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| Cold
Mountain
Directed By: Anthony
Minghella Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
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| "Cold Mountain" tells the story of a wounded Confederate soldier named Inman (Jude Law) who struggles on a perilous journey to get back home to Cold Mountain, N.C. as well as to Ada (Nicole Kidman), the woman he left behind before going off to fight in the Civil War. Along the way, he meets a long line of interesting and colorful characters, while back at home, Ada is learning the ropes of managing her deceased father's farm with Ruby (Renee Zellweger), a scrappy drifter who assists and teaches Ada along the way. [TRAILER] For most of 2003, I have praised films about love which did not take the easy way out. “Lost In Translation” found the gray area between friendship and love. “Raising Victor Vargas” showed young love for the immature game it is, and did not cave in to sensual pleasures, but honestly reflected upon the simple concept of intimacy. “Cold Mountain,” despite its many strong suits, takes the easy way out of dealing with love, and suffers as a result. The movie is a simple story expanded to fill an epic space. Inman (Jude Law) is a Civil War soldier, hurt badly in a surprise attack. Ada (Nicole Kidman) is a minister’s daughter who discovers her love for Inman only moments before his departure and writes to him daily in hopes of his return. Everything that happens in this movie, whether it is Ada’s desperate attempt to make it as a single woman, Inman’s willingness to go AWOL to return to his love, or their final reunion at the end of this monstrous journey, hinges on the audience believing in this romance. But let us examine the key moments that build the foundation of their “love.” Before Inman heads off to war, he becomes enchanted with Ada, and makes several moves to court her. It is her decision, on the day he is to leave, to bring him a parting gift that feels out of place. They share a kiss, but it is seemingly built on nothing. And their correspondence while he is away has only this questionable kiss to lend it credibility. Then, during the war, she writes to him, but he does not write back. It is a one-sided affair, built upon affectionate words that are never supported or returned. And when Inman finally returns into Ada’s life, they have little in common to start over with. They were never anything before the war, and the film does little to convince us that they are anything more after. There is much in “Cold Mountain” to appreciate. The acting, from Law, Kidman and Renee Zellweger, as Ada’s blunt, pseudo-housekeeper and friend, is impressive. In fact, Zellweger’s Ruby is one of the more memorable and refreshingly alive characters of the year. And each character, in their own sphere of existence, is interesting to ponder. First, take Ada. Upon the death of her father, she must fend for herself, but the movie does not dare to say that she could successfully take charge of a house on her own accord. She admits that she has little experience in anything meaningful, must rely on the pity of those in the town, and there is a shockingly honest moment when she tells Inman to leave the war, abandon his duty, and return because she might not make it. It is unfortunate that this intriguing point is not revisited later. Desperation and dependency becoming the foundation of a relationship would have been an interesting twist indeed. And Inman’s story is equally interesting. Yes, he is returning home, but he has abandoned the army and is considered a criminal. He must make his home under stealth and must even pair up with a philandering minister (played by the consistently-amazing Philip Seymour Hoffman) to survive. But in analyzing “Cold Mountain” as a whole, the flaws again are too flagrant to ignore. What we have here is a film that, in its separate components, brings some unique twists to a story of love torn apart by war. But the larger motivations – the very reasons to keep watching this movie – are horribly developed and poorly outlined. Inman’s journey and Ada’s struggles and impassioned pleas are based upon a love that is never apparent before Inman departs, never emerges once Inman is gone, and never rises to the surface even as the two supposed lovers are reunited. It is a movie of promises unfulfilled; of passions watered down.  Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
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