They say you never forget your first time. It’s never truer when it comes to love… or in this case, a crush. I’ve opened up publicly when I was spellbound by Gregory Peck when I first saw him in well, Spellbound, in which I also mentioned several other guys who’ve stolen my heart in similar fashion. Of course, Richard Armitage in his role in BBC’s North and South as John Thornton is high on that list!
So for his 42nd birthday today, I thought I’d highlight the role that I first saw him in… which instantly became a favorite. Hence he’s on my top 10 favorite literary characters in movies.
Why Mr. Thornton?
It seems that every fans of period drama is obsessed by Mr. Darcy, as do popular culture with the endless portrayal of Darcy-esque characters. Y’know what, I’d take Mr. Thornton over Darcy any day. Some people describe Thornton as the ‘working class Darcy’ but oh, he’s sooo much more than that. Obviously, the fact that he is a working man, a self-made businessman with his shares of tragedy and struggles, makes him a decidedly more intriguing yet identifiable character, even by today’s working men and women. Thornton is not some curmudgeon filthy rich guy who’s used to have everything served to him in a silver platter. He’s rough, stern and even dangerous because life made him that way, he’s forced to be wise beyond his years due to the circumstances at his cotton mills, so his aggression is more of a survival thing.
What I love about the novel North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell is that it’s not just about romance. Of course there’s an underlying love story between the two main characters, John Thornton and Margaret Hale, but there are so much more going on in each of their lives that make their relationship, stormy and tumultuous as it is, all the more riveting.
Ok, so I’m not going to lie there’s that purely superficial aspect. John Thornton is oh-so-dashing… the talk, dark and handsome variety, BUT with substance. I’d say the sexiest part about a guy is his intellect and Thornton is a savvy businessman, a respected mill owner with real responsibilities, both to his family and his employees. Plus there’s that tortured soul thing that I can’t resist. All that pent-up emotion and inner tumult makes for a magnetic Byronic hero. In short, Richard makes that ‘heavy heart and weary soul’ look so devastatingly sexy.
When the camera isn’t focused on his face, there are so many other things to appreciate. Those rugged, broad-shouldered form, and supremely manly hands… trust me, I actually rewind these scenes every time I watch it. Forlorn and gloom has never looked so spellbinding.
Of course there’s also the period clothes… oh how men had fashion taste then. Richard seems built to wear period clothes, sure his tall, lean figure would probably rock ANY outfit, but there’s something about the tailored Victorian suits that fit him to a tee! Plus he looks good in black. I found this nifty article about what Mr. Thornton’s clothes tell us in North and South.
With cravat …
Or without …
… Thornton is one well-dressed gent.
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Ten favorite moments with John Thornton
First time I beheld Mr. Thornton from a distance… with cottons flying about in the air like snow. It’s also the first time N&S heroine Margaret sees him after being informed by the mill workers where to find him. I’d imagine she’d have this thought in her head the moment she spots him… “THAT’s Mr. Thornton? I thought he’d be old and balding, but he most certainly is neither.” I might order Gaskell’s novel in my Kindle to read her poetic words of that first encounter.
You’re ill?
It’s merely two words but the way Thornton says it with his deep voice, subtly leaning towards Margaret, speaks volumes about his feelings for her. THAT my friends, is one swoon-worthy moment for me.
The proposal scene. You just have to see the whole scene to really appreciate the beauty of this encounter. I love how vulnerable Thornton is in this scene… how he let his guard down, nervous but perhaps also excited that he finally can let his feelings known… Alas, it ends up being the worst day of his life.
I love the post-proposal scene as Thornton briskly walk home in torment. His business partner later commented when he saw him on the street that ‘he’s not as in control as usual.’ An astute observation, Mr. Bell. Thornton certainly can handle any business-related turbulence, but THIS… a matter of the heart, is something he’s totally unprepared for.
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“John, a mothers love holds fast and forever. A girl’s love is like a puff of smoke, changes with every wind.”
A tender moment between a mother and son. I’m not a big fan of Hannah Thornton, a lioness of a woman who’s over-protective of his eldest son. But in the end, I get where she’s coming from. Thornton is close to his mother because she’s all he’s got and vice versa, so there’s no Oedipus complex in the works here, nor is Thornton a mama’s boy.
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Another moment of vulnerability. A rioting group of mill workers threw a piece of rock at Thornton but hit Margaret’s head instead. Fearing for Margaret’s life, you could see the look of horror on his face as he surveys her head wound. Yet I know at that moment he just falls even more in love with her. She has become his savior, in more ways than one … and I think that very idea must’ve thrilled him amidst all that chaos.
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The scenes between Thornton and Higgins highlight the complicated relationship between the two social classes of the North, the mill owners and the poor working class. Their unlikely friendship serve as healing power for both men, I mean Higgins is after all the guy who organized the strike that threatens his business. It’s a compelling character transformation on Thornton’s part.
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The production quality of this BBC series is just superb. It’s so beautifully shot and the way the camera zooms in and out of the character adds so much to the mood of a given scene. I love this quiet moment at the church where Margaret mourns her father, just weeks after her mother’s passing. She had just turned around to see Higgins and his daughter in attendance, but she doesn’t see that Thornton is there too. As he looks at her, it’s almost he feels almost jealous at Higgins that she cares more about a mill worker being there than him… but yet he also feels for Margaret and her sufferings. It’s palpable he can’t ever get her out of his mind, try as he might.
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“Look back. Look back at me.“
I think this is a fan favorite from the show as it’s got that ‘money shot’ of Mr. Thornton’s melancholic face in close-up. But the emotion conveyed in this scene is profound. Despite that botched proposal, there’s still a glimmer of hope that perhaps one day he might be able to win Margaret’s heart, but now, as her carriage goes further away from his sight, that hope is dimmed even further…
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Maybe it’s just me but I find this very shot absolutely beguiling. All the shirtless scenes of Guy of Gisborne (Robin Hood), the sex scenes of Lucas North (Spooks), the macho action scenes of John Porter (Strike Back), yes they’re all juicy, but they don’t quite have the same effect on me as this one. Of course some people would look at this and say, ‘it’s just some guy sleeping on his desk!‘ Heck there are perhaps some who’re doing this right about now at their workplace, ahah. But that’s the beauty of Thornton, he can make even the most mundane, every day thing so darn stimulating! [Or it could be that I have a serious problem, ahah]
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The best and most satisfying finale of any period drama I’ve ever seen. It’s so beautifully shot at the train station. The two leads have never looked more ravishing, and their chemistry is quite breathtaking. The way the camera so intimately captures the moment they (and us the viewers) have been longing for is pure gleeful perfection. Again, THIS is a scene that has to be seen… A still image just won’t do it justice. I couldn’t find the actual scene w/ the dialogue, but I think the visuals alone communicate their feelings perfectly well.
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Bonus:
A handsome gent, top hat, a book and a bread basket. What else could a girl want? Margaret, you are one LUCKY girl!
Thanks to Armitage Army for the various screen caps and Youtube clips I posted here.
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I remember watching this a few months and it was then I realize how handsome Armitage is. (He has a rather stunning profile if I must be honest.) I also love how this time last year, no one knew who he even was.
Hi Anna! Yes, incredibly handsome… but he’s no airhead. I think most Brits have more going on ‘up there’ on top of being such a dish 😉 Oh and I do have a taste for the obscure, though I hope he gets more roles!
I love Richard Armitage!!!!!! EEEK! 🙂 😉
Ahah, well welcome to the club, or should I say the mostly-female military club called The Armitage Army 😀
So many Armitage tributes popping up!
Yes, deservedly-so! It’s about time the world notice who he is!
So are you attracted to him as a dwarf in The Hobbit? 🙂
Yes indeed! He’s one HOT dwarf 😉
Wow, I could sense the admiration in every word Ruth! 😉
I really know little about Armitage but since The Hobbit his name has popped up all over the blogosphere. Interested to catch up with him!
Ahah, well I’m sure glad to hear that Keith 😉 I know that The Hobbit has made him more well-known here in the US but I REALLY hope he’d get more roles the way Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston have been now, and they both were unknown just a couple of years ago.
Nice tribute to your crush here Ruth, LOL. Hopefully he gets more big roles in Hollywood soon and stars in the kind of movies I like to see. 🙂 I’ve never seen any of those period movies he starred in.
I think the actress whom I really had a big crush on the firs time I saw her was Sandra Bullock in Speed. I thought she’s so pretty and I decided to see every single of her movies for years, I even somewhat enjoyed the not so great Speed 2, ha ha. I haven’t seen her in anything since the awful Crash though, let’s hope Gravity is as good as most people think it will. I’m still skeptical about that one.
Well, one thing for sure he did NOT get the role I really wanted for him [sigh]
Oh I LOVE Bullock in Speed! I got a girl crush on her too 😀 She’s just so lovely and likable, I even like her in Miss Congeniality even though it’s a bad movie, ahah. I’m curious about Gravity, I’m a bit skeptical about it too though, we shall see.
Im not really a big period person so i haven’t seen this one, but i admire the effort you put into this post 🙂
And as for my movie crush. As for my movie crushes,i will go with Gabrielle Union in Cadillac Records(technically Deborah was a tv crush first,hence why i didn’t go with her for this one). She went from someone i knew about but didn’t have any real feelings towards to one of my top actresses. Her performance was one of my favorite parts of the film, and i wish she got more attention for it
Hi Julian, well thanks, it was fun to do 😀
Oh I still need to see Cadillac Records. Gabrielle is sooo gorgeous, I think she used to model as I saw her photo on one of the big jewelry store at the mall.
Why do certain shots remind me of a younger Hugh Jackman? 😐
There is a resemblance yeah, and they’re almost the same height. I think Richard is more attractive though, to me anyways.
I don’t know about. Although they both do the mutton chops really well. #Jealous
Ahah yeah, you’re right, not many ppl can pull that off!
I get the feeling you had quite a bit of fun writing this article, Ruth! And searching for the photos 🙂
He..he.. I did indeed Chris, but I so LOVE this character, so it was quite effortless 😀
Thornton was also the first time I saw Richard Armitage. I love everything about North & South and agree that much more goes on in the story of John and Margaret, and in the novel, than in Pride & Prejudice (though I love that too). I love his hands always, but especially as Thornton he really used them to express emotions that the character could not express that openly. One of my favorites the dinner party when John and Margaret’s hands and fingers touch. The kissing scene for me is the best of all time, for any film or TV show I’ve ever seen.
Hope RA is still celebrating his birthday today 🙂
I’m also a Gregory Peck fan!
Hi there, fellow Armitage Army 😀 His hands are soooo attractive aren’t they, on top of everything else of course, but usually manly men have such em, ugly hands, but his are as beautiful as the rest of him!
Yep, the kissing scene are beautifully filmed. YAY, nice that you too appreciate Greg’s beauty. You are a woman of exquisite taste!
Lovely post! I saw it few months back and I loved his work there.
I wish Richard was chosen as Batman for his birthday gift instead we got Affleck which is just awful + my appreciation post essentially went unnoticed. It’s really unbelievable how little love this man is getting, he should be leading man in big productions.
Hey thanks, I knew you’d appreciate Mr. Thornton. It’s amazing how much range this man has.
Yeah I know [sad face] When I saw T texted me asking about it I was hoping he had been cast. I LOVE your appreciation post, Sati, it saddens me that others don’t see what we see in him.
Happy (belated) Birthday to Richard. This post also makes me want to see North & South again. Loved it the first time, and will probably love it even more the second time around.
N&S is one of those shows that only gets better with each viewing… same w/ Mr. Thornton 😉
You know, it’s odd that he’s only been in 5 theatrical releases. I’ve actually seen 3 of them. 🙂
I know!! It’s criminal how he’s not in more films 😦 I hope you like his performance in those 3, Josh.
I liked him in The Hobbit, but I barely remember his role in Captain America: The First Avenger and his brief appearance in Star Wars: Episode I.
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Just found this post, and had to weigh in. What I was most struck by in this series was the art direction. North & South is beautifully filmed, with every scene impeccably set up and framed. The cotton factory scenes are stunning. And of course Armitage doesn’t hurt the eyes, either. I did read Gaskell’s book, and there are some key plot points that differ, but reading the book just completes the experience. (For instance, Margaret’s first meeting with Thornton is not as it appears in the film). I just may do a little binge-watching again tonight!
Hi there Liz! Glad you saw this miniseries, did you just see it recently? Oh yeah I so agree with you about the art direction. Fabulous set pieces, colors, ambiance, etc. I love how the flying cotton looks like snow. I also like the music here, the whole thing enhances the experience. I haven’t read the book yet but now I’m curious to see how they met in the book.
Anytime you want to borrow the dvd just let me know, but I know it’s also on Netflix right? Btw, another BBC miniseries, I highly recommend Jane Eyre 2006 version. I’d be happy to lend it to you if you like, it’s absolutely superb even if it also takes some creative liberties 😉
Ruth, yes, I just saw it for the first time and was shocked that I’d never heard of it before. Such a good series. I’ll check out the Jane Eyre. One of my favorite stories. I’m pretty sure I can find it on Netflix!
FYI, my son refers to all period dramas (which he hates) under a single name he’s coined — Men in Top Hats at Stodgington Manor. Perhaps a new blog category?
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