Cold Mountain (2003) · 17 quotes
Tied for 2nd most-quoted character in Cold Mountain (2003): in 5 of its 17 quotes
A line from InmanShe gave me a book. Ada Monroe. Man by the name of Bartram. Wrote about his travels. Sometimes just reading the name of a place near home - Sorell Cove, Fire Scale Ridge - enough to break your heart. Thing is, I've been thinking - those places belonged to people before us, to the Indian - What did he call Cold Mountain? How can a name, not even the real name, break your heart? It's her...She's the place I'm heading. And I hardly know her. I hardly know her!
Inman Maybe you can't see my face, but if you could see my inside, my whatever you want to call it, my spirit, that's the fear I have deeper than any gash on my neck. I think I'm ruined. They kept trying to put me in the ground, but I wasn't ready. But if I had goodness, I lost it. If I had anything tender in me I shot it dead.
Inman I could be at killing for days, my feet against the feet of my enemy. And I always killed him. He never killed me.
Did you get my letters?
Inman I got three letters. Carried them in the book you gave me, the Bartram.
I probably sent 103. Did you write to me?
Inman Whenever I could. If you never got them I can summarize.
No, it's --
Inman I pray you're well. I pray I'm in your thoughts. You are all that keeps me from sliding into some dark place.
But how did I keep you? We barely knew each other. A few moments --
Inman A thousand moments! They're like a bag of tiny diamonds glittering in a black heart. Don't matter if they're real or things I made up. The shape of your neck. The way you felt under my hands when I pulled you to me.
Inman Come down from there!
Bosie No sir- here's just fine.
Inman I'll just shoot the horse out from under you.
Bosie You ridin' Captain Teague's animal?
Inman I am.
Bosie He dead?
Inman I hope so. [Pause, both their horses walk along the mountainside] Well, gimme your gun and ride on home! I'm done fightin'- I'm sick of it!
Bosie I give you my gun, you gonna shoot me dead!
Inman I will not shoot you- but nor am I goin' down this mountain lookin' over my shoulder for you.
Bosie That's what they call a conundrum. [Pause] I tell you what I got on my side.
Inman What you got on your side? [They both stop their horses]
Bosie ... The confidence of youth. [He draws his gun, he and Inman shoot each other]
