Cold Mountain is unoriginal from beginning to end. It's the story of Ada (Nicole Kidman), a shy minister's daughter, who falls in love with Inman (a blank Jude Law), a reticent carpenter who soon goes off to war. Ada writes letters to Inman and as the tragedies mount in her life, she begs him to come home to her, which he promptly attempts, deserting the Confederate army. Eventually he does return, but it's a bittersweet reunion.
Ada and Inman's storylines are separate like Sleepless in Seattle except set in the south during the Civil War. At first Ada has to manage her farm on her own and does a poor job of it so tough-talking Ruby (a scene-stealing Renee Zellwegger) is enlisted to aid her. Ada goes from a wilting flower to a strong woman. Her transformation is interesting though hardly unique. It's the exact same one that Scarlett O'Hara went through.
Inman, by contrast, gets shot a number of times, is captured as a deserter, and meets up with all kinds of odd people, though in the end doesn't grow one bit. Despite the fact that he claims that war has changed him, has made him hard inside, there's absolutely no evidence of this. Frankly, his entire bloody, picaresque journey could be almost completely excised without losing much except time. There is only one scene with Natalie Portman playing a widow with a baby that is worth keeping because it's actually thought-provoking. Otherwise, no time is spent on what Ada or Inman actually think about the war or slavery or states' right. The war, therefore, is completely decontextualized and is reduced to a clichéd supporting player.
The cinematography is quite good and director Anthony Minghella knows how to create wonderful shots of repetitive elements like lily pads in a swamp or soldiers on a battlefield. But by contrast, he doesn't seem to know when to quit in the sex and violence department. The opening battle is overly and unnecessarily gory. Ever since Saving Private Ryan, every war movie seems to have a battle scene like this. It's a shame because the battle adds nothing to the storyline; its only saving grace is the beautiful music playing all the while. Similarly, the sex scene between Inman and Ada is not only gratuitous but out of character; it's the brief and fully-clothed kiss that they share in the beginning that is honestly moving.
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