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Cold Mountain Customer Reviews (73 - 75 of 87 Reviews)

Better than "The English Patient"
Although I thought "The English Patient" was OK, I liked "Cold Mountain" a lot more. I really got into the authenticity of the time and place, and I felt the characters were much more believable than say the imaginary characters of "Gone with the Wind." At least no one in "Cold Mountain" tried to turn the curtains into gowns. I always thought that was pretty unbelievable. Anyway, for those of you who thought Minghella took great liberty with his adaptaion of "Cold Mountain," then you should read "The English Patient." I thought he took greater liberty on that book. The difference is is that it worked better in "Cold Mountain" than "The English Patient."

A metaphor for home
The movie was realley good, as was the book. I don't waunt to debare every tiny difference between the two. I simply would like to set the record straight on the whole Ada Inman instant romance. A few flertatious moments with Ada are not the reasons that Inman travels so far to get back to Cold Mountain. Ada is a medaphor for home. She represents the mountains, farms ,and comunity that Inman is trying to get to. So stop scoffing at the suddenness of the romance and focus on the love this weary soldier has for the home he has been fighting for, for the last four years. That is why the ending is not sad. He did it, he made it home to see the fields and mountains one last time instead of dieing on some battlefield far away.

Almost
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Cold Mountain is mostly a story about both the kindness and the cruelty of ordinary people during difficult times.

It's also a love story.

Unfortunately, at least for this reviewer, I felt that the budding relationship between Inman (Jude Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman) wasn't developed enough. Although they flirt and share a special kiss before Inman leaves for war, there just didn't seem to be enough of a bond between them for someone to risk their life returning home. (Perhaps this aspect of the film will be fleshed out more in an extended DVD version?)

Honestly, even at 2 1/2 hours, I felt like this epic film could have been a half an hour longer. There were plenty of interesting characters who deserved more screen time.

Up and coming actress Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) finally breaks out with an incredible performance as a single mother with a baby just trying to get by through the ravages of war. Even though her part was small, she still managed to convey the utter despair of her very sad character.

Cinematically, this film is breathtaking. In fact, the filmmakers have managed to painstakingly recreate the 1864 siege at Petersburg, Virginia complete with trenches, gaunt Confederates and even the Battle of the Crater. As far as I know, I don't believe this particular battle has ever been depicted in a major motion picture. As such, it was well researched and very authentic.

All in all, Cold Mountain is a good film. However, I believe it missed the mark of greatness by not developing the relationship early on between the two main characters. This detracted a bit from the aspect of Inman's long and perilous journey home. Was she really worth all of that?

In sum, if you're a fan of period Civil War movies like "Summersby" or "Ride With the Devil", then this film is certainly one for your DVD library.

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