I'll bet Charles Frazier has to be as pleased with the translation of his extraordinary work ...

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2003)

A brilliant film. The book was fresh, original and `tight' as stories go. On film, it's the best love story since West Side Story. There's plenty of killin' and explosions to keep the story moving for the guys. If Minghella decides to release a 3 hour director's cut, I will buy a copy. Seinfeld had fewer eccentric characters than this gem. I did not want it to end. And then it did  brilliantly again.
Every actor hit their marks. Kidman has been exceptional for years Jude Law finds his talent here. Both will get nominations. Supporting: Zellweger, Portman and Hoffman are brilliant  Brilliant!  especially Zellweger and Hoffman. Renee's worth the price of admission all by her lonesome.
Cold Mountain is a beautiful place to be. True love is a beautiful thing to have. Against the backdrop of war's horror  the brief life spans of the day  the inability of mail getting through, forcing those starving for a lover's words to cling to a single sentence, or a memory when words are unavailable . . . these are things to be treasured. Only those with dry-ice frosting in their veins can't see it.
Favorite parts: That the characters think / speak like they would in the era (as I imagine it anyway). 1860s South. Zellweger and Hoffman are best in supporting roles. The war is portrayed as realistically as I've ever seen it. The war photography is gritty  real  the war action is painful and morally split - like a bayonet to the gut. Remedies to repair damaged flesh are fresh out of Granny Clampett's doctorin' bag. Dirty fingernails: the standard of the day. I'll bet Charles Frazier is as pleased with the translation as I am. 10 / 10.