Spoiler

Rating: Null/10 (1 November 2004)

Great movie!
Cold Mountain is one of the best movies I have seen recently.Very good performances by all the cast and well directed by Minghella. It tells brilliantly the story of simple people who get caught in events beyond their control. Of course war is not an enjoyable subject, and this movie is so crude and realistic sometimes that you really can see why just a good memory can sustain someone during difficult times. I don't understand why so many people are surprised by the love between Inman and Ada. As her father apologized to her for bringing her up the way he did, we came to understand that she is not a normal southern belle raised to marry and have kids. She lived immersed in books and had only her father a companion. So is it so surprising that she feels so attracted to a young, handsome man, so sensitive that manages to pass so much with just his eyes? She is just responding to what she believes he feels for her. They barely know each other but in the world they are living in the middle of a senseless war (does any war have any sense?) the attraction they feel for each other is what keep them as a whole. What could they discover after being together for a while? Was their love real or just desire? Could they learn to appreciate one another after what they have been through? Maybe the ending was "fair" to the characters. At least they had a moment of peace and happiness after so much horror.
When I read some comments regarding Ada's appearance, I wonder if we saw the same movie. Has anyone remember the state she was in just before Ruby's arrival? Or when they were building a fence? And I don't recall seeing Ada wearing any elaborate coiffure by the end of the movie.
The only negative thing about the movie is the tasteless scene of the whore house. There was a bit of exaggeration on that. And congratulation to Rennè for the Oscar, she really deserved it!