North and South - The Memorable TV DVD Review

Distributor: Warner
Certificate: Not Rated | Region 1 | NTSC

Available to buy
Extras: Yes

ANYONE IN IT WE KNOW?

Patrick Swayze, James Read, Lesley-Ann Down, Katie Alley, Robert Wagner, Kyle Chandler

WHAT’S IT ABOUT THEN?

A rip roaring mini-series saga of two American families (The Main's and the Hazards), one from the south and one from the north before, during and after The American Civil War.

SO IS IT ANY GOOD?

North and South was the 80's equivalent of the 1970's Roots, very popular and based on the doorstep novel by John Jakes North and South ran to three mini-series.

High profile in terms of cast the mini-series attracted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart and Gene Kelly to it and with a high quality feel to it North and South has aged surprisingly so.

With a budget of over $25 million (which back in the 80's of course was worth 4 times as much) no expense is spared with recreations of the lavish plantations of the time and gut wrenching war footage. At its heart North and South is a series of romances, chief of them being that of Orry Main's (Patrick Swayze) pursuit of the beautiful Madeline Fabray (Lesley-Ann Down), as well as being a look at the nature of friendship, Orry and his friend George Hazard (James Read) find themselves on different sides during the war but realise the meaninglessness of it all.

The third mini-series (subtitled Heaven and Hell) has a slightly different flavour to the first two serials, made 5 years later and featuring a slightly different cast it does however round off the story nicely.

ANY SPECIAL FEATURES?

Very interesting retrospective documentary examining the productions and featuring contributions from cast and crew is the chief extra.

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