Inman and Ada fall in love just before the Civil War. He goes off to fight before they have a chance to say more than, “I’ll wait for you.” But their love sustains them during the three years they’re separated.

Ada’s father dies and Ada, untrained in anything practical, allows the farm to go to pot. Her neighbor, Sally Swanger, sends Ruby over to help Ada. The two form a partnership and friendship and get the farm going again. Ruby’s father shows up with two fellow musicians, but the home guard kills one of them and leaves Ruby’s father injured.

Inman sees a lot of war until injured at Petersburg. He decides he can’t take anymore and deserts from the hospital. His long walk back to Ada is full of danger — from Union troops and from Confederate home guard forces rounding up strangers. He finally meets Ada when she and Ruby are in an isolated cabin caring for Ruby’s father. They spend one night together. In the morning, on the way back to the farm, the home guard attacks and Inman is killed.

The two women go back to the farm with Ruby’s father, the third musician (Georgia) who is now married to Ruby, a neighbor lady and Ada’s daughter by Inman.

Great mood, period setting and characters, although Inman and Ada’s romance doesn’t really sparkle much. In its portrayal of the brutality of war, the movie really gets brutal and crude in places. Still, it is so emotive (is that a word and did I use it right?) that I gave it an 8.