Legends of the Fall (1994)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers (WGA):

Jim Harrison (novel)
Susan Shilliday (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 January 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

He was a rock they broke themselves against however much he tried to protect them

Plot:

Epic tale of three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of 1900s USA and how their lives are affected by nature, history, war, and love.

Plot Keywords:

USA | Passion | Heart | Epic | Restlessness

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Brad Pitt	...	Tristan Ludlow
Anthony Hopkins	...	Col. William Ludlow
Aidan Quinn	...	Alfred Ludlow
Julia Ormond	...	Susannah Fincannon Ludlow
Henry Thomas	...	Samuel Ludlow
Karina Lombard	...	Isabel Two Decker Ludlow
Gordon Tootoosis	...	One Stab
Christina Pickles	...	Isabel Ludlow
Paul Desmond	...	Decker
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Pet
Robert Wisden	...	John T. O'Banion
John Novak	...	James O'Banion
Kenneth Welsh	...	Sheriff Tynert
Bill Dow	...	Longley
Sam Sarkar	...	Rodriguez

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, and for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

43 Powell Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Bedford Falls Productions

Trivia:

Both Samantha Mathis and Gwyneth Paltrow read for the role of Susannah.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning, the boys are running through the brush with buckets on their heads, fighting with swords. They pass behind some leaves for a split second, and the buckets are gone.

Quotes:

[First lines]
One Stab: Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, or they become legends.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Getaway: (#17.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Twilight and Mist

Moved me like no film I've seen in a long damn time!

I watch a lot of movies & I can't remember the last time a film held me so spellbound. Not only are the characters engaging & vividly portrayed by an excellent cast, the subtle dynamics of their interactions are portrayed with inspired undertone & nuance. Star billing or even an Oscar should also have been awarded to the spectacularly beautiful scenery of Montana for the vast majesty it bestowed.

This complex saga of love, grief & loyalty is narrated with stark simplicity by old Stab, long-time friend to retired Colonel Ludlow & his 3 sons: staid Alfred, the eldest ("old even for his years"); idealistic Samuel, the youngest ("There was nothing these brothers would not do for him."); & wild Tristan ("Such people become crazy or they become legends."). The conflict between Ludlow's fiercely anti-government anti-war stance & his sons' determination to do what they see as their duty is but part of the story; the heart of the tale is the rift that threatens the mutual devotion of these 3 loyal brothers as they all come to love the same woman. "She was not to blame," Stab tells us, "She was like the ice that freezes in the rock and splits it apart."

A tragic tale, yes; heartbreaking at times, but never boring. Every time I felt certain I knew what was coming next, the plot took another unexpected turn & I sat there riveted, softly breathing "Wow!" now & again into the darkness. This film immediately became one of my all-time favorites; I've watched it half a dozen times since then & its scope & power still move me.