Anthony Minghella has become today's poet of images. His films are lyrical and very emotional. They are beautiful, always thoughtful and very touching. That's why I counted my lucky stars when I learned that Minghella would next adapt one of the best and most beautiful books I've ever read, Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain.Could Mountain: The Journey from Book to Film takes you on the road that everyone involved with this film walked down. First, we meet Minghella and Frazier, as they both discuss the writing of the book and of the script. Then, we meet the producers, the set desingers, the cinematographer, the costume desingers, the actors, the editor... Everyone who played a major role in the making of this film is presented in this book.
I haven't yet see the film and cannot say if the greatness of the book translated well when it was taken to the silver screen. But judging from the interviews and the pictures in this film, I have to say that I don't think I'll be disappointed. The pictures in this book are beautiful and very attractive; you can already tell that this will be one heck of a film to look at (the pictures alone are the kind of visual candy you can't pry yourself away from). And then, the book also reprinted parts of Minghella's screenplay. And like we saw in his other films, The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley, Minghella really has a knack for writing engaging and touching dialogue.
Reading this book only made me want to see the film even more. It's rare that you are allowed to partake in this kind of journey, following a film's progress from point A to point Z. But this book brings you right into the heart of the film's production, discussing all the problems the crew faced, and telling us little annecdotes about the making of this film. Cold Mountain might not end up being the greatest film ever made (although I do wish it is), but I can tell, judging by this book, that it will be a great and very important film.
