Seriously deficient history, poorly executed drama.

Rating: 5/10 (21 February 2007)

The film opens with a seriously flawed --- and boring --- portrayal of the explosion at Petersburg; an intensely interesting event in real history even if told briefly: A group of Pennsylvania miners suggested they use their mining ability to build a tunnel to right under the Confederate troops and set off a massive explosion. This was carried out successfully in the short-run, but in the immediate aftermath the Union troops were standing around watching their deadly handiwork but the Confederates reacted quickly with rage and shot down more Union troops, with the North thus taking the heavier casualties. The movie says nothing about this, preferring to focus on the rabbit being chased down by troops.
The Siege at Petersburg is a part of the Civil War seldom told, seldom with honesty. Essentially a 10-month standoff, the South kept Grant's troops at bay even though Grant's army outnumbered the South by 12 to 1 and the North's troops were well armed and well fed while the South's were starving and ill equipped --- except for their tenacity and courage.
Another review compares this film to Gone With the Wind. It's like comparing Burger King to Ruth's Chris. I've seen GWTW maybe 12 times over 50 years. Cold Mountain is impossible to watch a second time, as it lacks the dramatic interest of, say, a Tim Holt western.