This document analyzes how cinematography and film techniques are used in the BBC period drama "North and South" to portray contrasts between the industrial Northern town and rural Southern countryside, as well as stereotypes of Northern and Southern characters. Low camera angles are used to depict the Northern factory owner John Thornton as powerful yet distant, while high angles show Margaret from the South as begging. Dimly lit scenes portray the dire Northern town, while yellow-tinted countryside scenes depict an idealized South. Editing and pacing also contrast the "hustle and bustle" of the North with the slower pace of the South.

1. North and South

2. I have chosen the clip from the BBC period
drama ‘North and South’ based on the novel
by Elizabeth Gaskell. It was first broadcast in
November/December 2004. The drama see
Margaret Hale and her family moving from
the Southern countryside to a Northern
industrial town. She finds it hard at first but
soon meets friends. She also discovers John
Thornton whom she develops a ‘will-they-
won’t-they’ relationship.

3.  http://youtu.be/qa1BsOayheg?t=29m48s

4.  Most of the shots of John Thornton are low angles to
show his importance as a factory owner. The
audience can dennotate he is a strong leader but
they feel that he is above them so is distant from
them.
 There is a contrast with the representation of
Southern Margaret and Northern John. As John is
filmed at a low angle and Margaret at a high
angle, this contrasts with the higher class association
of someone from the South and a lower class worker
from the North. Moreover, Margaret almost looks like
she is begging to John but if fact she is being
caring, making him look distant from her.
 The character of John is also filmed with a close – up
(C/U) shot. From this the audience can infer that he
is isolated from the other characters.

5.  Inthe countryside scenes there are lots of
pan shots so the audience can see the full
beauty of the countryside and how it
contrasts with industrial northern towns.
 The Establishing shot allow the audience to
see the full setting.

6.  The music in the town is long sorrowful notes
showing the serious emotions that the
character Margaret is feeling as she leaves
her home. She follows the stereotypes of
emotion fuelled Southern characters.
 When one of the characters says ‘I can’t
imagine how many friends you have here’
showing how she is suggesting there is a the
Southern opinion that Northern towns are not
social places because they are fuelled by
work and the lower classes.

7.  In the Countryside scenes the background
noises are filled with natural and birds. This
highlights the beauty of the countryside and
the contrast between the industrial
background noises of the town.
 Furthermore when a character says ‘life is a
little more wild’ shows that there was a
stereotype of hard driven Northern men
doing everything they can to make money.
This also shows contrasts of development
between them.

8.  In the scenes set in the Northern town are all
very dimly lit with a little amount of natural
lighting. The audience can dennotate that
the industrial town is dire circumstances to
live in.
 However the countryside scenes have been
shot with a yellow tint to show the lush, sun-
drenched setting. This is typical of Southern
climate. Moreover, the yellow tint could
represent idealist settings and memories
flooding back for the characters.

9.  The slow pace as Margaret rides away in her
carriage makes the audience feel the tension
and desperation between the characters.
However with the jump cut and the
introduction of a new setting, the pace
increases to show the ‘hussle and bussle’ of
the industrial town.
 In the countryside, the pace is slower
highlighting the slow pace of life.

10.  Clothing in the North was dark, matching the
background. From this, the audience can
infer that Northern people were less
fashionable because they had less money.
 However the clothing of the young women in
the Northern town is lighter and more girly
showing her influence of Southern fashions.
 The working class people’s clothes show they
are industrial workers and are rugged as they
can not afford current fashions.

11.  The wallpaper of the Northern towns are
dark highlighting the tragic circumstances
and their lack of dedication to interior
fashion.
 Although in the countryside, flowers are in
focus of the scene so therefore show the
innocence of the place and the contrast of
natural beauty in the country and in the
town.

12.  As John shows little emotion in his face, he is
characterised by the stereotype of Northern business
men being hard and ruthless, struggling to show his
inner emotions.
 Moreover, as the working class man refuses
Margaret’s money, he plays further on the stereotype
by highlighting his pride in himself.
 In contrast, the audience can connotate the middle
class women rising a napkin to her face as she stops
in the street. Therefore the audience can dennotate
that she is disgusted by the Northern industrial towns
and much prefers the pleasantness of the Southern
countryside. Furthermore she appears to be a snob
against the lower working class and the North/South
economic divide.