Cold Mountain (2003) Movie Review

Cold Mountain – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – C – Cold Mountain – Movie Review 

Director: Anthony Minghella

Writer: Charles Frazier, Anthony Minghella (Screenplay)

Cast

• Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley)
• Nicole Kidman (The Hours)
• Renee Zellweger (Judy)
• Eileen Atkins (Gosford Park)
• Brendan Gleeson (28 Days later)

 

Plot: In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.  

Runtime: 2 Hours 34 Minutes  

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review 

Story: Cold Mountain starts as we meet Inman (Law) a soldier in the American Civil War. We flashback to his time before the war where he meets his sweetheart Ada (Kidman) and ended up leaving her to go to war before they got married.

Once the war hits, Inman gets injured and after going through the horrors of the war he wants out. Meanwhile, Ada is going through her own problems and finds herself living with Ruby (Zellweger). Inman decides to travel back home, although the journey isn’t going to be easy.  

Verdict on Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain is a wartime drama following two lives during the conflict. We follow the soldier who went to war that finds himself trying to get home. Meanwhile, his love deals with her own problems back home during the harsh reality of the people left behind.

This is a powerful story that showed both sides of the war. While we start with one of the more horrific battle sequences. It ends up following the trauma left behind. We get to go into the detail of suffering people left behind and people left in the path of destruction must suffer through. There is a host of quality performances from the whole cast in a compelling story unfolding. 

Final Thoughts –Cold Mountain is a powerful wartime drama.