Putting aside my enthusiasm for Return of the King.

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2004)

I feel that Cold Mountain is still a good movie and is being unfairly lambasted.
In regards to the acting, the film features a good cast (primary and supporting) with few if any truly sour performances. Zellweger is the obvious standout (and almost steals the show) while Law also does quite well in his role. Kidman was perhaps the weakest link here where her accent didn't always come off as convincing. (Kudos to Portman who does very well with what is more or less a brief cameo)
Minghella handles the story well. Things seemed a bit slow at first but the story and pacing picked up substantially as the film progressed. The plot provided plenty of interesting elements and characters in both of the parallel storylines (Inman's journey vs. Ada's struggle to survive).

A weakness in the film was the lack of substantial romantic development prior to Inman's departure. The film acknowledges this and plays upon it, which softens the damage it does storywise but doesn't completely make up for it. Development of Inman's disgust for the war was also something that could have used more time before he went off on his odyssey back home.

The main problem with the film is probably how violent it is. Despite being a tale of romance and adventure, the film can get quite violent, especially in regards to which characters it's willing to dole out death to and the methods by which it's done (which may come as a surprise to some who think it's just a sappy romance film). This cruelly violent side of the film often times comes in stark contrast to the emotional story the filmmakers are trying to tell but, on the whole, provides an interesting take on a harrowing time in American history.