North and South

This week I had the itching to watch North and South again (it's my third time). I love this movie so much and I hope to read the book one day because we all know books are always usually better than their movie counterpart.

So why do I love North and South?

Um, DUH.
 
 
Okay, why do I love North and South ASIDE from Richard Armitage?
 
The time period. It's no secret that I love almost anything historical. When I first watched North and South, I remember googling it because I had to know exactly what time in history it takes place (I had a pretty good guess based on the clothes).
 

Margaret Hale wears this fantabulous green dress at the end of the movie but I couldn't find a decent picture of it. Boo.
 
I love to compare what happens in this novel/movie to what else was going on in the world at the time. North and South was written (or maybe published?) in 1855 and takes place in a fictitious town in England (not to be confused with the miniseries North and South about the American civil war). It's about a family who moves from the idyllic countryside of Helston to the industrial town of Milton where the booming trade is cotton. It deals with rich and poor and the difference between the classes, the relationships between employers and workers, religion, and of course my favorite- ROMANCE. 
 
But this isn't your normal romance. It can be compared to Pride and Prejudice in how Darcy and Elizabeth completely misunderstand each other until they come to know what makes the other person tick. The relationship between Mr. Thornton and Margaret Hale is very similar, except it's surrounded by a backdrop of a smoky town, a dangerous strike, and scandals galore. (Okay, maybe not galore, but there are a few.) 
 
There are so many standout scenes in this movie, but a big fave of mine is when Mr. Thornton is at the window and says, "Look back, look back at me." *swoons, then dies*
 
I seriously just spent the last hour watching fan videos and it was very hard to pick, but I finally decided on this fan-made trailer, mostly because it contained the least amount of spoilers but still a few of the good parts.