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Rating: Based on the novel of the same name by writer Charles Fraizer, "Cold Mountain" is, alongside "The English Patient," the most famous cinematic work of Anthony Minghella. A work that received a whopping seven nominations at the Academy Awards and was presented as one of the most interesting and "important" titles of 2003: partly because Minghella had already amazed everyone with the aforementioned "The English Patient," and partly because the film featured big names such as Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Renée Zellweger, as well as Natalie Portman and Philip Seymour Hoffman in "minor" roles.
The story is set in the midst of the American Civil War: Inman (Jude Law) leaves to fight but is forced to abandon Ada (Nicole Kidman), a woman from a good family he had fallen for just days before his departure. It marks the beginning of a double ordeal, which destroys her psychologically and him physically, "forced" to survive with the real and moral wounds of a war that shook him to his core. While awaiting their reunion, the character of Ruby emerges (Zellweger's interpretation is extraordinary), a woman as harsh as the world surrounding her. Between her and Ada, a relationship develops capable of easing the challenges faced by both.
It is a dense plot, "heavy," that Minghella brings to the screen, leaning on a screenplay penned by him, which collaborates well in telling a story that is not entirely original but nonetheless complex. The over two hours of film end up deteriorating at times into a narrative discourse that is sometimes disorganized, trapped in the cinematic necessity to "bide time," in order to create the right tension for the possible reunion. "Cold Mountain" has precisely this aspect as its weakest point: a perhaps excessively long film, which, due to a not entirely linear story, ends up having narrative gaps that manifest themselves particularly in the central part, which ultimately is the least successful. But Minghella is a capable director and demonstrates his skill in deftly managing a narrative with multiple facets: to do so, he elevates his directorial level, attempting bolder and less "standard" shots compared to his usual. It can be defined as the British filmmaker's most demanding work for this reason too.
"Cold Mountain" (original title) is not just a romantic film, but it is a portrait of America at the time (we're in 1864, North Carolina), as well as a reflection on war, an element that destroys, shatters, and devours an entire country. There's not only the war splendidly told through the siege of Petersburg (the opening sequence is of the highest level), but there's also an internal conflict, represented by the raids of the Confederates against deserters. This is precisely the most brutal aspect of the representation.
Probably overly saccharine in the second half, perhaps even predictable in a final that nonetheless leaves a bitter aftertaste, "Cold Mountain" is great cinema, despite the aforementioned narrative issues. The viewing proves at times excessively measured, but ultimately highlights a magnum opus from a directorial, musical, and scenic standpoint (Dante Ferretti, a sure thing), which manages to shed the "love story" label to tell something else and tell it impeccably.
A director who did not have the time to say everything (he passed away in 2008) but still left a career with various flashes of brilliance.
Academy Award 2004 to Renée Zellweger for "Best Supporting Actress."
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