WubsTheFadger Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerFirst off, the film delivers a story that is profoundly powerful and heartbreaking. It shows us the needlessness of The Civil War and how it destroyed innocence and purity. The film shows us the drive and power of love and how it can overcome the greatest of odds. The ending is powerful and touching in so many ways.The acting is amazing. Jude Law delivers a stunning performance as a man who overcomes the greatest of odds. Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger also perform very well. Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Charlie Hunnam, Jack White, and Cillian Murphy all add so much to the story and the devastation of the Civil War. Natalie Portman's performance really hit home for me. She plays a woman who has lost everything and just wants hope. She is broken and torn. Her performance was stunning.The pacing is a little slow, but I was completely engaged throughout the entire movie. The runtime is a little overlong.Pros: Powerful and heartbreaking story, touching ending, amazing acting, Jude Law's performance, Natalie Portman and her powerful acting, and a great message about loss, love, and warCons: Some slow pacing and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 8.4

vincentlynch-moonoi This is a film that I should like very much. It's about the Civil War...a topic of interest to me. It begins with the Battle Of The Crater, which I have visited and find fascinating. It has Jude Law at what I felt was his peak.Unfortunately, the film is a mess...at least in the first third. It is, perhaps, the best example of the overuse of flashbacks that I have ever seen. It makes the plot confusing for the first third of the film. This film could have been done in normal progression, or with limited flashbacks, and it would have been much better. The director needs a lobotomy! Fortunately, once into the middle of the picture, the flashbacks end and it's a rather straight...but long...story (154 minutes). Honestly, the film could have been a 2 hour film without losing anything of substance.Jude Law is excellent here as the Confederate soldier who deserts the war after being seriously injured in the Battle Of The Crater. In my view, this is Law's best performance in film.Nicole Kidman...well, to be frank, I just don't connect with her acting. There were times here that I thought she was fairly good, but there were other times I found her performance shallow. Here she plays the young Charleston woman who moves to Cold Mountain and falls in love with Jude Law.There's been some criticism of Renée Zellweger's acting here as a young sorta backwoods-type woman who helps Nicole Kidman on her farm after her father (a minister) dies. In the first few scenes when Zellweger sort of storms onto the scene, I do think the performance was almost comic-bookish, but over time she seems to calm down and bring some depth to the character.Kathy Baker is excellent as an older woman of Cold Mountain who befriends Nicole Kidman. Her character pays dearly for her sons' going AWOL from the Confederate army.Brendan Gleeson is interesting as Zellweger's father.I was not impressed at all with Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance as an immoral minister.I enjoyed Donald Sutherland as a minister, although his role is short-lived.I watched this film twice, and had negative feelings about it both times. I'd say that unless the Civil War is of particular interest, pass it by.

jamesphilippy This movie expertly illustrates a different point of view than most are likely used to. Politics are largely neglected in this film, as opposed to the exclusively political conflicts depicted in Lincoln and other such films documenting the Civil War Era. Instead,the struggles and tribulations of an average confederate soldier brings the atrocities of the war, and its impact on the entire south into context for viewers. Viewers are able to, in a very emotional way, experience the horror of battle, as well as the effect on all walks of life in the south. The film details several battles between the Union and Confederate forces, all of which are barbaric bloody brawls. It brings to light the desperation of the soldiers to survive, as well as the near-fervor for their own cause. The way in which southern soldiers were shown to fight reflects the honor and the warrior mentality that the south had at the time, which bolstered its efforts against the Union. Historical accuracy seems rather evident. Conflict existed all across the South during this time period, and it seems accurate that there would be Union Soldiers desperate enough to raid entire towns, steal livestock and supplies, and terrorize locals, seeking food. A mother is encountered by Inman, who misses her husband enough that she would lie with him to recall her husband's presence. It is safe to assume that the husband was also drawn away by the war. The conflict affects every person in the country, and this film makes the situation heartfelt, and as evidently volatile and conflict-ridden as it must have been to actually experience it. The choice to steer clear of political dealings, and focus solely on the domestic effects and tolls that the war took, serves this film well, and it engages viewers, as well as drawing them into the time period. One can truly learn about the war, as well as the time period from watching this film.

erikahermanson The movie was a romantic film that captured a love story as two people split up because of the Civil War. The movie shows both the relaxing parts of the war, the intense battle fields, the families struggling at home, and women's roles during the Civil War. In the beginning of the movie Inman the soldier who will soon go off to war and Ada, the daughter of a Charleston preacher man who has recently moved to Cold Mountain meet and instantly have a connection. The film then follows Inman as he struggles the difficulties of war so that he can return home to Ada, and Ada as she struggles to maintain the life she once knew after her father passes identifies key points of the Civil War. The movie shows gruesome scenes that show how the war ended up affecting many people's lives. The movie details how soldiers treated women and families and indicates the death and rape of many of the women and children. The movie also captures the age differences in the war and showed that many young men were off to fight the war. During the movie Inman and a few other men are captured and this shows that different soldiers would do anything they needed to try and win the war. Overall, the movie captured different aspects of the war pretty well. Although some of the terms or ideas used in the movie had not yet been used during the time period, the movie did a good job showcasing the important details and ideas of the Civil War that are educational and important for the audience to know. While detailing the Civil War the movie also described a love story that captured the audience and made them want to watch until the end.