Legends of the Fall (1994)

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.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

Susan Shilliday (screenplay), William D. Wittliff (screenplay),

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 8 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Set in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the early 1900s, this is a tale of love, betrayal, and brotherhood. After being discharged, Colonel Ludlow decides to raise his three sons in the wilds of Montana, where they can grow up away from the government and society he has learned to despise. The three brothers mature and seem to have an unbreakable bond, until Susanna enters their lives. When Samuel, the youngest of the three, returns from college he brings with him his beautiful fiancée, Susanna. The eldest son, Alfred, soon finds himself in love with his brother's fiancée, and things get worse when he discovers a growing passion between Susanna and Tristan. Colonel Ludlow's favorite son, Tristan is willful and as wild as the mountains. As the brothers set out to fight a war in Europe, suspicion and jealousy threatens to tear apart their once indestructible bond.

---

Plot Keywords:

usa | epic | heart | passion | scalping | 

---

Taglines:

After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, and for some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Leyendas de pasión

Filming Locations:

43 Powell Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£2,403,399 (UK) (19 May 1995)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Bedford Falls Productions, Pangaea

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Moving filming from Montana to Canada saved the production $2 million.

---

Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, when young Tristan gets clawed by the bear, the bear cuts him on his arm. But when his father comes to look at the wound, the cut is on his ribs.

---

Quotes

One Stab: She was like the water that freezes inside a rock and breaks it apart. It was no more her fault than it is the fault of the water when the rock shatters.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: Lamb Chop's on the Menu (1995)

---

Soundtracks

"Twilight and Mist"
Written by James Horner and Brock Walsh

User Reviews

Great drama taking place before, during and after World War I

Normally love dramas don't interest me, since I find them boring and predictable. This film, while being more than "just" a good love drama, really impressed me. Many of the scenes are quite visually beautiful, some in cinematography, others in content. As a love drama, it's moving, and at times almost poetically beautiful. It involves three men, brothers, who are all in love with the same woman. She has a relationship with each of them, but ultimately realizes that she only loves one of them. The plot is very good, and evolves at the right pace for this type of story. Not terribly fast, but never stands still either. The actors all portray their respective characters well, nearly all of them giving a perfect performance. Anthony Hopkins is great, as always. There was not really anything in this movie that disappointed me. The ending scene involves some of the best cinematography I've ever seen. There is a very emotional scene near the end which is also one of the most visually beautiful I've ever seen in a movie. I recommend this to most fans of love dramas, and, to a lesser extent, fans of war dramas. 8/10