I had started watching this movie awhile back but hadn't finished it because it wasn't holding my interest like I thought it would given that it had so much praise. Finally, I finished it and realized the end is what made the whole movie; or at least for me anyway.

Prior to seeing the ending, I felt that the movie was a watered down version of Cold Mountain. I say it's watered down because the love story between James McAvoy & Keira Knightley's characters didn't come across as strongly as it did between Jude Law & Nicole Kidman's characters in Cold Mountain. I'm not sure why.

The stories mimicked one another in many ways though. In both, the couples had short romances where they were torn apart too soon. They then try and find their way back to one another, meeting many obstacles and cruel adversaries. Only to come back together for an apparent happy ending. A happy ending that was not to be.