North and South, Book I (1985)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Awesome Movie

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

As a little girl growing up in Charleston, I can remember all of the fuss during the filming of North and South. It not only lived up to the hype but exceeded it. It is still just as enjoyable to watch 30 plus years later and I can now enjoy it all over again with my children. This is a love story between George and Orry, two best friends who meet at West Point and eventually have to fight for their beliefs opposite each other in the Civil War. It follows their lives and the lives of their families as the world changing war takes place. The acting was excellent, the wardrobe was stunning, and you feel like you are living through this plot. For all of my fellow Patrick Swayze fans, in my opinion this showcases him at his finest. This movie does an excellent job of showing the struggles of both the north and the south without showing favoritism to either. It was a beautiful story showing the horror of slavery but also showing that not all southerners agreed with that of life. You felt deeply for all those involved (well, other than Bent, Justin, and Ashton). Do yourself a favor and watch this right now if you haven't already seen it! You'll be so glad that you did! With that said, I like to pretend that the last book/movie does not exist. I much prefer the ending of the original 1985 series.

The sweeping, epic, love/war story brings the events of the Civil War to life by telling the story of the war through the perspective of two families, one from the North and the other from the South. It highlights key features of both northern and southern society while developing intricacies of the time that we might not have considered. I do fast forward through scenes of cruelty to slaves and war battles, but those are inherent to the time frame and crucial to understanding the difficulties certain groups faced. My family recently visited the Boone Plantation in Charleston (Mont Royal) and the Avenue of Oaks is as beautiful in person as the movie portrayed when the men came home from war.

Her views on the slavery were right and undebatable. Although, until to the one period of her life, which made a less radical woman out of her - she was very loud and vulgar worker against slavery. She was a very proud woman who never talked or listened her protester - just for the cause. She has never discussed with them with any respect. Even, if it was a friend of the family or even a person who she loved. And I do not claim that she could talk with her family however, but I think she could treat her protesters with a little more respect, because it could be much better for the cause, for which she fought. Besides, she claimed that the war is a fine way and there is no other and blood must run. That was the sign that the life of another people wasn't so much valuable for her. And that is not a scale of sensibility I prefer , especially in such matters as making decisions about human life or death. She didn't realize how war can be frightening and horrible. But the worst is that she didn't even want to know that. She had her own rules and rights, that was great for her, but that's not so clear when she started to sell her body to help her in her own cause. The viewer can only guess that this kind of behavior was the consequence of hard war's experiences. It was her way to survive until she has murdered her false friend and lover as well.She fought for other people against injustice towards them, she fought for others to kill another. As far as she was unpredictable, she seemed to be sick.In all that cases, I can reasonably claim, she has lost her purpose from her eyes and became a loser for the cause and for herself as well. She was the main reason which led her not towards the good end, whatever it can mean.She only stayed true with her love feelings to her dead husband to the end of her life. That was only the thing which has never changed. That is the one thing that in Christianity can never change – it is the real love which is true itself forever, the most important thing forever.

For those who saw it in the 80s it is worth watching again now it's on DVD and Encore. Yes there are some faults but it's still very very entertaining.The good points: Orry Main - Patrick Swayze delivers a convincing impassioned performance that shows he was really a great actor. He really carried the show. His friendship with George Hazzard is touching and quite inspiring. The sometimes too obvious storyline does bring one through all the major events leading up to and through the Civil War. The on location filming in South Carolina is quite beautiful. The dramatic confrontations and exciting moments even if contrived in origin are pretty exciting.The faults: Yes there are some really cringe inducing bad guys and gals who are so one dimensionally evil for no apparent reason that they are laughable. There is the totally insane Elkanah Bent played with an over accented Philip Casnoff. Then we have the fanatical and annoying abolitionist Virgilia Hazzard played by a pretty demented looking Kirstie Alley. Don't forget the inexplicably evil Ashton Main played by Teri Garber doing a comical Scarlett O'Hara imitation. She must have prepared for the role by watching Gone With the Wind over and over again. Lesley Anne Down plays Madeline Fabray La Motte but her ample figure and East End London hair do make her demure protestations seem fake. The saintliness of Constance Hazzard is nauseating.Despite all the faults and sometimes painfully obvious dialog, it's still a fantastically fun watch and I think the best way to deal with the bad parts is to laugh at them like comic relief. So it's actually a grand sweeping historical drama with an inadvertent comic theme built in. They don't make them like this anymore.