Some movies create a feeling of epic proportions simply because of the ideas they present and the manner in which they are presented. Many of these movies are made with meager budgets and a cast of unknown actors. Most of these famous movies have been released by Miramax Films since the Weinstien brothers began their company in 1979.
“Cold Mountain,” the biggest Miramax produced film to date, is not one of those movies. Presenting no new ideas and lacking a unique style of filmmaking, the film instead falls back on the fact that it is an epic film for its epic status. With an unbelievable amount of talented supporting cast and a majestic mountainous backdrop, the film delivers the goods for sheer quantity alone. However, the story’s quality suffers from a noticeable lack of originality.
Jude Law stars as Inman, a southerner who falls for the beautiful Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman). After just one kiss and the promise of eternal love, Inman is drafted into the Confederate army. It is his love for Ada that keeps him alive throughout the Civil War’s horrors.
The brutal conditions that were inflicted upon the soldiers are shown with uncompromising detail in the opening minutes of the movie. As the war draws to an end, Inman decides he has waited long enough for love and leaves the battle to be with his beloved once again. At that point – almost an hour into the film – the movie finally hits its stride.
Back home in Cold Mountain, N.C., Ada has come upon some hard times at the family farm. Living the lush southern plantation life since birth, she has never had to deal with everyday farm chores. With the farm in chaos, she takes in Ruby Thewes, a mountain girl who is a little more than rough around the edges. The talented Rene Zellweger plays Ruby expertly in one of her most unflattering roles yet. With the appearance of a country bumpkin, and the manners to match, Ruby helps Ada bring her farm back to prosperity from the brink of self-destruction. Watching Zellweger and Kidman interact is a highlight of the movie as the two of them share a special chemistry, bouncing their distinct personalities off one another.
At the same time, Inman continues his journey home though the South.
Along the way he meets a multitude of interesting characters from all walks of life.
While highly entertaining, the quest home is nothing new. In fact, at points the plot seems to eerily resemble Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey.” From blind prophets to scantily clad sirens, the story borrows liberally from the epitome of epics and other similar works.
The music of the movie is truly outstanding and will leave the theater along with the audience, echoing in its collective memory. From bluegrass tunes to haunting antebellum ballads, the music helps to remind the viewer of the love that drives the movie’s. Jack White of the White Stripes contributes music to the film as well and makes an appearance in the movie itself.
The beautiful hills of Romania work to spectacularly showcase the isolation and deep-set pride that surrounds Cold Mountain. Visually, the movie is a treat to watch. This comes in handy during times of extreme melodramatic voice-overs that seem to draw on and on and on, adding to the movie’s already long-running time.
“Cold Mountain” is an epic story of love and endurance that offers plenty of entertainment value. Unfortunately, the characters and plot do not offer anything that audiences haven’t already seen countless times. For an afternoon to kill, “Cold Mountain” is worth a matinee viewing.