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Suffering is all around - and it isn't just the soldiers
who are on the battlefields. Cold Mountain shows us the lives
of folk left trying to make the best of the shortages caused
by war and highlights their struggles to make ends meet.
Almost as soon as they become infatuated with each other,
Inman leaves the town of Cold Mountain to fight for the Confederates.
The pair continue their relationship through the mail and
the spiritual bond between them grows.
However life for civilians is hard and Ada's problems begin
when her minister father dies, leaving her to run a small
farm. She is saved by the arrival of Ruby (Zellweger) who
is big-hearted, bossy and knows how to get things done.
With most of the men away fighting Cold Mountain is soon
taken over a militia under the nasty Teague (Ray Winstone),
who not only wants Ada's body, but her farm as well. He brutalises
folk in the town and is responsible for cold-blooded killings.
Back at the war Inman has had enough of fighting and turns
his mind to the only bright spot in his life - the lovely
Ada - and so deserts and sets off to reach her.
His journey brings him into contact with some memorable characters
and situations such as Natalie Portman as a young widow who
is trying to save a sick child and fend off Union soldiers
at the same time, and Philip Seymour Hoffman's debauched minister
who just can't keep his body parts way from women. Brendan
Gleeson also rates a mention as Ruby's musician father.
As said before romantics will love Cold Mountain for the
purity of the lead couple's love, others will be stunned by
the glorious photography of the movie while this fellow really
enjoyed it for the vignettes of life in Civil War America.
Definitely worth watching.
Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras 20%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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