Devastation was a feeling that many Americans became accustomed to during the outbreak of the Civil War, but this devastation eventually evolved into the rebirth of the United States. The death toll was enormous and families were torn apart, just as the nation was. There were social, economic, and political complexities that made the war seem even more impossible to resolve. Many filmmakers have sought to realistically capture these complexities to reveal the damaging war that preserved the United States. Accuracies can be analyzed in any movie by comparing the events of the movie and the real events that happened during the Civil War. One film that achieves this is Cold Mountain, released in 2003. It was produced by Iain Smith and directed by Anthony Minghella, with stars in lead roles such as Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger. The film Cold Mountain does an acceptable job of portraying the Civil War through the role of the Home Guard, the women's roles, and clothing, with few errors. Cold Mountain is a beautiful love story that takes place during the Civil War in the year 1864 and travels back to 1861. WP Inman, the male protagonist of the film, is shown at the beginning of the film in 1864 in the midst of the Civil War. He is fighting on the Confederate side and experiences the pain and anguish that comes with war. He is desperately trying to get home to his new love, Ada, and treasures all the letters he receives from her. He decides to abandon the war and takes a mortal risk to be with her again. As he returns to Ada he meets different and interesting people, all affected in their own way by the war. Inman eventually becomes capture... midway through the card... with very few mistakes. Cold Mountain has a heartbreaking ending and keeps the viewer in suspense for almost the entire film. The Civil War was a devastating period in American history, and after hundreds of thousands of deaths, a new country was reborn. Works Cited “Cold Mountain.” Imbd.com. Web.22 November 2011 http://www.imbd.com/title/tt0159365/. Schultz, Cathy. "Cold Mountain." Schultz, Cathy. "Cold Mountain." St. Francis University-Joliet, IL. Network. January 10, 2012. http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/historyinthemovies/coldmountain.htmStevenson, Paul. The American Civil War. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2011. Print.Sullivan, George. War portraits. Brookfield, CN: Twenty-First Century, 1998. Print. "The Civil War". PBS. PBS. Network. November 22, 2011 http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/facts.html.