Good war film but a tad bit overlong

Rating: Null/10 (8 January 2019)

This is an artistic take on the ravages of war. Cold Mountain was adapted from the long, complex novel by Charles Frazier, and clearly proved to be a challenge for Minghella to capture on film. The movie has its share of structural problems, and may be a little longer than seems necessary, but it rarely lost my attention. I would not place this in the top echelon of end-of-the-year motion pictures, but it's certainly a successful adaptation, features numerous memorable performances (mostly by the supporting players), and is worth a post-holiday expenditure of time and money. One thing that cannot be denied is the effectiveness of the film's look. This is a gorgeous film to watch, with deserved credit given to cinematographer John Seale.