a gruesome civil war time experience. Integral spoiler material.

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2003)

Note: Some spoiler material but integral to the review. Cold Mountain starring Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, and Renee Zellweger is a scene by scene brutal depiction of the civil war experienced by Inman, a young Confederate soldier, played by Jude, and those people living in Cold Mountain, North Carolina. Nicole plays Ada, the minister's daughter, from Charleston. Inman is a carpenter farm hand, who sets his heart to capturing Ada. Renee plays Ruby Thewes, a poor mountain girl, but a strong farm hand, who will save Ada from starvation and helplessness. All three actors do a wonderful job at acting their roles, but to me the script was immediately down graded, when I realized the constant contrivances displayed in almost each new segment. Each scene really displays nothing more than the sole purpose of shocking the audience. It depleted any stream of emotional depth, which is a total shame, as I just adore Nicole Kidman. But maybe we are only supposed to feel like we are to be given the run down list of civil war time gruesome dilemmas. There is much more meat to the film, Gone With the Wind, probably the most famous civil war epic film. For example, Ada's father, Reverend Monroe (Donald Sutherland) passes away seamlessly, while sitting in his backyard listening to Ada's piano playing from inside the house. She runs to his side when she discovers that he is not coming inside, during a sudden rain shower. On the other hand, Scarlett has to cope with her father losing his sanity, bit by bit, every day, as they struggle to grow food, on the very barren land of Tara. In a delusional state, he saddles himself upon a horse, and I am almost sure that he dies being thrown from the horse. We feel Scarlett's complete devastation at her loss. But my intention is not to point out that one film is better than the other. My intention is to notice that shocking incidents compete too much with the emotional interplay among characters. In other words, the display of one shocking incident after another, only detracts from character development, rather than build it. On a positive note, I did like the portrayal of not being able to trust an apparent ally, as war transforms even the seeming apparent strongest soles, into ones of desperation, to capture or kill a fellow man, one in his alliance.
The movie begins in Petersburg, Virginia, 1864, where the Yankees are setting a huge line of explosives under the southern defense. Inman is recruited as a Confederate soldier. He survives the blast. Then we are taken back three years prior to the war, where we see a glimpse of Ada's and Inman's more at ease natures, prior to the implications of war. Ada is very close to her father and his ministry. The remainder of the story jumps forward to show Inman's, many times debilitating journey home to his barely acquainted love, Ada. He leaves for war, only briefly conversing and kissing her. On his treacherous journey home, he encounters endless threats to his life. Even a high ranking Confederate, Inman's alleged ally, will heartlessly chain him to form a make- shift group of soldiers. Teague (Ray Winstone) is another Cold Mountain character, who will ruthlessly turn upon his neighbors, killing innocent families, including children, just for their live stock. It is rather odd, since Ada, in all probability having never used a rifle, in one shot kills a turkey, in the mountains, for sustenance. If she can accomplish this task, it makes Teague look like a total buffoon.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Reverend Veasy, a perfectly crooked minister, who is ready to drown a black slave woman, whom he has drugged and impregnated, in hopes to save his reputation, that is, until Inman stops him. The minister thanks Inman from preventing a most heinous crime. Other cruel incidents transpire in and around Inman. And soon enough, Ada and helpmate Ruby, find themselves in the thick of war, in their own back yard, defending their lives, others in need, and Ada's property. In this war, the motto is `trust no one.' But when Inman finally makes his way back to Ada, looking down into a rifle barrelhead she holds steadily at him, which I thought so perfect, she soon lets down her guard, to learn that this is a person whom she can trust. During this year, both have changed since living through a terrible chain of events. Their faith in humanity has crumbled before their eyes, and they both see that in the soul of the other. Ada invites Inman to her sparse living quarters, and she opens the door to having sex with him, as she has feelings for him from the past, seeming also to symbolize that she has not given up on the human spirit, which is lovely. By now, 2 ½ hours have passed unsuspectingly, and I must leave the movie to return to my housemate, Lilly, my dog. If anyone will reply with the ending scenes, I would really appreciate it. Do Inman and Ada marry and settle in Cold Mountain? Does she buy a new piano and start a family? What about Ruby? Does she find a love or at least a friend, after her losing her Dad in the horrid injustices of war?