Review of Cold Mountain (2003) by Spangle — 02 Nov 2016

A beautifully sweeping epic, Cold Mountain is a true accomplishment from director Anthony Minghella. In watching this, it becomes all the more tragic that he died about eight years ago with Cold Mountain being one of his final directorial works. At least, in his wake, we are still able to cherish this visual beauty. However, the brilliance of Cold Mountain is not just skin deep, as its epic sweep all encompasses a tremendous romance amidst the Civil War and, in this, the film also discusses the impact of the war on the South and the loss suffered by those at home. Plus, though not strictly a war film (it is, but it is not the film's main focus), Cold Mountain also offers brilliant battle sequences to go along with every other positive offered by the film.

Cold Mountain is a film some have compared to Homer's the Odyssey in structure. This is certainly fair as the film tells the story of W.P. Inman (Jude Law) and his journey to return home to Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman) during the Civil War. Suffering injuries, escaping those who will capture deserters, and crossing paths with a collection of individuals, Inman's journey is long and arduous. Among the tremendous cast that cross paths with Inman and Ada include Renee Zellweger, Eileen Atkins, Kathy Baker, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Hunnam, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Donald Sutherland, Cillian Murphy, Jack White, Ray Winstone, Taryn Manning, Emily Deschanel, and Jena Malone. Essentially, this cast is stacked. Every supporting character is played by somebody who eventually blew up, was a veteran actor, or was a relatively fresh face in acting. How they managed to get such a good cast together is mind blowing.

The film's main focus - the romance between Inman and Ada - is tremendously written by Minghella. Each line is precise and chosen well. The end result is a romance that, though the characters rarely share the screen with one another, is incredibly well-crafted and realistic. Though they barely know one another, their connection to one another is beautifully brought to life through the words of Minghella that breathes air into the lungs of the film. Even when things slow down (and they do slow down) and the film drags, the romance here keeps the film chugging along and taking on all challengers.

Visually, the film is stunning. From shots, such as Inman staggering to Ada alongside two towering snow-covered rocks, to the battle sequences, the cinematography of this film is terrific. The best part here is the framing, especially in that aforementioned shot. The result of shots such as this is a film that feels as poetic visually as it is verbally. Minghella clearly expended a lot of time focusing on his word choice in writing this film and it shows in the sweeping, verbose communication in the film. However, the visuals are the same way. The film's shots match its beauty step-for-step and often exceed it with a willingness to just slow things down and let the odd, romantic beauty of the war in the South soak in for the audience.

The battle sequences express this same beauty, especially the opening one when the Union bombs the Confederacy. The billowing tower of smoke and fire, as well as the ensuing battle that occurs in a cloud of dust and blood is pure eye candy. Minghella's camera lingers in this sequence quite often, offering a sort of juxtaposition between the beauty of the shot and the brutality of the war. Nobody was spared in battle and, as a result, nobody was spared at home. In this film, Minghella does not waste any violence. Though often brutal, his film is about bringing to light the suffering of those in war and those at home. Given that many war films focus solely on those in battle, this is a breathe of fresh air for the genre. In this goal, Cold Mountain is entirely successful, particularly in the sequence with Sara (Portman). A single mother with a baby who briefly takes in Inman on his journey home, she asks Inman to simply lay next to her in bed where she begins openly weeping. The specific pain and suffering experienced by those at home is obviously spoken about openly in the film, but never described verbally. Rather, it is always told visually with one slight written hints. This is one of the greatest accomplishments of the film, as it manages to delve in this often overlooked topic and offer great insight, without having to stand by and attempt to explain the pain. Instead, it makes it more realistic and intimate by simply showing it to you.

A brutal, beautiful, and truly sweeping epic, Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain covers the Civil War like few films before it had. Covering battle, romance, and the life of those in South, the film plays no favorites, shows the good and bad of both sides, and covers its topics with grace and ease.