COLD MOUNTAIN

"Come back to me"

Ada Monroe

As the American Civil War nears it conclusion, wounded Confederate soldier Inman (Law) decides to desert and head home to the woman he loves. Ada (Kidman) pines for the return of her true love as she is left alone to manage a large farm after the death of her father (Sutherland). As Inman starts his arduous journey home, Ada and her new farmhand Rudy (Zellweger) struggle to keep the place running and out of the grasp of Teaque (Winstone), who used to own the land. All both of them want is to live a normal life, away from war and heartache, on Cold Mountain.

Setting a love story against a pivotal point in history isn't the most original movie idea but in the hands of Oscar winning director Anthony Minghella, Cold Mountain is a classic of the genre.

The story might be very slight, man deserts army to return to his true love, but it is the epic scale of not only his journey but also the journey of the woman he is trying to get back to. Told partly in flashback and then two stories running in parallel, the tale of love and devotion between two people separated by war will touch even the coldest heart.

Anthony Minghella always get the best out of his actors and this movie is no exception. Nicole Kidman is on top form as the Southern Belle who has never done a day's hard work in her life. She really captures the essence of the character that has been shaded from the hardships of life by her father. Seeing her face up to a chicken for the first time is priceless. Jude Law's reputation as a fine character actor continues to grow with another standout performance. Cultivating the southern accent perfectly, Law's performance is the essence of the film and shows that he has the screen presence to be a leading man.

Renée Zellweger steals the show however. As farmhand tomboy Ruby, Zellweger again shows what a talent she really is. Every time she graces the screen she grabs your attention and provides a much needed injection of humour into the dramatic mix. The way she handled Nicole's afore mentioned chicken problem is hilarious.

The supporting cast is also first rate. Star turns from the always brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a sinful priest, Natalie Portman as a desperately lonely single mother and Ray Winstone as truly repulsive small town lawman. Brendan Gleeson proves again what an underestimated actor he is with another engaging performance, this is an actor that you always recognise but can never put a name to.

The cinematographic is superb. The battle sequences are suitably epic and realistically bloody. The camera takes you into the thick of the action as bullet and cannon fire sound surrounds you. The beauty and extremes of North Carolina countryside is fantastically photographed, capturing the abundantly colourful summer and spring and the bleak, harsh winter perfectly.

While the story might be slight, it is engaging enough to warrant your attention for the two and a half hour running time. It is the well-developed characters and the intensity of the love story that draw you in to this epic tale and this is what will make Cold Mountain stay in your mind a long time after watching.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer, as you'd except from a modern film. The picture quality really captures the beautiful cinematography of the piece as we follow Inman's journey back to Ada. The sound is also first rate with a strong emphasis on dialogue and a score that really sets the speakers alight.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Feature Commentary with director Anthony Minghella and editor Walter Murch
This informative and chatty commentary gives you an in depth insight into the making of Cold Mountain. The pair discusses all aspects of the filmmaking process from the technicalities of the battle sequences to the importance of casting. Minghella talks about the role music plays in the movie and creating the right emotions for each character. He also reveals the importance of each of the characters and the actors that play those roles. This is a very interesting commentary from a man who really knows everything about the filmmaking process.

Disc 2

Climbing Cold Mountain: Documentary (1hr 14.07 min)
Director Anthony Minghella, producers Albert Berger, William Hurberg, Roy Yerxa, Sidney Pollock, editor Walter Murch, composer Gabriel Yared, director of photography John Seale and stars Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renée Zellweger, Giovanni Ribisi and Jack White take you behind the scenes of the making of Cold Mountain. The documentary takes you through the entire filmmaking process, from Anthony Minghella receiving the book and writing the screenplay to the preview screenings and the glittering premiere. This is a fascinating insight into the filmmaking process.

Deleted Scenes (20.50 mins)
Entitled "Scene 2: Cold Mountain chapel", "Scene 12: Battlefield", "Scene 36: Boxcar", "Scene 53: Ocean by the Hospital", "Scene 90: Ada's bedroom", "Scene 103: Veasey Town", "Scene 110: Old Town scene", "Scene 114: Bottom field at Black Cove", "Scene 152: Sara's cabin", "Scenes 173 - 175: Cold Mountain" and "Scene 189: Teague's visit", these deleted scenes could have been easily added to the movie. A director's commentary on the reasons why they were removed would have helped.

The Words and Music of Cold Mountain - Royce Hall Special (1hr 33.04 mins)
A promotional extravaganza organised by executive music producer T-Bone Burnett. Film Critic David Thompson interviews director Anthony Minghella and clips and music accompany them from the film. Complementing the interview are readings from the novel and screenplay for Cold Mountain by cast members Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Kathy Baker and Brendan Gleeson along with performances of songs featured in the movie by Sting, Jack White, Alison Krauss, Tim O'Brien, Tim Eriksen, Cassie Franklin, Stuart Duncan, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus.

A Journey to Cold Mountain (29.41 mins)
Director Anthony Minghella, producers Roy Yerxa, Sidney Pollock, author Charles Frazier, executive music producer T-Bone Burnett and stars Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renée Zellweger, Brendan Gleeson, Natalie Portman, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jack White take you behind the scenes of Cold Mountain. They discuss the characters, Inman and Ada's journey and the novel itself as we see how the production captured the time of the American Civil War.

Sacred Heart History (4.03 mins)
Tim Eriksen, T-Bone Burnett and David Lvey reveal where this unusual form of church singing originated from and why. They also reveal how a real Sacred Heart choir received a starring role in the movie.

Storyboard Comparisons (9.54 mins)
Watch storyboard to footage comparisons for "The Siege of Petersburg", "The Swanger torture scene" and "Sara's Cabin".

OVERALL

For fans of the movie, this DVD is exceptionally good. The amount of bonus material is far longer than the actual film itself and that is 2 ½ hours long. The documentary and promotional featurettes are first rate and when you add in a very informative commentary track from the director you get extraordinary value. The only gripe is the lack of commentary on the deleted scenes. This is how a DVD should be packaged.

DVD

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Glory

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2004