Wednesday, February 25, 2004
There's a lot of bastards up on Cold Mountain
After seeing Cold Mountain last night, I think that Carey's observation is right on. The movie really is classic, it takes so much from 19th century romantic novels. This point is made clear when Nicole Kidman's character is reading from Wuthering Heights to Renee Zellwegger's. And as someone who was impelled to read the both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights many times over again, this film certainly pleased me. Not as graphically violent as people had warned me, but it nonetheless led me to conclude that there were a lot of bastards on Cold Mountain. I hated the Militia so much! Did people like that really exist? If a man has an open wound on his neck and is spitting up blood when he talks, how is it a crime that he goes home? It made me so mad that these horrible men that weren't even brave enough to fight (come on, they weren't that old) were riding around harassing people. And what is the difference between a dead deserter and a deserter? They aren't fighting either way.
But beyond the violence, let's talk about Anthony Minghella and his incredible incredible ability to evoke passion. On my Nerve profile, posted oh-so-long-ago, I sited that scene in The English Patient, when Ralph Fiennes pins Kristin Scott Thomas against the wall, as the love scene that turns me on. It does, it is so...hot. And the first kiss in Cold Mountain, between two frighteningly beautiful people--Nicole and Jude Law--was definitely in the same realm. But I was also really touched by the scene with Natalie Portman and Jude, when they are lying side-by-side in bed. It was so tender and simple. The love scene near the end was just so-so.
In fact, the whole ending was so-so. Thanks to the magic of foreshadowing (the well scene), we already knew what was going to happen. So the last half hour seemed like I was just waiting for the train wreck, but it was beautiful anyway. Loved the last kiss, as cliche Hollywood as it was.
But I am curious to hear what the word on this film was like south of the Mason-Dixon. It's pretty obviously biased (despite trying to balance it out with the one scene with the hunger-raged, woman-raping Union soldiers). All the southern men come across as stupid, war-mongering meanies. Or maybe they are not perceived that way in the South. I have no idea.
But all-in-all I think it was a well-made film. Very beautiful and an evening well-spent.
But beyond the violence, let's talk about Anthony Minghella and his incredible incredible ability to evoke passion. On my Nerve profile, posted oh-so-long-ago, I sited that scene in The English Patient, when Ralph Fiennes pins Kristin Scott Thomas against the wall, as the love scene that turns me on. It does, it is so...hot. And the first kiss in Cold Mountain, between two frighteningly beautiful people--Nicole and Jude Law--was definitely in the same realm. But I was also really touched by the scene with Natalie Portman and Jude, when they are lying side-by-side in bed. It was so tender and simple. The love scene near the end was just so-so.
In fact, the whole ending was so-so. Thanks to the magic of foreshadowing (the well scene), we already knew what was going to happen. So the last half hour seemed like I was just waiting for the train wreck, but it was beautiful anyway. Loved the last kiss, as cliche Hollywood as it was.
But I am curious to hear what the word on this film was like south of the Mason-Dixon. It's pretty obviously biased (despite trying to balance it out with the one scene with the hunger-raged, woman-raping Union soldiers). All the southern men come across as stupid, war-mongering meanies. Or maybe they are not perceived that way in the South. I have no idea.
But all-in-all I think it was a well-made film. Very beautiful and an evening well-spent.
