Cold Mountain (2003)

◄ Cold Mountain (2003)

Anachronisms

The musicians sing the song "Sittin' on Top of the World." which is from 1930.
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Before the Civil War even begins (1861), Ada asks Inman if he "had a picture made ... a tintype." The word tintype did not come into use until 1864. Before the War, these pictures were known as ferrotypes or ambrotypes.
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During the battle scene, it appears that some of the American flags being carried by the Union soldiers are the "50 star" type flags. The American flag with 50 stars was not used until at least 1960, after Hawaii was made a state.
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Character error

In the scene in the church before Inman goes to war they sing a shape note/Sacred Harp hymn called "I'm Going Home" and the congregation is seated as one should be to sing Sacred Harp singing, that is in a square. Each side of the square is a different voice and divided into bass, tenor (the melody line), alto and treble (soprano). Ada is sitting on one side and Inman on another but they are both singing the melody line which one or both of them should not be depending where they are seated.
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Continuity

When Ada is turkey hunting and meets Inman, she fires the right-hand barrel of her double barrelled shot-gun to kill a turkey. Without reloading, she then fires the same barrel in an attempt to frighten Inman away.
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The horse behind Ada Monroe and Ruby Thewes changes position several times during the fence building scene.
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Ruby Thewes' cloth strips that are used as chin straps change position while she is introducing herself to Ada Monroe on the porch. They go from on her left breast, to the middle of her chest, to over her shoulder in the close up shots.
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When they first encounter the dead bull in the creek, the bull is lying diagonally with its front end out in the middle of the creek and its rump on or next to the bank. When Inman steps over the bull to begin sawing it, it is lying completely in the middle of the creek, parallel to the bank.
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When Ada is leaving the cabin to go "look for some food", her hair is in two braids. When she comes back after shooting the turkey and finding Inman, her hair is in a ponytail.
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Crew or equipment visible

On the DVD version at least, When Ada plays her piano as she rides past Inman "plowing the top field", you can see a wrangler's hand at the edge of the screen bringing his plow horse to a halt.
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Errors in geography

An insert of a "crow" is shown, sitting on a fencepost. It's a grey-and-black Hooded Crow (Corvus corone corvix), common in Eastern Europe (where the film was shot), but unheard of in the southern US (where the story is set).
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The Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States have no jagged peaks. The mountains shown are Romanian.
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When Inman deserts this army in Petersburg VA, he heads home to the mountains of North Carolina by way of the Outer Banks. That would be hundreds of miles out of his way. Also no palm trees grow in the Outer Banks of N.C.
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Factual errors

After the mine has been laid under the Confederate trenches, the Union soldiers are seen laying on the ground in their ranks waiting to charge after the mines goes off. In reality the Union troops waited in their trenches, since (1) there was no open ground where they could all have laid in formation, (2) they would have been hit by debris from the explosion, and (3) the Confederates would have seen them getting out and lying in wait.
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In the opening battle scene, the famous Crater at Petersburg is depicted as much wider and deeper than it actually was.
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Ada comments about not smiling in her photo; in the 19th century (and well into the 20th) it was uncommon to smile for any portrait.
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Revealing mistakes

When Inman is walking by the lake, you can see his tracks from previous takes.
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When the Yankees are charging after exploding the breastworks at Petersburg, a soldier's obviously rubber bayonet can be seen flopping as he runs.
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When Inman regains consciousness, chained to the other prisoners who are dead, the hand of the body next to him, which he moves from his neck, moves on its own after he places it on the ground.
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Spoilers

The goof below may give away important plot points.

Continuity

At the end of the movie, where Ada is skinning a sheep to fit the skin over an orphaned lamb, her hands are covered with blood and holding a knife. Yet, when she stands up and takes her daughter's hand, there is no knife and her hands are as clean as can be.
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