Emotional and Balanced View of the Civil War

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2004)

Cold Mountain was nominated for several Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture Drama. When time for the Oscars came, however, and the Best Picture nominees were released, Cold Mountain had been replaced by Lost in Translation. I was further surprised when I realized that this movie was not unanimously acclaimed by critics. Yet I knew that since there was such controversy over this film, there was all the more reason for me to see it. I came out of the theater having watched a very good movie, but after seeing the movie I also realized why many critics would not praise this motion picture. Let me explain.
First of all, the music from Cold Mountain, both the original songs by various artists and the original score by Gabriel Yared, was nothing short of incredible and I felt that it matched the film very well. The film rightfully received three Oscar nominations for its original music. Also, both Jude Law and Renee Zellweger put in solid, emotional performances, and Zellweger rightfully won her Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. I also felt that the dialogue was well-written and genuine, evoking a flow of emotion from the audience. The tragic aspects of the film are also shown to be full of emotion, and the story is paced well. The view of Civil War is well-balanced, showing corruption on both sides.
However, my one complaint was the often awkward acting and staging by and for the minor characters. They are obviously seen to be in a league not of their own. One of the most controversial aspects of the film is Kidman's performance. I felt that she played her role well, even though her makeup often made her seem out of place. The other reason that many seemed to hate this film is because it seems to be a poor adaptation of Charles Frazier's book, focusing more on the love story than on the fighting itself. I have not read the book, so I can not truly affirm or discredit this idea, but Minghella obviously focuses on the love story in order to make the film as emotional as possible. I feel that this was a good choice in his writing and direction.
Overall, a few minor flaws (as mentioned above) and some unneeded sex and nudity keep this one from reaching its full potential, which is a shame, especially as one considers the caliber of cast and crew involved with this movie.
Final Grade: A-.