Cold Mountain

MPAA Rating: R

Entertainment: +2 1/2

Content: -3 1/2

Human suffering groans to life in Cold Mountain, an historical drama set during the Civil War. The story begins with the innocent romance of Inman (Jude Law) and Ada (Nicole Kidman) who must separate when Inman joins his childhood friends to fight for the South. They promise to remain true to one another. Inmans company wins distinction for bravery in accepting dangerous assignments, but the battles grow bloody and the cruel casualties mount until Inman nearly dies in a hazardous mission. While recovering in the army hospital, he receives a letter from Ada. With her farm in ruins and her food supply nearly diminished, she pleads for him to return. Barely able to walk, Inman limps toward home. The Southern army labels him a deserter meaning anyone can shoot him on sight, but his concern for Ada drives him on. His journey reveals the wounds of war on the country. Meanwhile, Ada obtains aid from a spunky mountain girl, Ruby (Renee Zellweger).

Nearly every good thing in Inmans world collapses under the fallen nature of humanity. Inman fights against Northern soldiers for reasons he does not understand, and the rage of killing so overwhelms his soul that he wonders if there is any goodness left in him. On his homeward journey, he sees people who have become like beasts to survive. Women engage in orgies so that they can trap deserters for reward money. Men kill young boys and old men for their material possessions. But hope exists for those who continue to do the right thing: an old woman risks her life by treating Inmans wounds, Inman protects a woman and her baby from corrupt Northern soldiers, and Ada and Ruby watch over a helpless community. The tragedy portrayed in Cold Mountain is heartbreaking. And the fruits of wickedness are in full cinematic color with more than enough bloody violence and sexual depravity to chill the soul.

Preview Reviewer: Blaine Butcher
Distributor: Miramax

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (35) times mild (hell 7, damn 2); moderate (butt 2, bastard 5, other 5); strong (ass 9, bitch 3, SOB 2)

Obscene Language: Many (43) times mild (other 9); moderate (piss 3, crap 3, screw 2, other 7); strong (f-word 4, s-word 10, finger gesture 1,other 4)

Profanity: Many (16) times moderate (OL 4, G 4, other 5); strong (GD 1); see Other for appropriate use of G

Violence: Many times mild (shoving and struggling, woman kills a chicken by twisting off its head); moderate (fighting, stabbing and shooting, men being shot in a pit, explosives kill men, men buried under dirt alive, men shot by own army on accident, woman tied up to watch her baby freeze); strong (men being stomped to death, men told they are having a picture taken of them but then shot, woman torched by men, attempted rape of a woman, man shot in the back while fleeing, mentally-challenged man shot, man attempts to throw woman over a cliff, man killed while attempting to rape woman)

Sex: Several times strong (three completely nude women rub against naked man, woman exposes her breasts and rear end to man, woman and man have intercourse with rear ends and breasts shown)

Nudity: Several times moderate (woman exposes her breasts and rear end to man, woman shows her breasts to man, mans rear end); strong (man and woman having sex shown from side)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Several times mild (man called another mans wife); moderate (man discusses his sexual desires); strong (woman says she will pull her dress over her head for money, woman asked if shes wrapped her legs around a man)

Drugs: Once moderate (two men made drunk by swindler)

Other: Appropriate use of God (thank the Lord, oh Lord we thank thee, on Gods surface, God will judge you, God wont let, God rest his soul, hymns), preacher is unfaithful to wife, preacher tries to kill slave whom he has made pregnant, preacher says that the stealing is okay by God, preacher uses title to get material wealth, preacher lives godless life, Christian man shown to have no morals, preachers daughter depicted with honor, man and woman marry by saying I marry you three times to each other before they have intercourse, people say that they are waiting for Gods judgment, woman looks in a well to see the future, father abandons daughter, daughter forgives father for beating her, comment is made that God must be wary of being called down on both sides of an argument, people have no hope in war

Running Time: 155 minutes
Intended Audience: Adults

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