The Words and Music of 'Cold Mountain'

I enjoyed the special "The Words and Music of Cold Mountain" very much. It had some interesting background information emerge through interviews with Anthony Minghella, also it was great to hear the Sacred Harp singers live, especially Tim Eriksen... and the other musicians like Alison Krauss... and to see their facial expressions while performing.

Krauss delivers a beautiful performance of the song "Scarlet Tide." There were readings from the script, as well as the novel, and other inspirational readings too. Overall it felt like a cozy evening in a theater with a group of creative, talented actors and musicians and other collaborators.

I don't think the film "Cold Mountain" by itself is as good as the DVD set that includes this special. You get a better feeling for what the film was trying to say, and for the amount of talent and emotion that went into making it. That the film must be supplemented and complemented by this material is not necessarily bad... it just shows a continuation of the creative community partly rooted in the film.

If you have read the book or seen the film of Cold Mountain you will appreciate that this isn't standard Hollywood entertainment. Anthony Minghella's painstaking attention to detail, with years of studying the setting, the history, the war and the mountain are unmistakable.

The 92 minutes that makes up this evening's celebration of the words (with script readings and selections from the book) and music (a selection of the songs used in and written for the film are performed) are interspersed with clips from the film and an interview with Anthony Minghella.

The celebration reveals the true professionalism and care for detail and accuracy exhibited by everyone involved in the making of the film, whether in front of or behind the camera or in a recording studio.

After watching this you'll be in awe at every detail the next time you watch or read Cold Mountain.