Cold Mountain is certainly cold. The climate is chilly, as you might expect in
the mountains of North Carolina. The subject matter is cold, concerning a pair
of would-be lovers separated by the war of Northern Aggression. But more than
that, there is a coldness in the central characters that disallows the audience
to warm to them.
Nicole Kidman, for example, is strikingly beautiful as Ada Monroe, the daughter
of a preacher from Charleston, who moves to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. There
she meets Inman, Jude Law, the strong silent type who obviously adores Ada,
although he speaks to her only about twenty words, tops.
Inman races off with his friends to defend the south, pledging to return to Ada.
She's glad of the offer, since she is incapable of anything other than looking
beautiful.
The film is directed by Anthony Minghella, and the style we either loved or hated
in The English Patient is very evident in Cold Mountain. There's a similar drawn
out, overly dramatic self-importance in both films, which, frankly, I kind of
like. Both stories are also told through a combination of past and present events
that add up to a well told story.
But while I was completely drawn into The English Patient, I felt oddly detached
from Cold Mountain. Much as I admired Nicole's performance, I never cared for
her character. She's quite a misfit in her environment and her Southern accent
is irksome. But Nicole's sterility lays out the path for Renee Zellweger to
excel. Renee is Ruby Thewes, a mountain girl who shows up to give Ada a much
needed hand. Zellweger is all personality in this role, indeed she adds the only
warmth to a cold movie.
Meanwhile back at the war, Inman leaves the battlefield to make his way home,
coming across a series of bizarre adventures and meeting people who alternately
do him harm or good. This series of vignettes unfold possibly to help us
understand the strength and frailty of humankind in the time of war, but mostly
to fill in the time until Inman can make it back to Ada.
Cold Mountain is Gone With Wind meets English Patient except the heroine has no
spine and the hero no appeal. I enjoyed the beauty of this film but felt no
emotional attachment at all.
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