK give a collective swoon when he appears on screen in anything now!) much less has been seen from the other characters. I think it's perhaps because Armitage does steal every scene he's in but that's not to say his co-actors don't step up to the mark. Daniela Denby-Ashe is nicely cast as Margaret Hale. I'm not sure how Ms. Denby-Ashe managed to keep a stern "I really don't like you" look at Armitage's character when he's staring at her or trying to befriend her; it's certainly not a look I could maintain for long! She's a likable lead however and pulls Margaret Hale off with seeming ease. I feel a special mention should be given to Jo Joyner as the (very unexpected) comedy foil in this production. Yes, a BBC period drama doing comedy. Joyner plays John's sister Fanny. She's not the most tactful woman on the planet, but it still extremely likeable. Her facial expressions, comments, litte subtle gestures made me smile every time she was on screen. Without some of the physical acting, I'm not sure Fanny would have been such a funny character but I'm glad they decided to give her some depth. All too often period dramas can be overly stiff and formal. Joyner's character gave a nice refreshing edge to this brilliant drama. Finally, a must mention is the setting. While it's fairly obvious that this was filmed primarily in Edinburgh (and how I love my city, so to see it used for this production was wonderful) the recreation of the mills were also beautifully done. To see Thornton walking through the mill, with the fluff everywhere and his workers all silently operating the machinery while the children collect the fluff of the floors, was striking. I had visited New Lanark Mill town several years ago and to see on TV what the mill must have looked like is something else (well worth a visit if you're now interested in this industry/era!). Please give this a go. Gentlemen, even if you're not into 'lovey-dovey' stuff this is still a must watch. My husband has no interest in romances and is only very slightly tolerant of my Richard Armitage crush, but he's watched this and found it fantastic. I think he liked the notion of the struggle to provide for a family both in the worker environment and the masters' environment. He's also interested in trade union and how collctive labour power can draw industry to a halt so please don't disregard this as just a love story. That's a part of it, but it's very subtly done. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Contributor | Brendan Coyle, Brian Percival, Daniela Denby-Ashe, Ian McHale, Jane Booker, Lesley Manville, Pauline Quirke, Richard Armitage, Rupert Evans, Sinead Cusack, Tim Pigott-Smith Contributor Brendan Coyle, Brian Percival, Daniela Denby-Ashe, Ian McHale, Jane Booker, Lesley Manville, Pauline Quirke, Richard Armitage, Rupert Evans, Sinead Cusack, Tim Pigott-Smith See more | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,737 Reviews | | Format | Colour, Digital Sound, Dolby, PAL, Subtitled | | Genre | Drama | | Language | English | | Manufacturer | 2Entertain Video | | Number of discs | 2 | | Publication date | 11 April 2005 | | Runtime | 3 hours and 53 minutes | ## Product Details - **Format:** Colour, Digital Sound, Dolby, PAL, Subtitled - **Genre:** Drama - **Language:** English - **Number of discs:** 2 ## Images ![North & South [DVD] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jNFdiI+mL.jpg) ![North & South [DVD] - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81iwTymroML.jpg) ![North & South [DVD] - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-ZsvICg8L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simply captivating and Armitage's acting is fantastic!! *by A***E on 27 August 2006* Like some of the reviewers on Amazon, I didn't see the film on TV because French TV seldom broadcast British films like Pride and Prejudice and North&South. But luckily for me, I have a strong liking for everything that is English (cinema, literature, theatre and music) and I am always deeply interested in what British TV can produce. I've seen the BBC Pride and Prejudice many times (I've also read the book) I like it -even though my preference goes to the new 2005 movie (sorry, can't help it)- and I am even familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's work (I've read Mary Barton and I've started reading North&South). So, on reading the positive reviews on Amazon and on the BBC website, I decided to buy it, although I knew little about the whole story. My God, I never imagined that this BBC film could be so good! I can't even describe how I felt when I first watched the first episode except that I became completely hooked and I couldn't stop watching until I knew how it ended. And what an end!!! Wow! Now I can only say that it has even eclipsed the BBC P&P film in my heart. It is more romantic anyway! Everything is perfect, the cast, the setting, the photography (the image of cotton flakes in the mill), the dialogues, the music, the social background. The background definitely adds another interesting layer to the film because you can see both sides, the mill owners' and the workers' and you can see them working. All the characters are marvellous and so likeable. They really make a difference for me because they are down-to-earth, they have depth and there is always a certain dignity about them. We can thank Elizabeth Gaskell for creating such wonderful characters, yet they wouldn't make such an impression in the film if the actors weren't so great. They really got into their parts. Sinead Cusack is a magnificent Mrs Thornton, you may have the impression that this iron lady always controls her emotions but you just look through her and realize that she is not as cold or hard as she seems, especially when you take full measure of the depth of her love for her son. What a great mother she is! And what about Brandon Coyle/ Higgins, I mean, I've just talked about the dignity of the characters, here is a fine example, you just have to look at the face of this union leader to know that he is at heart a good man, even though he is a bit ruthless sometimes. Even jobless or heartbroken, he remains dignified and calls for respect. Jo Joyner as Thornton's sister is a delight, probably the only source of comic relief in the story. And of course, the film wouldn't be so brilliant if there wasn't Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage in the parts of Margaret and Mr Thornton. Daniela portrays both the vulnerability and the strength of the heroine very well. As for Thornton, oh, God, What a man! I fell in love with this fascinating character. Of course, Richard Armitage is already so charismatic that you can't take your eyes off him. But the actor is especially fantastic because he makes the character so alive on screen. He is Thornton! I can't believe I am saying that but `forget Darcy, Thornton is so much better'. I mean the man is so dedicated to his work, -and contrary to Darcy, he has known poverty and he has had to fight back-that I can't help being impressed. Out of nothing but using his wits, he has been able to run a fine business and when we first meet him, he is a well-off and powerful mill owner. His position in society makes him arrogant and brutal, yet, he remains fair with his workers and, thanks to Margaret, becomes more aware of the living conditions of the working class. So here you have strength, intelligence and integrity in one man; and, at the same time, his love for Margaret makes him completely vulnerable. Oh, the way he looks at her! (sigh) It is incredible what the two actors can produce on screen. In the proposal scene, the interaction between them is really intense. There is so much passion on their faces and in the way they respond to each other that it is breathtaking. I was really shaking inside. (I always feel a bit frustrated by the BBC P&P, although the actors are excellent, because the film sticks too much to the book. And I wish that we could see more touching of hands or more signs of passion between Firth and Ehle. Thankfully, here, the film, North &South, is not completely faithful to the book especially concerning the dialogues and so they have more impact in the film. The ending scene, in particular is so beautiful that it always brings tears to my eyes. Is it due to R. Armitage's magnetism on screen or to the tenderness that is palpable between them when they talk or when they look at each other or to the way they touch each other's hands with the sweet music behind? I can't tell. All I can tell is that Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale have become as dear to me as Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet! Enjoy! This is a jewel! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent *by R***R on 1 May 2012* I had been given this box set for Christmas but hadn't had the chance to watch it until a few days ago. I'm not a massive fan of love stories so I put this on with a degree of trepidation, expecting it to be four hours of "I love you" and soppy glances. While there is a romantic undertone to this, it's actually done in a very subtle way which makes this all the more watchable. Enough people have given an indication of the plot so I don't want to go over old ground in that regard. North & South is a very interesting social commentary as well as a love story. It very subtly illustrates the hypocracy of the workers who feel demeaned and shunned by the 'masters', whereas they treat one of their own in a very similar fashion. They complain about the social heirarchy that exists when they are oblivious that they themselves have their own social heirarchy and have ways of dealing with those who don't adhere to the expected behaviour. Margaret Hale is deemed to be haughty, rude, snobbish and patronising towards the northeners, when the northerners demonstrate those same features to her. Margaret may not fit in with the social convention of an industrial town, but she can shift between a natural friendship with the workers and a marginally tolerant, if nothing else initially, relationship with Thornton and his mother. There are no clear good or bad characters in this production, contrary to how they first appear and it's refreshing to see that almost every character has their good and bad side, Margaret also shows she's not entirely clean cut mid way thourgh the series, albeit with good intentions. It's also interesting to see how the concept of the strike was dealt with. Much of this plot centres on the character of John Thornton. While Thornton appears initially to be a brutal, uncaring man we are gradually shown that this is not the case. His character makes no apologies for the tough way he runs his mill however the character is given the opportunity to say "yes, I beat a man in front of you for what you think is a small matter, but here is the reality...". Thornton's character in many ways is the least selfish in this show. He's certainly the most compassionate (if that's a word you could apply to him, he's a complex character) of the masters and his actions, while harsh, serve to protect his workers from unemployment and to look after his family (his mother in particular). The acting is brilliant and I can't say there was a weak link in any of them. While this has given Richard Armitage more than a big stepping stone in his career (easy to see why the females of UK give a collective swoon when he appears on screen in anything now!) much less has been seen from the other characters. I think it's perhaps because Armitage does steal every scene he's in but that's not to say his co-actors don't step up to the mark. Daniela Denby-Ashe is nicely cast as Margaret Hale. I'm not sure how Ms. Denby-Ashe managed to keep a stern "I really don't like you" look at Armitage's character when he's staring at her or trying to befriend her; it's certainly not a look I could maintain for long! She's a likable lead however and pulls Margaret Hale off with seeming ease. I feel a special mention should be given to Jo Joyner as the (very unexpected) comedy foil in this production. Yes, a BBC period drama doing comedy. Joyner plays John's sister Fanny. She's not the most tactful woman on the planet, but it still extremely likeable. Her facial expressions, comments, litte subtle gestures made me smile every time she was on screen. Without some of the physical acting, I'm not sure Fanny would have been such a funny character but I'm glad they decided to give her some depth. All too often period dramas can be overly stiff and formal. Joyner's character gave a nice refreshing edge to this brilliant drama. Finally, a must mention is the setting. While it's fairly obvious that this was filmed primarily in Edinburgh (and how I love my city, so to see it used for this production was wonderful) the recreation of the mills were also beautifully done. To see Thornton walking through the mill, with the fluff everywhere and his workers all silently operating the machinery while the children collect the fluff of the floors, was striking. I had visited New Lanark Mill town several years ago and to see on TV what the mill must have looked like is something else (well worth a visit if you're now interested in this industry/era!). Please give this a go. Gentlemen, even if you're not into 'lovey-dovey' stuff this is still a must watch. My husband has no interest in romances and is only very slightly tolerant of my Richard Armitage crush, but he's watched this and found it fantastic. I think he liked the notion of the struggle to provide for a family both in the worker environment and the masters' environment. He's also interested in trade union and how collctive labour power can draw industry to a halt so please don't disregard this as just a love story. That's a part of it, but it's very subtly done. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent series. *by F***A on 25 July 2026* I love this story of the relationship between Margaret Hale and John Thornton as much as Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Gaskell has written a classic to rival Pride and Prejudice. This movie adaptation is brilliant. I would definitely recommend it. ## Frequently Bought Together - North & South [DVD] - Wives and Daughters (Repackaged) [DVD] - Middlemarch (Repackaged) [DVD] [1994] --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.at/products/49602656-north-and-south-dvd](https://www.desertcart.at/products/49602656-north-and-south-dvd) --- *Product available on Desertcart Austria* *Store origin: AT* *Last updated: 2026-10-05*