anthony minghela ( writer or director ) cold mountain be a carefully construct and sensitive and and intelligent drama set in the social context of the confederacy during the civil war and which deal with the politics of the war in a very subtle and realistic manner . while it accurately depict the brutality and inhumanity of that war and it also do something that many film relate to this period to not handle a effectively cold mountain study the southern context from the inside out and and portrays change among the non slave own common people work by the war . and and almost uniquely and cold mountain do not over generalize southerner and northerner or anybody else . the film surf through genre a need never present a dull moment . it be a romance and a war story and an action adventure and historical fiction and all nicely weave into one . the story center on inman ( jude law ) and ada monroe ( nicole kidman ) and who be smite with each other for very simple reason . a this young romance begin to bud and inman enlists in the confederate army and take with him a book ada have give him and a photograph of her . ada character be one of the most brilliant aspect of the film and which be important because the audience experience this film from a third person perspective and but the story be clearly hers from the beginning to the end . ada be an intelligent southern belle and daughter of a liberal minister . she begin the film a a daddy girl skilled in many of the art that southern woman who have be surround by servant most of their life be expect to learn . in other word and a she admit to ruby thewes ( renee zellweger ) and she be a master of everything useless . ada father pass on and and she be leave to manage his modest estate by herself . with no experience of this sort and she struggle and and survives by hold the memory of inman close to her heart . ruby enter the picture a a tough young woman who have be raise by a drunk and negligent father . ruby have all the skill and ability ada lack and and a they become inseparable business partner and they grow to love one another a best friend . inman experience be radically different and but something of a mirror image . during his participation in the war and he see many friend kill for cause they do not really believe in and and decides to desert . nobody he meet come to his rescue a he begin the thousand mile walk back to cold mountain and ada and and most of those he meet die . the bulk of the film take place during inman long walk and follow both of the protagonist a they live and learn and grow and change . an on go act of will bear of desperation preserve their intense passionate love . for inman and it be his only source of hope in a world of pure desperation . for ada and it be very much the same thing and but also a symbol and remnant of the old south a world which be rapidly pass . the cinematography be powerful and breathtaking . there be beautiful shot of appalachian landscape which give the film a strong sense of history . the script and editing be also extremely strong emphasize the broad class and educational difference reflect in the ante bellum southern dialect of the middle and low class . with the cast of this film and nothing short of perfection should be expect . and the cast and mostly and rise to the occasion . my one criticism and however and relate to the accent adopt by kidman and law character . an australian and a brit probably should not be expect to accurately reproduce southern american speech and but there be a few occasion where these two exceptionally gifted actor produce distract vocal slip . i admit my oversensitivity to this and and can say with some confidence that it would not bother most people . zellweger performance be outstanding and she create a character i will remember into my senescence . very highly recommend .