Just saw Cold Mountain...

F-22

F-22

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Aug 15, 2003
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GREAT movie!!!! I loved all the knives, especially the guy (native american?) in the beginning who had the big bowie!!!

People who said this movie was great certainly were correct.
 
The battle scene at the beginning is based on a real incident in the Civil War. On the 30th July 1864, during the Federal siege of Petersburg, a mine was detonated under Confederate lines at the end of a 510 foot tunnel.

"Only hours before the detonation, Meade, with Grant's approval, ordered an unprepared white division to attempt the initial breakthrough. At 4:45 AM four tons of gunpowder blew a huge hole (25 to 30 feet deep) in the Confederate line. The mine was a shocking success, but the subsequent attack was mismanaged. The confused, poorly led assault division entered "The Crater" instead of attacking the now exposed southern trenches. Union casualties reached 4,000 while the Confederates suffered less than 1,500. Grant called the battle: "...the saddest affair I have witnessed in the War."

http://www.batteryb.com/battles/petersburg.html

maximus otter
 
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I'm sorry, but Cold Mountain bored the living snot out of me. And I'm usually able to appreciate most (critically acclaimed) movies. I probably would have liked it more if it wasn't so overly dramatic. As it was, the excessive drama bored me and made me care less about the characters. Drama is good and all, but there's a balance, and this went way over the top.
 
Well I haven't seen the movie yet but we in the south do have Civil War reinactments from time to time and very impressive too, although one flaw at a particular site did not have enough horses to draw out the cannons so a few pick up trucks were used and General Sherman was captured. Oh boy. :D Cavelady
 
Many years ago, they did a television special or movie on the battle, and the engineer who proposed the idea for the breakthrough attack. It may have been one of those "Hallmark" productions. I don't recall much of it, but I remember scenes of Union soldiers listening for the Confederate counter-tunnels being dug.
 
It was a crafty snoozer...they start it out "blowing things up real good" to hook guys then it becomes a total chick flick..PLUS, they kept us guys waiting for a hot lesbian scene between Nicole and Renee...and it never happened. Two thumbs sideways.
 
Ming65 said:
It's a great book too.......
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Wonderful book, much better than the movie, although the movie was a good one I thought.
I rated the book up there with "Lonesome Dove" as one of my favorites. :D
 
Lonesome Dove was great! I couldn't really get into Cold Mountain though - one of the protagonists was a deserter. Tough to dig up much sympathy or empathy for someone who leaves his buddies to die because things are tough at home with a girl he barely knows but is in love with. Meh....
 
I must get around to reading lonesome dove. A friend who recommended it said that after he finished reading the book he missed the characters - that's about the best recommendation for a book there can be.

Cold Mountain really is a suberb work of literature. Great humour and seriousness combined and a real passion for the land/landscape and what it means in our lives.
 
Ming65 said:
I must get around to reading lonesome dove. A friend who recommended it said that after he finished reading the book he missed the characters - that's about the best recommendation for a book there can be.

Cold Mountain really is a suberb work of literature. Great humour and seriousness combined and a real passion for the land/landscape and what it means in our lives.
Click to expand...

I don't know about Lonesome Dove, but I really like Ming's characterization of Cold Mountain. I would only add that the scene in the film depictng the Battle of the Crater was THE most intense battle scene that I have ever seen in a film. God, but it was intense.
 
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