Legends of the Fall [Blu-ray]

Director: Edward Zwick Edward Zwick

Overview

The sweeping, melodramatic saga of three brothers, their powerful father, and a beautiful woman, the popular period drama Legends of the Fall presents a romanticized view of rugged masculinity against lush Montana scenery. Based on a novel by Jim Harrison, the film covers decades in the lives of Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) Ludlow, the sons of retired military man William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins). Raised by the unorthodox Ludlow after the departure of their mother, the boys grow up close, sharing an appreciation of the land and a pioneering spirit. The family becomes divided, however, when young Sam enlists in World War I over his father's objections, and his brothers follow suit to protect him. Despite these efforts, Sam dies in battle, leaving Alfred and Tristan to return home and deal with the lingering torment. Further complicating matters is the presence of Sam's beautiful fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond). After Sam's death, she attracts the romantic attention of both the responsible Alfred and the brooding Tristan, a conflict that threatens to drive the brothers apart. Aspiring to epic status, the film utilizes period detail and attractive landscapes as a backdrop for tragic, doomed romance. While some critics complained that the film resembled a romance novel writ, veering at times into the overwrought, audiences embraced the combination of emotion and grand historical scale, making the film a box-office success.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/08/2011
UPC:	0043396150270
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	R
Source:	Sony Pictures
Region Code:	A
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:13:00
Sales rank:	2,877

Special Features

Commentary from Director Ed Zwick and Actor Brad Pitt; Deleted Scenes; Featurettes

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brad Pitt	Tristan Ludlow
Aidan Quinn	Alfred Ludlow
Anthony Hopkins	Col. William Ludlow
Julia Ormond	Susannah Fincannon Ludlow
Karina Lombard	Isabel Two Decker Ludlow
Gordon Tootoosis	One Stab
Henry Thomas	Samuel Ludlow
John Novak	James O'Banion
Robert Wisden	John T. O'Banion
Tantoo Cardinal	Pet
Christina Pickles	Isabel Ludlow
Kenneth Welsh	Sheriff Tynert
Paul Desmond	Decker
Sam Sarkar	Rodriguez
Keegan MacIntosh	Boy Tristan
Bill Dow	Longley
Randall Slavin	Teen Alfred
Nigel Bennett	Asgaard
Sekwan Auger	Young Isabel Two
Christine Harder	Isabel Three
Eric Johnson	Teen Tristan
Weston McMillan	Noel
Doug Hughes	Teen Samuel
Charles Andre	Federal Officer
Ken Kirzinger	O'Banion Thug
Stuart Aikins	Actor
Mary Colquhoun	Actor
David Kaye	Samuel Decker
Bart the Bear	the bear
James Horner	Composer

Technical Credits

William D. Wittliff

Susan Shilliday

Edward Zwick	Director,Producer
Marshall Herskovitz	Producer
Jane Bartelme	Producer
William D. Wittliff	Producer,Screenwriter
Sarah Caplan	Producer
Patrick Crowley	Executive Producer
Susan Shilliday	Screenwriter
Douglas Ganton	Sound/Sound Designer
David Campbell	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Brad Pitt's star, already on the ascent when Legends was released in 1994, zoomed to stratospheric heights as a result of his work in this multilayered saga of Montana ranch life during the early 20th century. Anthony Hopkins contributes one of his customarily assured performances as the former cavalry officer who, disgusted by the government's persecution of Native Americans, concentrates on building the sprawling cattle ranch that will one day belong to his three sons. The siblings are Aidan Quinn (playing the oldest), Henry Thomas (the youngest), and top-billed Pitt (the unruly middle brother), whose squabbling and rivalries intensify when pretty Julia Ormond happens along. Director Edward Zwick (Glory) focuses his storytelling energies on the conflicts among the sons and their relationship with their iconoclastic patriarch, maintaining the integrity of Jim Harrison's novella and never allowing the narrative to degenerate into mere soap opera. Ormond is radiant, and Quinn and Thomas are superb as the "bookend" brothers, but Legends belongs almost entirely to Pitt, who, in this lyrical period piece, finally reveals himself to be a charismatic leading man.

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

Although Edward Zwick's ambitious, tragic epic oozes with melodrama, it nevertheless manages to captivate the imagination. With a macho rural narrative smacking of a Jack London tale, the story becomes stuck in a tragic mode early on, with one painful event after another befalling the film's central family. Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, and Aidan Quinn all breathe life into their respective characters, but their work, as well as Zwick's ability to capture the rugged beauty of Montana's pastoral landscapes, is severely compromised by the film's excessive length and its narrative's unceasing tragedies, both of which try the viewer's patience. The cast rarely disappoints though; Hopkins is exceptional as the patriarchal anarchist, while Pitt and Quinn also offer some strong moments. Legends of the Fall has all the elements of classic melodrama: romance, war, tragedy, and sibling rivalry, and its universal appeal made it a hit with moviegoers but, despite its aspirations, it is by no means an epic tale for the ages.

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