Question: I just loved the music. Can anyone tell me whether there's a soundtrack or anything, or who are the main performing artists?
Question: Why does Bosie's (blonde Home Guard) nose bleed whenever there's shooting going on? It happens when he's at the Swanger's house and shoots the sons and again at the end when there's the big shootout with Inman.
Chosen answer: Bosie is an Albino. One of the symtoms of Albinism (but only a very rare type) is unsusal bleeding which might include frequent nose bleeds. Gunfights clearly bring these on in him.
Must've been what kept him out of the army, I was wondering.
Question: What kind of church is it that Ada is singing in, because I have never seen it with the hands like that on the music.
Chosen answer: The hand movements you refer to are called "time setting." The purpose is to maintain the beat of the song, and keep the singing on track, particularly in the old back-woods churches where there had rarely been instrumental accompaniment. It also has the added benefit of enhancing the energy of the musical experience for the participants. I am not certain if the denomination of the church was ever explicitly stated, but it was likely Pentecostal.
Question: Does anyone know what the book is that Inman carries Ada's picture in?
Answer: Its short title is "Bartram's Travels". The complete name of the book is: Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, the Cherokee Country, the Extensive Territories of the Muscogulges or Creek Confederacy, and the Country of the Chactaws. Containing an Account of the Soil and Natural Productions of Those Regions; Together with Observations on the Manners of the Indians.
Question: Why is the pale blond man not considered a deserter? He looks old enough to fight, and not too old not to, but I don't understand why he didn't go to war.
Answer: He was part of the "homeguard" which was the group of men who stayed behind to guard their towns during the war. It was basically a legal excuse to not fully participate in the battles.
Question: I saw a rough cut of Cold Mountain, and in the scene with Natalie Portman, her baby dies, and she kills herself, as in the book. In the movie as released, the scene stops after Portman shoots the yankee soldier. Why did they cut the baby's death and her suicide?
Answer: SPOILER: The director is building up to the peak of pathos of Inman being killed. While it is good to have many other sad scenes prior to this to foreshadow it, he probably felt that a dead baby and its mother's suicide might actually trump the hero's death in the sadness stakes which would make the real ending an anti-climax.
Question: What does Ada say to her daughter at the table at the end of the film?
Question: Does anyone know the specific setting at the end where Jude Law dies. I know the general settings but would love to know this specific trail. It's beautiful and I'd love to hike it.
Answer: The movie is set in North Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains, but it was mostly filmed in Romania and the Carpathian Mountains, so the trail may be located there, making it harder to pinpoint. Cold Mountain and the surrounding Shining Rock Wilderness are part of Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. I suggest checking for a Pisgah web site that might have info and also North Carolina's state website for tourist info. There may be a NC government office that markets the state to the movie industry that can help. However, I suspect the trail is probably in Romania. - P.S. Here's a link that might help: http://movie-locations.com/movies/c/Cold-Mountain.php.
Answer: There is a soundtrack to the movie which has two oscar nominations for best original song and a nomination for original score - go to amazon.com to find out the artist info.
Jane Doe