Review of Cold Mountain (2003) by Jessica V — 25 Apr 2013
It's an unconventional choice to present a love story between two characters who spend nearly the whole movie apart from each other. It's the idea of love, more than the reality of love that each character clings to as the events of the film bring a greater and greater degree of desperation to their respective lives.
By the time the lovers are reunited, their love has surpassed an idea and ventured into a vision of the ideal--one that we can hardly imagine could be sustained in the face of reality. Little wonder, then that tragedy follows closely on the reunion.
There was no place to go but down, anyway. It all works, though. It's a movie filled with terrific performances, a couple star turns and at least one amazing set piece--a faithful recreation of the Battle of the Crater.
The movie holds our attention through its unconventional length and unconventional meandering story lines because it is actually very good.. It even manages to survive having three endings--happy, sad, then happy tinged with sad--and sill make sense.
This review of Cold Mountain (2003) was written by Jessica V on 25 Apr 2013.
Cold Mountain has generally received positive reviews.
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