Legends of the Fall (1994)

In the early 1900s, three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of Montana are affected by betrayal, history, love, nature, and war.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

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

Stars:

Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 10 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

In early twentieth century Montana, Colonel William Ludlow (Sir Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas). Eventually, the unconventional, but close-knit, family encounters tragedy when Samuel is killed in World War I. Tristan and Alfred survive their tours of duty, but, soon after they return home, both men fall for Samuel's gorgeous fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond), and their intense rivalry begins to destroy the family.

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Plot Keywords:

f word | no opening credits | violence | sex scene | sexual positions | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, and for some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cornish

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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$101,670, 23 December 1994, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$66,638,883

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$160,638,883

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, The Bedford Falls Company, Pangaea

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A soldier is given a soccer ball just before the British advance. This is based on historical fact. It was found that if the soldiers could keep part of their focus on moving the ball forward, it would lessen the tension.

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Goofs

Susannah's hair when she is brushing it and talking to Alfred.

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Quotes

[Regarding Tristan's departure]
Susannah: Will he come back?
Colonel Ludlow: I don't know.
Colonel Ludlow: [One Stab speaks Cree] Stab says yes.

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Alternate Versions

The new special edition contains 3 new scenes.

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Connections

Referenced in Crime Stories: Double-Cross (2004)

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Soundtracks

The Letters
Written by James Horner

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