The opening scene of “Cold Mountain” is so rife with images of gore and mayhem, it made me want to assume the fetal position and start rocking myself.

Squeamishness aside, I think even Martin Scorsese will be proud of Director Anthony Minghella’s attempt at this anti-war epic.

Or is it only anti-Civil War? After all, the War Between the States was a conflict that left poets hard pressed to find any traces of romance or glory. (Where are Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman when you need them?)

That in mind, “Cold Mountain” manages to depict what truly was the darkest time in our nation’s history.

Based on the novel by Charles Frazier, the film follows the story of displaced southern belle, Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman) and her handsome and bashful beau, W.P. Inman (Jude Law).

Inman has been fighting for the Confederacy for four years when Ada writes him a desperate letter begging him to come home. What follows is a Homerian Odyssey complete with Sirens and a blind prophet.

Kidman, Law and Zellweger all put forth excellent performances despite their forced accents, which turn out to be only slightly distracting. The uncomfortable, yet intimate silences between Ada and Inman are made real by the subtle, less-is-more style of acting Kidman and Law employ here.

Zellweger also shines as the hard, yet vulnerable Ruby who uses all her charm and comedic timing to entertain the audience between scenes of blood and destruction by tearing the head off a rooster with her bare hands.

In addition to the mighty triumvirate, several impressive cameos by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Giovanni Ribisi and Natalie Portman show up along the way. Even White Stripes frontman Jack White makes his own theatrical as well as musical appearance.

One thing is for certain: Do not watch “Cold Mountain” if you’ve been feeling low recently. The movie is a Greek tragedy to put it simply. One scene is so traumatic that the only surviving character is left instantly gray-haired and permanently dumb.

The film is filled with highlights, including a gorgeous soundtrack of early American Bluegrass music and a sex scene that should serve as an example of all sex scenes to come.

Whether or not Cold Mountain will win the Best Picture Oscar depends on the Academy’s mood this year.

Regardless, Cold Mountain is a moving story about humanity under the pressure of circumstance. What makes a mother swear off guns one moment and pick up a rifle the next? The characters learn that people are as fluid as water and can change just as frequently, sometimes past the point of recognition.