Legends Of The Fall Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins.
The men of the Ludlow family. A woman's grace brought them together. Then her passion tore them apart.
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 dispise. 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 fiance, Susanna. The eldest son, Alfred, soon finds himself in love with his brother's fiance, 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 jelousy threatens to tear apart their once indestructable bond.
| Anthony Hopkins | Col. William Ludlow |
| Brad Pitt | Tristan 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 |
| Edward Zwick |
6.80 out of 10 (15702 votes)
Visitor Reviews
The Legend Of Brad Pitt...
posted on 12 Aug 2009Legends Of The Fall, the movie that made a legend out of Brad Pitt for millions of women in this planet. I don't blame them. There's no doubt he's so good looking, so blonde, those blue eyes... but he's never been quite a good actor. As form the movie itself: a long-epic-melodramatic story about an old man which lives in the mountains, far away from the American civilization (which he hates so much). Anthony Hopkins plays that old man in one of his worst works ever (especially when his character falls ill with some facial-paralysis); Pitt is one of his three sons, the wiser one, the more handsome (of course), such a wild guy. Lots of topics, lots of common places for a movie that aimed to be sort of a modern "Gone With The Wind": war, love, death...Well, there ain't many bad things to tell about "Legends Of The Fall", apart from the fact that everything is so obvious and predictable in it. Nevertheless, I think it is not a bad movie.*My rate: 5.5/10
oh dear
posted on 06 Aug 2009I went into this film with an open mind, with time on my hands and simply hoping to see something entertaining. Unfortunately I was terribly disappointed, 'Legends of the Fall' is overlong, silly and very boring. For all the great cinematography and dramatic score it does not add up to a great film if you don't get the characters right, and i was disappointed in the performances of Pitt and Hopkins, being a fan of the latter I rather wish I had'nt seen this film as he clearly drops ricketts here; for example speaking with a welsh accent when his character isn't welsh, and at one point in another scene when he loses his temper for a moment there I thought he would break out in German. Pitt didn't come across a soldier from the great war, more like a protagonist from 'bill and Ted's excellent adventure' The storyline is soppy, sentimental and absurd and really doesn't bear going into, I did not like it and would not recommend it to other adults as a drama, I would only recommend it to fans of brad Pitt. I give it 2/10
drama, death, romance, hope, fate, lost,
posted on 06 Aug 2009This is a story of a man that can never be happy...a man who brings misfortune to everybody he loves...a man that can not find an equilibrium in his life...this is the story of Tristan (one of the three sons that the colonel has)...a man who feels the call of the restless bear inside of him, a man who can not be held in one place...a man that doesn't belong to anybody...His youngest brother brings home a girl (Susannah) with which he planes to marry. But the war starts and the boys decide themselves to join the army, although their father and Susannah try to convinced them not to go. In the war, the youngest one dies and Tristan is returning full of guilt because he could not save him..This death gives Tristan and Sussanah a chance to let shown their feeling for each other, feelings that were materialized even before the decision of joining the army. Tristan can control the feelings of guilt and after a while, he abandons everyone, even Sussanah and goes into the wild for about 7 years...Susannah gets married with Alfred, the oldest brother...The return of Tristan makes everything harder. Everybody changed...His father is paralyzed, the farm is in ruin , Susannah is unhappy...Tristan decides to marry a girl from the farm, that grew up with them and that makes Susannah kill herself after a period of suffering and secretly yearning for Tristan...Tristan's wife get shot by the local police as a response for the illegal traffic made by Tristan with booze...After the revenge, Tristan leaves his two kids with Alfred and disappears...He lived the rest of his life into the wild, hunting and exploring, far away from everybody he once knew and loved...This kind of story can not be told in a couple of words....because the subject can be reduced to some ideas, but can not draw the picture of a life like this...It is impossible not to love a passionate, brave, beautiful man, and feel attracted of him, ignoring his debilities and control weakness...He is not made for humanity, he is not made for loving someone, although he is full of passion...
The third time around!
posted on 13 Jul 2009Hey Movie-goers! I'm a cynical bastard, a depraved animal, the worst of the worst according to the women watching this moving along side with me, said so in my dorm.The Stupid barbed wire scene - I am speechless! The Tommy-gun scene! Come on! Is this a movie...? Tristan (Brad Pitt) is a joke, everybody knows how good looking he is but Hollywood must make Ormond think so too, three seconds after they meet.I lost all respect for these great actors, except Pitt in Fight Club and Twelve Monkeys.What garbage, a foul stench lingers because two times I wrote about this movie before and it was censored.The Camera, The Fighting, This was almost as bad as God's and Generals
People with hearts of stone - yeah, you'll cry too...
posted on 04 Jul 2009This has to be one of the saddest films in the history of cinema. I'll leave it at that. If I say any more, I'll be in spoiler territory.Suffice it to say, this film has a very good script, a long list of top actors on top of their game, and a storyline that will keep you satisfied all the way to its conclusion.I cried the first time I watched this film. It's incredibly moving. So much that you might not just find yourself crying - you may actually be upset.The limited action in this film is done on a small budget, but is still effective. The characters are believable and vary drastically from one another - enough to cause the films many conflicts.Overall, this film is really good, and well worth watching. Just remember that sometimes big boys DO cry. Release the metrosexual in yourself and enjoy...
Location Location Location..
posted on 22 Jun 2009An awesome movie, one of the better ones I have ever seen. I am surprised how many people still think that it was shot in Montana though. I have been to the Ranch house that was used in the movie many times for a beer after climbing on the surrounding mountains of "Alberta". Many of the scenes were shot on location at the "Rafter 6 Guest Ranch" which looks like this: http://www.raftersix.com when it's not being used as a film set. Brad Pitt does a perfect job of portraying Tristan Ludlow, the wild one of the three sons with his inner Indian spirit. If you like breathtaking scenery shown through dramatic filming, you'll have to watch this one more then once. My 14 year old son even likes it, although I know that his is in part because he is able to point out and name some of the peaks he has climbed as they sweep by in the background.-Kevin
Melodramatic, uninspiring and never legendary
posted on 19 Jun 2009Director Ed Zwick attempts to achieve what he did so splendidly with the civil war in "Glory" with a totally different genre in "Legends of the Fall", that of family drama. "Glory" depicted the first African-American regiments' trials and triumphs in epic fashion, yet "Legends" depicts the trials and triumphs of the Ludlow boys with little affect. Unfortunately Mr. Zwick has tried to turn small scale into large scale with not nearly enough material. The result is a melodrama that's way too soapy (much too much happens to this clan), totally uninspiring and pointless, and never legendary."Legends of the Fall" is episodic without creating any fascination for the viewer. In fact it is often dreary and suffers greatly from over length. Although the narrative is occasionally moving, it rarely threatens to get interesting and is too often implausible.As the three brothers, Aidan Quinn, Brad Pitt (ever the hunk) and Henry Thomas all give solid performances, as does the pretty love interest, Julia Ormond. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the entire film is Sir Anthony Hopkins below par showing as the father William Ludlow.One highlight is John Toll's grandiose cinematography, whilst James Horner scores again for director Zwick.Friday, March 10, 1995 - Mainplace Mall, Anaheim
One of my Top 10 Favorites
posted on 29 May 2009I may only be twenty-one years old, but I have seen thousands of movies and this movie has brought its place into my top ten films ever. The script and screenplay for this film are as heart-wrenching as they come. Legends of the Falls is placed in Montana in the early 1900's, it is the story of three brothers and their true love for one another. This film is a must see and I have no idea, why the ratings on imdb.com are soo low, but take my word for it, if you don't cry and are touched by this movie, there must be something wrong with you.- Desertdback
Beautiful, rich and engrossing
posted on 17 May 2009An extremely satisfying epic awash with gorgeous scenery, memorable characters and bold performances. "Legends of the Fall" harks back to old-time movie-making; we're not asked to analyze or otherwise participate, only to sit back, eat our popcorn and thoroughly enjoy.Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Julia Ormond and the rest of the cast carry their roles well alongside the Old West backdrop. This is an easy movie to get lost in, and, after all, isn't that what we want to do when we go to a theater?
Dangerous Legends of Dysfunctionality
posted on 24 Mar 2009I found it really surprising what is presented as 'romance' here: A dysfunctional marriage/family (just look at the reasons why they married and why they separated) producing Tristan, the 'hero' of the movie. But he isn't a real man to start with. His very, very boyish or childish behavior doesn't stop during the whole of the movie, even after he's gone on his oh-so-important hunting/self-discovery trip. He seems to completely lack maturity and (consequently) the key to manhood. The woman waits for him which makes one wonder if she has got some problems, too. Indeed in the beginning of the movie Tristan's mother gives us some clues, saying that the girl has lost her parents and is 'fragile' (I think that's the word she used). The real tragedy here is that nobody realises what's the problem or tells Tristan to stop and to grow up. The problems arising because of his dysfunctional personality lead to him causing death and disaster and ultimately being isolated and dying alone. 'Pretty Boy' Brad Pitt indeed seems to be the ideal choice for Tristan, since he didn't need to use his limited acting abilities for this part, anyway. I think he suffers from the same problem as the character does. The only good scene he does is when he broods over the girl playing Tennis at the beginning of the movie. The other actors are decent to very good (I especially liked Karina Lombard, a great and underrated actress) but ultimately they are wasted on this movie (as is the good photography and direction and the score). It's surprising that on the one hand the scriptwriters (and/or the writer of the novel) presented the personality problems so well but on the other hand make those persons (especially Tristan) heroes. They obviously didn't know what they were doing.
"Brad Pitt's Worse Film."
posted on 18 Mar 2009The Cinematography is amazing, the story is wholesome, but the acting is hideous.THE PLOTThe plot is a passionate journey into the darkest secrets of love, betrayal and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood.*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****When I bought this movie I knew I had a jewel in my closet. 48 hours later I realized I'd wasted both my money and my precious two hours on this melodramatic mess of a movie. I'd wasted my time watching a movie where Everyone dies, where there is annoying narration throughout the film, and where Anthony Hopkins looked indescribably horrid. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Brad Pitt was too beautiful early in his career so people doubted his acting ability. Now Brad is forty years old, his face has more character, and no one doubts his acting ability. Maybe its old age or he's getting some acting lessons, whatever it is, it works.The Cinematography is amazing and reminded me of "Lawrence Of Arabia.' The incomparable artistry and vision of David Lean is present in Edward Zwick's directing. The Academy Awards made a great choice giving `Legends of The Fall' an Oscar for Best Cinematography. In the end though I couldn't believe that Edward Zwick directed this film.
He directed "Glory", the Great War epic that earned Denzel Washington an Academy Award. I didn't want to see "Glory" because the same director of `Legends Of The Fall' directed it, but when I saw "Glory" on cable I realized I'd made a huge mistake.
I had unknowingly bought Zwick's worst movie when I purchased `Legends Of The Fall.'
Trying not to see my psychiatrist, I wondered whether Zwick had gone Hollywood or was cursed with a horrible screenwriter. Please don't make the same mistake. My rating is 5 out of 10.Note: Plot description taken from the movie's DVD case.
Brad Pitt's best role EVER!!
posted on 06 Mar 2009When i first saw this movie i was very little but i still could remember the golden long hair of Brad and his wild temper. When i grew up i saw it over 50 times and i still discover something new. The story is developed on so many levels that you have to be very careful when you observe the characters. Each one of them struggles with his/her's story,problems doubts. I think this movie really sets the question-How far can love go? and I don't mean only the romantic love but also the love for the family for the country for yourself. I couldn't decide whose character was played better,but i don't think that no one did it like Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony. This movie made me wonder: How can we judge and who do we judge,when it comes to love? And finally---have you ever heard sweeter name than Tristan? mmmmm
It should have been better....
posted on 17 Jan 2009With all of the star power this movie possesses, with its viable plot, an emotional story, impressive scenery and even better cinematography, why isn't this movie better than it might have been? Two words; Brad Pitt, I doubt if he even rehearsed with script-in-hand, if at all. Either that or there was some gosh darn awful editing involved, although my suspicions prefer to settle on the former. I believe the problem to be one of a lack of motivation on the actor's part. Mr. Pitt enjoys a "super-star" status on Hollywood's "A" list, although I believe he has fallen victim to rumors of his own legend, in regard to his talent or lack thereof, in this case. I can see this happening if an actor's head becomes too big for his own hat. I don't dislike Mr. Pitt as an actor, he possesses a very pretty face, only there's no correlation to acting ability, yet I have enjoyed some of the films he's made in spite of the "pretty face". If he had even attempted to better nail-down his performance, I believe this film could have been near excellent, as it stands now it is a bit better than average. The reason I've since changed my mind about this film's worth is thus; Mr. Pitt plays the role of one, Tristan Ludlow. Yet how can he play the part effectively when he can't even pronounce his own name correctly? It's not as if someone else mispronounces it, HE mispronounces it himself. At the close of a letter to his father in which Tristan's voice is narrating, he closes by saying his name....only he says: Tristian, not Tristan, as if his name was "Christian", only with a "T" instead of the "Ch"...well, that's the point I lost my respect for this cinematic disappointment, I now laugh every time I come across it, I don't even stick around long enough to hear him mangle it once again...LOL...EVERY other character in the film pronounces his name with great accuracy, why he can't eludes me, after all it's only his own name, LOL...oh well, if you care to see a movie that has an impressive rise on the emotional scale, only to see it tumble down blindly after he reads the letter, then by all means see this film. I can't help but laugh whenever I see it though, if you believe you can still enjoy it knowing this, be my guest, it is a decent enough story...on further thought, perhaps they should have changed his character's name to Bob or something simple like that, LOL....
MST3k Fodder, in that it's hilariously bad.
posted on 02 Jan 2009This movie rambles on, seemingly endlessly, full of ridiculous plots and subplots and other things that just make no sense whatsoever. Two brief examples: - at one point, Anthony Hopkins has a stroke or something so he can't talk. So instead, he wears this slate around his neck and writes messages on it. But rather than doing what most NON stroke victims would do, which is write normally, then turn it around to face his family, he writes upside down and backwards and yet the message comes out in PERFECT BLOCK PRINTING!- when BP and his Native American chick are riding through the canyon, someone like, five hundred miles away shoots a gun, and it richochets all through the canyon, and finally hits her and naturally, she's killed instantly. And you have to understand, at this point it is like, the 5000th tragedy to happen to this family. When I saw this in the theatre, people were actually laughing at this part. Finally, just when you think it couldn't get any stupider, it's "...and then he was eaten by a bear. That's why he was the Legends of the Fall." The end, roll credits. Invite some friends over, get some beer, and have a good laugh - that's all this is good for.
An epic movie that evokes deep feelings about being a human being and especially from another time in history - very relevant to early 20th century America
posted on 30 Dec 2008This is a truly wonderful movie! Yes of course one can pick bones with a certain melodramatic element that runs through the film and some of the acting can appear contrived BUT it is an old fashioned story that brings out all those deep feelings that we go to the movies for - feelings that are largely drowned and condemned by modern society. People who hate this movie are going to be the people who are cynical and not able to see that life can take on the wide sweeping momentum of an epic journey. We are all in such a story in some way! However, the fact that Legends of the Fall is set in early 20th century America is poignant and very interesting, it is certainly another America that we have today and it needs to be recognised. The characters are each representing an aspect of the true American spirit and how their lives are connected is fascinating. The casting was very good and Brad Pitt is truly at his best in this kind of role, funny enough it seems that he still had a certain innocence himself at this stage of his career. The sweeping cinematography is excellent and moving. If you want a magical movie escape then this is the movie for you and also to understand an aspect of American culture through the eyes of people who lived a hundred years ago.
perhaps Brad Pitts best performance
posted on 24 Dec 2008Sprawling,epic tale spanning the last years of the 19th century to the 1930's and full of incident which you would expect in a melodrama.Film perhaps overdoes the melodrama to almost Shakespearean proportions at times,it works very well overall.Film is helped very much by the performances of the four main leads and this was the film that made Brad Pitt a star, and he gives perhaps his best performance of his career so far.Aidan Quinn quietly steals the acting honours though.The scenes of World War 1 conflict are pretty well done and make you wish there were more of them.Only the film's rather disappointing,rushed ending prevents this from being excellent in my opinion. very good.
One Family's Story
posted on 09 Dec 2008The movie has a relatively simple storyline, but it is well-done and entertaining, if a bit bittersweet.It is the story of a man and his three sons and how their lives are all changed due to war, love, and each other. It traces their beginning of life all together on a ranch to the point where they each go their separate ways, yet family ties still bond them to each other.While the movie does not raise any enduring questions, it is a moving picture of one family's life in the first quarter of the 20th century. Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, and Brad Pitt give it their all in this film. Highly recommended for a Saturday night movie choice.
possibly THE historical epic against which all others should be judged
posted on 24 Nov 2008There are occasionally people who find history boring. Well, anyone who watches "Legends of the Fall" could not possibly find history boring. The movie tells the story of Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) who has become disgusted with the American "civilization" of the early 20th century and is raising his sons Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn) and Samuel (Henry Thomas) in rural Montana (his wife has left him and returned to the East Coast). Particularly repulsed at the US government's treatment of Native Americans, Col. Ludlow has befriended several Indians and is raising his sons with Indian wisdom.Tristan remains ever rebellious and sometimes his actions cause problems for the family. Alfred feels that if there is going to be any change in the government's policies, he may have to initiate them. Samuel goes to Canada so that he can fight alongside the English when World War I starts.The title refers specifically to the theoretical (or sometimes real) fall from innocence, as described in the Bible. As this movie shows, sometimes in life, there are no innocent people.Two other achievements in the movie are the cinematography and the score. John Toll's cinematography majestically shows the vast reaches of Montana's landscape, while the musical score is uplifting and somber at the same time."Legends of the Fall" was definitely one of the best movies of 1994.
"East of Eden"? More Like "South of Podunk"
posted on 03 Nov 2008This beautifully mounted period melodrama sports fine performances by Anthony Hopkins, Julie Ormand and (especially) Aidan Quinn (looking phenomenally like he could really be Hopkins son).
Nevertheless, this "East of Eden" wannabe is surprisingly unmoving. Not because of Brad Pitt, whom gives a more than passable performance in a horribly underwritten role. No, this film is empty at the core, not giving us enough to like in Tristin (Pitt) or to dislike in Alfred (Quinn) to understand what the fuss is all about. Like another finely crafted failure, FAR AND AWAY, this film reminds us no amount of artistry can overcome an overblown, sometimes silly script. This is not even in the same galaxy as "East of Eden." No, "Legends of the Fall" is more like "South of Podunk."
The best tragic love story ever
posted on 30 Aug 2009I feel sick to my stomach that all the bad user comments are at the top. This movie not only brought tears to my eyes but a look at what love can do to a person. Yes there were many plots to it but they all connected in to each other and brought the closing to a traumatic end. I always show this movie to all my guy friends and they expect it to be a chick flick but I have never had one of them say it after they have seen it. I even had one crying. The pictures are great and also the acting. Brad Pitt and his hair, the horses and the scenery, and the love scenes. It is a reminder of the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. I cannot believe any one saying it was a poor and waste of time movie.