legends of the fall movie reviews

Legends Of The Fall

“Legends of the Fall” is the kind of movie where you have to make a conscious effort to keep the words “Big Sky Country” out of the first paragraph of the review.

It’s an epic Western saga about a beautiful woman from back East, and the three sons of a Montana rancher who loved her and fought for her, told against the backdrop of World War I. This is the kind of story that usually appears in an interminable series of paperback novels with the titles embossed in silver, but in fact this material is based on a slim novella by Jim Harrison , who must be mighty surprised how much his stuff adapts to the screen just like Margaret Mitchell and John Jakes.

It’s not that the movie is bad. It’s pretty good, in fact, with full-blooded performances and heartfelt melodrama. It’s that the material is so cheerfully old-fashioned it makes “Giant” look subtle.

This is the kind of big, robust Western love story that just begs to be filmed – which, come to think of it, it has been.

The movie stars Anthony Hopkins as Col. Ludlow, whose distaste for the U.S. Cavalry’s treatment of the Indians has led him to carve out an empire of his own in Montana. His wife, having borne him three sons, has repaired to the comforts of the East, leaving the Colonel to see them grow to manhood. There’s Alfred ( Aidan Quinn ), the oldest and most responsible. Tristan ( Brad Pitt ), the middle son, whose idea of entertainment is to awaken hibernating bears and cut out their still-beating hearts. And there’s Samuel ( Henry Thomas ), the youngest.

The movie opens with portentous narration by One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis), the Indian who is the Colonel’s most trusted friend. One Stab talks in the same kind of slightly hoarse, slightly musical profundity used by many Indians in the movies. Just as all airline pilots are said to have speech patterns influenced by Chuck Yeager, so many movie Indians seem to model their vocal style on the late Chief Dan George . We have a feeling One Stab’s narration will not be able to entirely avoid the words of the movie’s title, and we are correct.

Soon Samuel returns from the east with Susannah, a young woman who is his fiancee. She is played by Julia Ormond , a young British actress who looks, here, uncannily like Ingrid Bergman . She is strong, capable, beautiful and high-spirited, able to ride, rope and shoot, and when Tristan, the Brad Pitt character, saunters in covered with sweat, blood and horsehair, we can tell just by the way her nostrils flare that riding, roping and shooting are not necessarily even her best sport.

The Colonel hates war and the Army, and wants his boys to settle down in Montana and run the ranch. But Samuel is much disturbed. He is a virgin who seeks advice from his brothers, and perhaps feels uncertain about his prowess. Maybe that, along with patriotism, is involved in his decision to go to Canada and enlist when World War I breaks out. The Colonel is outraged, but the other two sons enlist, too, and we are asked to decide which is the more unlikely: That all three would end up on the same battlefield, or that Tristan would not be required by the British to cut his flowing blond locks.

I dare not reveal too much of the plot, except to hint that in one way or another Susannah figures in the lives of all three of the sons, against a background of the changing West, as cities grow and prohibition benefits a thriving criminal class. The Colonel meanwhile grows older and more infirm, in one of those strange Anthony Hopkins performances that steals every scene with its air of brooding, motionless menace.

The movie is a showcase for acting, and in addition to Ormond and Hopkins, it also shows how strong Aidan Quinn and Brad Pitt are, in roles that have inescapable parallels to the Rock Hudson and James Dean characters in “Giant.” There is even a time when Pitt goes away “forever,” just as Dean’s character threatened to do, although in an act of sensational one-upmanship this movie sends Pitt all the way to New Guinea for some practical anthropology.

“Legends of the Fall” is not a Serious Movie, despite the profound sentiments of its narration and the classical ironies of its plot. It is a high-class horse opera – emphasis on opera, with an abundance of operatic coincidences, passions, loves, losses, overwrought arias and heart-wrenching soliloquies. On that basis it is enormously entertaining, a throwback to the days when Hollywood didn’t apologize for passionate stories involving three brothers whose fates are intertwined with that of a legendary woman, as they’re all outlined against the Big Sky.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Aidan Quinn as Alfred
• Julia Ormond as Susannah
• Anthony Hopkins as Ludlow
• Brad Pitt as Tristan

Directed by

• Edward Zwick

Leave a comment

Now playing.

The Last of the Sea Women

The Wild Robot

We Live in Time

Look Into My Eyes

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

The Paragon

Latest articles.

TIFF 2024: Table of Contents

TIFF 2024: Paying For It, Viktor, Mr. K

Everything the Light Touches: James Earl Jones (1931-2024)

TIFF 2024: The Room Next Door, Hard Truths

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘legends of the fall’: thr’s 1994 review.

On Jan. 13, 1995, Tristar's 133-minute, R-rated epic hit theaters.

By Duane Byrge

Duane Byrge

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

On Jan. 13, 1995, Tristar’s 133-minute, R-rated epic Legends of the Fall hit theaters. The film went on to nab three Oscar nominations at the 67th Academy Awards ceremony, winning one for cinematographer John Toll. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below.

We discover that sensible people retreated to the Northwest long before these mad times in this sweeping, family epic about the Ludlow clan who ranched in Montana in the early part of this century.

Heightened with a richly panoramic musical score and widened by some jaw-dropping lensing, Legends of the Fall should score some modestly respectable business based on its textural beauty.

Related Stories

'better off dead': thr's 1985 review, 'saratoga': thr's 1937 review.

Unfortunately this family saga wanders close to the borderline of melodrama, while annexing more storyline than it can compellingly handle. Overall response will be decidedly mixed.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Col. William Ludlow, a former U.S. Cavalry officer who, sickened by the government’s treatment of the Indians, retreated to the far wilds of Montana to raise his three sons, the most challenging of whom was Tristan (Brad Pitt), a rambunctious roustabout who stretched the reserved demeanor of his half-brother Alfred (Aiden Quinn), especially in the matters of the heart.

The catalyst for their rivalry is the beauteous and sophisticated Susannah (Julia Ormond), a refined and decidedly repressed plum from back East. Not surprisingly, as Susannah sheds her refinement, her eyes glisten more for Tristan.

With its miniseries range, Legends of the Fall is a decidedly ambitious production, casting a slant on the West itself through the prism of this very active and individualistic family. Indicative of its ambition and breadth, it even follows the brothers to the trenches of World War I.

While the Susan Shilliday and Bill Wittliff script is often riveting, it also suffers noticeable gaps and flatlands, lumbering under its own girthy sweep.

In general, director Edward Zwick does a commendable job of keeping things apace, while keenly mounting his considerable technical artillery, namely, John Toll’s scrumptiously pristine cinematography and James Horner’s piercingly full score.

Among the players, Pitt stands tallest in the saddle. His charismatic rowdiness brings the film to life. Hopkins does an admirable turn as the feisty and honorable head of the clan, while Karina Lombard gives an invigorating performance as Tristan’s Native American wife. — Duane Byrge, originally published on Dec. 12, 1994

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Tiff: paul anka sings “my way” at toronto doc premiere dinner, tiff: peta activist disrupts pharrell williams biopic premiere in toronto, toronto: jude law shines as a haunted lawman in ‘the order,’ could land first oscar nom in 21 years, ‘heretic’ review: hugh grant’s chilling performance gives religious horror film some sinister edge, documentary ‘russians at war’ sparks protest, heated debate in toronto, toronto: brazilian pic ‘i’m still here’ pops at fest, could strongly contend for international feature oscar.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 78% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 94% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge
• 96% Red Rooms Link to Red Rooms

New TV Tonight

• 59% Emily in Paris: Season 4
• 20% Three Women: Season 1
• -- Universal Basic Guys: Season 1
• -- My Brilliant Friend: Story of the Lost Child: Season 4
• -- The Old Man: Season 2
• 83% How to Die Alone: Season 1
• -- Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Season 1
• -- The Circle: Season 7
• -- Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father: Season 1
• -- In Vogue: The 90s: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 59% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 77% Kaos: Season 1
• 84% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 97% English Teacher: Season 1
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist Link to Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Toronto Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

Weekend Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Scores Second-Highest September Opening Ever

• Trending on RT
• Best Horror Movies
• Top 10 Box Office
• Toronto Film Festival
• Free Movies on YouTube

Legends of the Fall Reviews

It may take place in a man’s world, but this is a women’s picture, in the vein of the overwrought family epics of the 1950s.

Full Review | Jan 4, 2024

The first twenty minutes are incredibly slow but after that I was completely locked in. Anthony Hopkins was robbed of a nomination for this.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 6, 2023

While it's a bit overlong, this was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed the performances, the cinematography and the story of this family trying to keep it together despite multiple hardships and conflicts. Anthony Hopkins is one of the greatest.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 6, 2023

Every wisp of wind carries some timbre of a guttural growl of passion.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 4, 2019

In general, director Edward Zwick does a commendable job of keeping things apace, while... John Toll's scrumptiously pristine cinematography and James Horner's piercingly full score.

Full Review | Jan 23, 2019

What a magnificent piece of old tosh Legends of the Fall is: playing extremely close to a genius pastiche of the melodrama genre.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 2, 2018

At first, the picture plays like East of Eden with a bonus brother; it gets sillier as it goes.

Full Review | Apr 2, 2014

The actors fit their roles exceptionally well, but Zwick rarely allows them the kinds of crucial, intimate moments that establish how the characters feel about each other.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 2, 2014

A weird melodramatic epic -- Bonanza crossbred with the kind of novel that uses Fabio on the cover.

While the production is attractive in a calendar-photo sort of way, there's not a speck of genuine feeling in its glossy images.

Just when it starts to seem as if Legends might just turn into a pretty good movie, along comes some tired, soap-opera plot device.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 2, 2014

The real star, however, is John Toll's Oscar-winning cinematography, which is equally at home with the stunning beauty of the mountainous terrain and the killing fields of war-torn France.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 2, 2014

Check your cynicism at the door, and just revel in its enormity.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 2, 2014

Bloated as a TV miniseries two nights too long, Legends of the Fall is stiff and uninteresting.

It's a big movie that's so small on the inside it's not there.

There's a vast psychodrama being played out on the Ludlow ranch, battles between generations, philosophies, races and sexes. And the landscapes, photographed by John Toll, majestically backdrop all the personal and cultural furies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 2, 2014

Everything about Legends of the Fall shouts epic filmmaking and it is not an altogether unpleasant sound.

It either sweeps you up in its rapturous emotional wake or -- and it's a big or -- you just sit there and snicker. I found myself alternately doing both, though fortunately more of the former than the latter.

Under such labored circumstances, James Horner's music must work overtime. It swoops and broods and promises you that something elemental about manliness is being conveyed.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Sep 7, 2011

Tween girls will swoon over this tear-jerker.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 1, 2011

MOVIE REVIEW : ‘Legends of the Fall’: A Giant Film, in More Ways Than One

• Copy Link URL Copied!

Everything about “Legends of the Fall” shouts epic filmmaking and it is not an altogether unpleasant sound.

Bursting with big country Montana landscapes, big music, big emotions, even big hair, this is highly romanticized, old-fashioned sentimental filmmaking of a type we haven’t seen in a while, the kind of movie where ringlets turn white overnight and no one rides in quietly on a single horse when leading a galloping herd is an option.

Slow moving and at times foolish, too conscious of its ambitions as an epic for its own good, “Legends” does present an easy target. But director Edward Zwick has infused it with so much sheer watchability, it believes so earnestly in its high-gloss doings, that it’s difficult to pull the trigger.

Although it retains the name of the Jim Harrison novella, as admired a piece of American writing as the last 20 years has produced, the most telling thing about “Legends” is how little it has to do with its nominal source material.

For while the Harrison novella is primarily concerned with men, their loneliness and their relationship to each other, the movie has smoothly turned this on its head, both feminizing and Hollywoodizing the narrative by recasting it as a story about three men competing for the same woman.

Expanding some things, condensing others, tossing out a lot of material and adding a heap of invention, screenwriters Susan Shilliday and Bill Wittliff have, in a way that is almost engaging in its audacity, turned the masculine Harrison into a latter-day Edna Ferber, the patron saint of panoramic Western romances.

In fact, what “Legends” will remind veteran moviegoers of most is the 1956 George Stevens-directed version of Ferber’s “Giant,” with Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond standing in nicely for James Dean, Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.

Pitt, Quinn and Henry Thomas play the Ludlow brothers--the wild Tristan, the stodgy Alfred and young idealist Samuel--all sons of a rugged colonel (Anthony Hopkins, as usual making the most of a small role) who retires to a remote corner of Montana when he can no longer stomach U.S. Cavalry policy.

With their mother in permanent retreat back East, the boys grow up under the watchful eye of a venerable Cree named One Stab whose tribal affiliation was probably changed from Cheyenne to accommodate Gordon Tootoosis, the Cree actor who has the role.

One Stab is also responsible for much of the film’s voice-over narration, delivered in classic venerable Native American sage fashion. It is One Stab who gets to recite “Legends’ ” topic sentences: “Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness and live by what they hear. Such people become crazy. Or they become legends.”

On the eve of World War I, Samuel gets the plot in gear by returning home from Harvard with his fiancee, the beautiful Susannah Fincannon (Julia Ormond). While Alfred and the Colonel dutifully meet the couple at the train station, the ponytailed Tristan, a major hunk who has been outdoors forever doing god knows what, rides up glistening with dirt and sweat.

As soon as Susannah eyes him and archly comments, “So this is Tristan, and does he speak English?” it doesn’t take a Native American sage to realize that trouble will soon be brewing between these previously inseparable sons. All too soon One Stab will be moved to wax aphoristically and say, “You cannot blame the water that freezes in the rock and splits it apart.”

Susannah, only lightly sketched in the novella and described by Harrison as “a frail, lovely girl” is turned by the film into a robust natural woman who is soon roping and riding with the gang. Ormond, whose previous credits include the odd mixture of “Nostradamus,” HBO’s “Stalin” and Peter Greenaway’s “The Baby of Macon,” is the film’s major surprise. An energetic actress, she brings vigor, charm and reality to a part that might have been no more than decorative.

Brad Pitt’s trademark virility is not a surprise, though it is a relief to see him looking so alive after the gloom, doom and pale makeup of “Interview With the Vampire.” An instinctive actor who must emotionally feel a role to be successfully in it, Pitt is perfectly cast in a traditional heartthrob way as the spirited masculine animal whose idea of fun is waking up hibernating bears and seeing what happens, and the screen is more alive whenever he is on it.

What happens to these three brothers, all of whom covet Susannah in their own way, is what “Legends” uncovers, and what a story filled with tears, curses, passion, suffering and any other larger-than-life emotion you can imagine it turns out to be.

Director Zwick orchestrates everything with welcome gusto, and though the result is not as meaningful as it would have you believe, it is undeniably pleasant to have this kind of production to kick around.

* MPAA rating: R, for violence and for some sexuality and language. Times guidelines: It includes several acts of violence, including the ripping out of a heart, and a few chaste scenes of lovemaking.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

‘Legends of the Fall’

Brad Pitt: Tristan

Anthony Hopkins: Ludlow

Aidan Quinn: Alfred

Julia Ormond: Susannah

Henry Thomas: Samuel

Karina Lombard: Isabelle Two

Gordon Tootoosis: One Stab

A Bedford Falls/Pangaea production, released by TriStar Pictures. Director Edward Zwick. Producers Edward Zwick, Bill Wittliff, Marshall Herskovitz. Executive producer Patrick Crowley. Screenplay by Susan Shilliday and Bill Wittliff, based on the novella by Jim Harrison. Cinematographer John Toll. Editor Steven Rosenblum. Costumes Deborah Scott. Music James Horner. Production design Lilly Kilvert. Art directors Rick Roberts, Andrew Precht. Set decorator Dorree Cooper. Running time: 2 hours, 13 minutes.

* In general release throughout Southern California.

More to Read

Tyrese Gibson says arrest after being found in contempt of court was ‘very traumatic’

Sept. 10, 2024

Hollywood backers of Vice were ‘investing in the ideas of a Nazi,’ says ex-employee Eddie Huang

Sept. 8, 2024

Meet Shah Rukh Khan: If you haven’t heard of the Bollywood superstar, it’s about time you did

Sept. 21, 2023

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Kenneth Turan is the former film critic for the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Entertainment & Arts

James Earl Jones, who voiced Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and starred in ‘Field of Dreams,’ dies at 93

Sept. 9, 2024

Harvey Weinstein is in recovery following emergency heart surgery

Patti Scialfa reveals multiple myeloma diagnosis in new Springsteen documentary

Commentary: Please stop trying to mansplain ‘Nightbitch’

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Metacritic reviews

Legends of the fall.

• 88 ReelViews James Berardinelli ReelViews James Berardinelli The latest offering from Edward Zwick, the director of "Glory," is the kind of movie that doesn't require much effort to surrender to and enjoy.
• 75 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert It's pretty good, in fact, with full-blooded performances and heartfelt melodrama.
• 75 Rolling Stone Peter Travers Rolling Stone Peter Travers What makes Legends such an entertaining male weepie is the star shine. Though the admirable Quinn has the toughest role, Pitt carries the picture.
• 63 TV Guide Magazine TV Guide Magazine The golden shadows of the waning Old West are thrown across the big screen with full reverential treatment in this solid, unsurprising rendition of Jim Harrison's widely praised novella.
• 50 Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten The camerawork, which relies heavily on shots of picture-perfect vistas and not enough on human beings and their place in this world. When we do see the characters, we primarily see their beauty.
• 50 San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack Legends of the Fall is so gorgeous that its failure to catch fire seems a piddling concern.
• 50 The New York Times Janet Maslin The New York Times Janet Maslin These are performances that lost too much in the editing room, smothered by music and overshadowed by a picture-postcard vision of the American West.
• 38 San Francisco Examiner Walter Addiego San Francisco Examiner Walter Addiego Legends of the Fall never makes you think too hard; its woes-of-a-proud-family formula takes a back seat to a self-conscious visual style that strains toward the level of myth.
• 20 Time Richard Schickel Time Richard Schickel We're left with our stifled laughter and a very long movie.
• 10 Washington Post Washington Post It doesn't take long to realize that Legends is an unintentional howler.
• See all 23 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for Legends of the Fall

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Legends of the fall.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 1 Review
• Kids Say 5 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Afsheen Nomai , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Tween girls will swoon over this tear-jerker.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this film features limited sexual material (including a sex scene) and language. There is violence throughout the film, including shootings, fights, an impaling and an implied suicide. Most violent acts are motivated by revenge.

Why Age 15+?

Graphic war scenes, multiple shootings, fights, impaling, implied suicide

Some drinking.

A few uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus multiple "Goddamm

Sex scene, brief nudity.

Any Positive Content?

This is about familial ties, and presents a strong family with strong, tradition

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus multiple "Goddammit"s.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

This is about familial ties, and presents a strong family with strong, traditional bonds. Non-traditional or criminal behavior has negative consequences. Stereotyical representations of settlers, Native Americans and the treatment of women.

Parents need to know that this film features limited sexual material (including a sex scene) and language. There is violence throughout the film, including shootings, fights, an impaling and an implied suicide. Most violent acts are motivated by revenge. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (5)

Based on 1 parent review

Great Movie. Consists of bloody war violence, Some sex/nudity, and little profanity.

What's the story.

Set during the early 1900s, LEGENDS OF THE FALL is the epic tale of the three Ludlow brothers, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas). Tristan is the wild brother, as opposed to the cultured-but-innocent brother (Samuel) and the savvy-and-ambitious brother Alfred. Growing up, the three were tight, led by their headstrong father, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins). But when Samuel returns home from college with his bride-to-be, Susannah, things get complicated, even more so after Samuel is killed in the war. Tristan and Alfred fight over Susannah and later Susannah fights with Tristan's wife, Isabel (Karina Lombard), over Tristan.

Is It Any Good?

Legends of the Fall goes a long way to preserve as many stereotypes about settlers in the Wild West as it can, including Native Americans, and the treatment of women in that era. While Hopkins does a good turn as the firm yet emotionally vulnerable father, the rest of the cast is less than stellar. This goes double for Pitt, though the gratuitous shots of his upper torso that appear throughout the film are what made it a major box office hit.

Best viewed on a big screen TV for its breathtaking Academy-Award winning cinematography (we're not talking about Brad's personal landscape), Legends of the Fall is undoubtedly a chick flick. Though unfortunately, women in this film do not fare very well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about chick flicks. Who do you think this film was made for? Do you think there is something offensive about the term chick flicks -- or in targeting women with predictable, sentimental movies?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 16, 1994
• On DVD or streaming : May 15, 1998
• Cast : Aidan Quinn , Anthony Hopkins , Brad Pitt
• Director : Edward Zwick
• Studio : Columbia Tristar
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 133 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence, and for some sexuality and language
• Last updated : July 8, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

A River Runs Through It

Seven Years in Tibet

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Legends Of the Fall Review

28 Apr 1994

133 minutes

Legends Of the Fall

This is exactly the kind of film that snags the best cinematography award at the Oscars, while being laughed out of court on grounds of arch-melodrama, overblown storytelling and some very silly native mysticism. It’s a pretend epic that does wonders for the Montana tourist board, but very little for the dignity of its usually-dependable acting cast.

Director Edward Zwick is so satisfied he has hit the mother lode of American drama, a Gone With The Wind for boys, he can’t see the gas for the wind blowing in Brad Pitt’s lustrous hair.

All the way through its arduous running time, this is plastic masquerading as silver. In its squabbling brothers and overbearing father, it’s trying to echo Shakespeare, but Pitt, doomed Henry Thomas, and Aidan Quinn are strapping stereotypes saddled with lumps of cheesy dialogue, as gorgeous and unreal as their National Geographic homestead. Poor Julia Ormond, supposedly the catalyst for all these inter-Ludlow travails, with her weepy eyes and yearning voice, seems far to fragile and wispy for these three rugged boyos to care a j0t about. Indeed, not a whisker of the film feels like it looks. Off to war go the younger brothers, where it’s muddy and terrible but merely a device to for Pitt’s free spirited middle bro to gain that essential lifelong burden of “pain”. He expresses this torment by riding over the hill then fifteen minutes later (several years in narrative terms) riding back again followed by a heard of wild horses. Then as the local native witch doctory fellow expounds: “He was a rock they broke themselves against.” Damn him, for his mystical subtext. He’s like a song lyric in physical form.

In all, Legends Of The Fall is a grand bore, more laughable than stirring. So big everything becomes blurry and distant, so beautiful it could be ad for male hair products..

WhichFilm | Film Reviews | Audience Film Reviews

Legends of the Fall

Create your own review

It's a beautiful bit of cinema. One of Brad Pitt's first major roles. Legends of the Fall is a must watch for anyone claiming they are a fan of film.

When I first saw the cover, as well as the blurb of this movie I was hesitant to watch it as it didn’t seem like the type of film I thought I would enjoy. But I was very wrong. Almost instantly I was invested in the characters and the story that was being told, helped by the strong chemistry between all the characters involved, especially Brad Pitt and Henry Thomas. Not only is there good chemistry, this movie shows Pitt’s versatility and, is in my opinion, one of his best roles- fully embracing the character of Tristan and creating a well-rounded, three-dimensional character that can be easily sympathised with. The only thing about this movie that I didn’t like was the excessive romance/ love triangle that was produced during the course of the film as, in contrast to the rest of the events, it seemed bland, despite it being the central ‘event changer’ of the film. In my opinion, this movie was incredibly amazing and extremely emotional and something I hadn’t expected to like but did. Even if you don’t like dramas, historical or otherwise, give this one a try as I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

Have you seen these?

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

Legends of the Fall Reviews

• 45   Metascore
• 2 hr 13 mins
• Drama, Action & Adventure
• Watchlist Where to Watch

When a retired military officer's youngest son enlists in WWI and is killed, he leaves behind his beautiful fiancée to deal with his two surviving brothers, who become bitterly divided over her.

The golden shadows of the waning Old West are thrown across the big screen with full reverential treatment in this solid, unsurprising rendition of Jim Harrison's widely praised novella. Director Edward Zwick manages the requisite epic sweep, and most of the performances are on the money, but LEGENDS OF THE FALL succeeded at the box office largely thanks to freshly-minted screen superstar Brad Pitt. Colonel Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), an ex-cavalry officer living in the Montana wilderness, is left to raise three sons by himself when his wife leaves for the winter and never returns. The oldest, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), is sensible, with a head for business and politics. Hotheaded Samuel (Henry Thomas), the youngest, is always ready to subscribe to the latest political enthusiasm. The Colonel reserves a special fondness for the middle son, Tristan (Pitt). When Samuel returns from college with his fiancee, Susannah (Julia Ormond), all the men are smitten, stumbling over one another to teach her how to ride, rope, and shoot. But the close-knit family soon disintegrates, sundered by romantic rivalry and the outbreak of WWI. Although Zwick's grand, even monumental, presentation is reminiscent of his Civil War opus GLORY, the picture belongs to the golden-maned Pitt, who is afforded no less than three princely entrances on horseback. A performer with more charisma than intelligence, he nevertheless easily dominates the ensemble and, with a big assist from Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll, sometimes casts such a saintly, beatific sheen over the proceedings that he seems to glow from within. Newcomer Julia Ormond hits her mark as the sort of storybook British beauty for whom civilizations topple.

• Now Playing
• Airing Today
• Popular People
• Discussions
• Leaderboard
• Alternative Titles
• Cast & Crew
• Release Dates
• Translations
• Backdrops 19
• Content Issues 1

Now Streaming

Legends of the fall (1994).

Login to use TMDB's new rating system.

Welcome to Vibes, TMDB's new rating system! For more information, visit the contribution bible .

• Play Trailer

After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins.

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.

Edward Zwick

Jim Harrison

William D. Wittliff

Susan Shilliday

Top Billed Cast

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

James O'Banion

Robert Wisden

John T. O'Banion

Full Cast & Crew

• Discussions 1

A review by Wuchak

Written by wuchak on january 1, 2021.

Similar to “A River Runs through It” but more heroic and melodramatic

Near the close of the 19th Century, a disillusioned Army Colonel (Anthony Hopkins) sets up a ranch in remote western Montana with his Cree friend, One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis). He nurtures a family of a wife & three boys, plus his loyal personnel. One son is sensible and “follows the rules (Aidan Quinn) while another is wild and well-versed in Cree traditions (Brad Pitt). After a harrowing involvement in WW1, the two brothers go separate ways during the Prohibition Era of the 20s and early 30s. Julia Ormond and Karina... read the rest.

Read All Reviews

• Most Popular

Status Released

Original Language English

Budget $30,000,000.00

Revenue $160,638,883.00

• sibling relationship
• post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
• based on novel or book
• world war i
• affectation
• journey around the world
• interracial marriage
• native american
• sibling rivalry
• falling in love
• interracial friendship
• political aspiration
• father son relationship
• brother brother relationship
• prohibition
• beautiful landscapes
• melodramatic
• u.s. army soldier

Content Score 

Yes! Looking good!

Looks like we're missing the following data in en-US or en-US ...

Top Contributors

84 EmperorCommodus

41 TMDB-Bot

24 night.owl

View Edit History

Popularity Trend

Login to edit

Keyboard Shortcuts

Login to report an issue

You need to be logged in to continue. Click here to login or here to sign up.

Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.

On media pages

On tv season pages, on tv episode pages, on all image pages, on all edit pages, on discussion pages.

Want to rate or add this item to a list?

Not a member?

Sign up and join the community

Legends of the Fall

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Is it to be the babe or the bear for Brad Pitt? That is the question. At least it is in the gorgeous and goofy Legends of the Fall , a tasty chunk of pop escapism that will most likely hit pay dirt at the mall, where audiences take their movies like their buttered popcorn — in sweet, nutrient-free puffs that go down easy. As Tristan, the middle son of Montana rancher Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), Pitt must choose between the call of the nest in the form of a marriageable woman (Julia Ormond) and the call of the wild in the form of a pissed-off grizzly (Bart the bear) who tears his flesh and invades his soul. No contest. This is Jim Harrison country, where the macho ethic of the Michigan poet and novelist reigns supreme. Remember Harrison’s Wolf , in which Jack Nicholson also got nipped by a furry mammal and turned primitive? Director Mike Nichols played the myth for laughs.

Legends , director Edward Zwick plays the myth straight. Harrison is still waiting for a kindred spirit, say Oliver Stone, to capture his gonzo poetry onscreen. Zwick is too slick for primal urges. He plays Legends for the ponderous sweep he brought to Glory and the glossy angst he patented as a creator of TV’s thirtysomething . Susan Shilliday, who co-wrote the script with Bill Wittliff, also toiled on that yuppie whinefest. Whatever Legends is on film, it is not Harrison.

Zwick is aiming for a sprawling family saga in the tradition of Giant . And boy, does this baby sprawl. The story begins after the turn of the century, when the young Tristan first meets the bear, and ends with their final battle in 1963. The film is narrated by One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis), the Cree warrior who serves as a scout for William Ludlow and later as a hand on his Montana ranch. When the colonel’s wife returns to her native Boston, One Stab helps the old man raise his three sons; ambitious Alfred (Aidan Quinn), naive Samuel (Henry Thomas — that’s right: the E.T. kid all grown up) and untamed Tristan. One Stab introduces Tristan to American Indian ways, such as the joy of the kill, when a hunter cuts out the warm heart of an animal, “setting its spirit free.”

Editor’s picks

The 100 best tv episodes of all time, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, 25 most influential creators of 2024.

In 1913, Samuel returns from Harvard to introduce his fiancee, Susannah (Ormond). “How intoxicating to have a cultivated woman in the house again,” says the colonel. Indeed. Ormond, a London stage actress, is a radiant discovery. Alfred is drawn to Susannah, she to Tristan. These early scenes of divided loyalties and secret passions are the film’s best.

Trump Melts Down, Lies About Migrants Eating Cats After Harris Trolls Him

Dave grohl announces he fathered child 'outside of my marriage', taylor swift endorses kamala harris, signs her name 'childless cat lady', harris does what biden couldn’t at debate, destroys trump on abortion.

Then tragedy strikes. And keeps striking. First, World War I. Even Tristan can’t save Samuel on the battlefields of France; he can only cut out the dead boy’s heart and — you guessed it — set his spirit free. While a globetrotting Tristan works out his torment with sex and drugs, Susannah marries Alfred, now a congressman. The colonel suffers a stroke, driving Hopkins into spasms of giggle-inducing overacting. There is murder, accidental death, suicide — all set to an overblown score by James Horner. There is even a rematch for the bear and Tristan, who refuses to shoot his prey. One Stab knows why: “The old ones say when a man and an animal have spilled each other’s blood, they become one.”

The old ones have probably seen a lot of hokey movies. What makes Legends such an entertaining male weepie is the star shine. Though the admirable Quinn has the toughest role, Pitt carries the picture. The blue-eyed boy who seemed a bit lost in Interview With the Vampire proves himself a bona fide movie star, stealing every scene he’s in. Face it: The babe and the bear never had a chance.

Halle Berry Is ‘Eternally Miffed’ She’s Still the Only Black Woman to Win the Best Actress Oscar

• Time for Change
• By Charisma Madarang

Ariana DeBose Cooks Up Moldy Meals in 'House of Spoils' Trailer

• Food to Die For
• By Kalia Richardson

Bad Bunny Joins Cast of Adam Sandler's 'Happy Gilmore' Sequel

• Hole in One

Larry David to Take 'A Conversation With Larry David' on the Road This Fall

• On the Road Again
• By Larisha Paul

'Queer' Finds Daniel Craig Cruising for Sex, Drugs — and an Oscar

• TIFF MOVIE REVIEW
• By David Fear

Most Popular

James earl jones, distinguished actor and voice of darth vader, dies at 93, james earl jones, authoritative actor and voice of darth vader, dies at 93, prince harry & meghan markle made this announcement mere hours after kate middleton’s cancer update video, jay-z explains why kendrick lamar was chosen to perform at super bowl halftime show, you might also like, los angeles mayor karen bass, la28 chief casey wasserman talk 2028 summer olympics plans, kamala harris’ trump debate outfit comes with a delicate lavallière blouse, pantsuit and signature pearls, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, 2024 — 2025 awards calendar highlights a slightly shorter oscars season, u.s. soccer officially hires pochettino as men’s head coach.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Legends of the fall.

Directed by Edward Zwick

After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins.

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.

Brad Pitt Anthony Hopkins Aidan Quinn Julia Ormond Henry Thomas Karina Lombard Gordon Tootoosis John Novak Robert Wisden Tantoo Cardinal Paul Desmond Christina Pickles Kenneth Welsh Bill Dow Sam Sarkar Nigel Bennett Keegan MacIntosh Eric Johnson Randall Slavin Doug Hughes Sekwan Auger Christine Harder Charles Andre Weston McMillan David Kaye Bart the Bear Ken Kirzinger

Director Director

Edward Zwick

Producers Producers

Marshall Herskovitz William D. Wittliff Edward Zwick Jane Bartelme Sarah Caplan

Writers Writers

Susan Shilliday William D. Wittliff

Original Writer Original Writer

Jim Harrison

Casting Casting

Mary Colquhoun

Editor Editor

Steven Rosenblum

Cinematography Cinematography

Assistant directors asst. directors.

Nilo Otero Lewin Webb

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Patrick Crowley

Lighting Lighting

James Plannette

Camera Operators Camera Operators

John Clothier Armin Matter

Production Design Production Design

Lilly Kilvert

Art Direction Art Direction

Andrew Precht Rick Roberts

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Dorree Cooper

Special Effects Special Effects

Mike Vézina

Stunts Stunts

Gilbert B. Combs Guy Bews Joe Dodds Jim Dunn Tom Eirikson Jim Finkbeiner Jason Glass Tom Glass Mike Mitchell Tony Morelli Fred Perron Greg Schlosser John Scott Brent Woolsey Gary Combs J.J. Makaro Melissa R. Stubbs

Composer Composer

James Horner

Sound Sound

Douglas Ganton Per Hallberg Lon Bender Randy Kelley Christopher Assells Jay B. Richardson Dino DiMuro Richard Dwan Jr. Mark Larry Patrick J. Foley Valerie Davidson Willy Allen Gary A. Hecker John T. Cucci Randy Singer Fred Peck III Paul Massey David E. Campbell

Costume Design Costume Design

Deborah L. Scott

Makeup Makeup

Jean Ann Black Gail Kennedy Christine Beveridge

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Suzanne Stokes-Munton Iloe Flewelling

Bedford Falls Productions TriStar Pictures Pangaea

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

Cornish English

Releases by Date

• Theatrical limited

23 Dec 1994

13 jan 1995, 02 mar 1995, 07 mar 1995, 08 mar 1995, 10 mar 1995, 16 mar 1995, 18 mar 1995, 24 mar 1995, 29 mar 1995, 31 mar 1995, 01 apr 1995, 05 apr 1995, 13 apr 1995, 27 apr 1995, 28 apr 1995, 05 may 1995, 11 may 1995, 17 may 1995, 19 may 1995, 25 may 1995, 10 jun 1995, 14 jul 1995, 06 oct 1995, 27 oct 2021, 06 jan 2008, 28 feb 2019, 01 jul 2019, 30 sep 2019, 09 oct 1997, 17 oct 2000, 16 may 2001, 08 feb 2011, 09 mar 2011, 07 apr 2011, 15 sep 2012, 04 jul 2002, 14 aug 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 14
• Theatrical 14A
• Theatrical 12+
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical K-12
• Theatrical 12
• Theatrical 16
• Physical DVD
• Theatrical 18
• Physical Blu-ray

Netherlands

• Physical 12 DVD
• TV 12 Net 5
• Physical 12 Blu ray

New Zealand

Philippines.

• Theatrical M/12
• Physical 18+ DVD
• Physical 18+ Blu-ray

South Africa

South korea.

• Theatrical 15 재개봉

Switzerland

• Theatrical R

United Arab Emirates

133 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Ashton ★★ 4

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

The narrator : It was a good death

The image on my screen: A freeze-frame of a man getting mauled to death by a bear

Review by Jacob Knight ★★★½ 8

Ed Zwick’s swooning, melodramatic take on “Fuck/Marry/Kill”.

Review by ✨ wildglitterwolf ✨ ★★★½ 9

I refer to this as the ‘Brad Pitt Buffet’ movie. You got your long hair Brad, short hair Brad, ponytail Brad, horse riding Brad, hat wearing Brad, rural clothes wearing Brad, suit wearing Brad, ‘dirty’ Brad, literally dirty Brad, military Brad, feral Brad, (if you can call that) crying Brad, sexy times Brad, bearded Brad, seafaring Brad, island hunter Brad, shirtless Brad, husband Brad, hot dad Brad, bootlegger Brad, angry Brad, in jail Brad, roof leaping Brad, vengeful Brad... I’m just here to eat, that’s all.

Review by kayla ★★★½

nooo dont marry my brother, you're so sexy aha

Review by kam ★★½ 3

girl pick a plot

Review by sofi✨ ★★★½

i know brad pitt looks good in anything but in this movie he looks particularly good and i love it

Review by porksweats ★★★★

anthony hopkins says fuck the government and I'm like that's right oldtimer

Review by anicaballero ★★★

my biggest fear is dating a guy and later meeting his family only to realize his brother is hotter

Review by Jack ★★★½ 5

lemme get this straight.............. she married 2/3 brothers and dated the other one!? ARE YOU OKAY MISS

Review by Kristina B ★½ 3

This movie is just Brad Pitt looking hot, yelling, roaring, ugly-crying, humping and horseback riding his way through some heavy shit.

Review by matt lynch ★★★½

I do so adore these epic chronicles of masculinity, where the only thing put on a higher pedestal than manliness (uh, sorry, I mean honor ) is a thinly-sketched woman for everyone to fight over. Are the epic sweep and gorgeous vistas and men among men and lustrous hair all nourishing enough to compensate for the ludicrous myth-making of a story about a white family's legacy narrated by their longtime Native majordomo? For me the ludicrous myth-making is entirely the point, but mileages may vary.

Review by Liam Gaylor ★★½ 5

It's kind of like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but instead of pants you have Susannah.

Similar Films

Mentioned by

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW; Grit vs. Good Looks In the American West

By Janet Maslin

• Dec. 23, 1994

There's some mighty pretty country on display in "Legends of the Fall," Ed Zwick's big, fancy film based on Jim Harrison's lean, muscular novella. Not to mention the mighty pretty people roaming through it. Foremost among them is Brad Pitt, departing from the solemnity of his "Interview With the Vampire" performance and wearing a rakish grin as big as all outdoors. Mr. Pitt's diffident mix of acting and attitude works to such heartthrob perfection it's a shame the film's superficiality gets in his way.

But it does, maddeningly so. In gussying up this tale of a prosperous prairie family at the time of World War I, Mr. Zwick goes for the Kodak moment at every opportunity, drowning out dialogue with swelling music and sweeping scenery. Instead of simply letting its characters speak, this film would rather resort to handsome, sincere gazes from the photogenic principals. Mr. Zwick, whose visual grandiosity also showed in "Glory," hasn't cast a single actor who wouldn't be perfectly at home in a modeling spread, man, woman or child.

Beyond good looks, he has enlisted some serious, blue-eyed talent to play this story's fashion-plate ranchers: Anthony Hopkins as William Ludlow, a retired Army colonel, with Mr. Pitt, Aidan Quinn and Henry Thomas as his sons. In Mr. Harrison's story, two of those young men fall in love with the same woman. The movie, with characteristic extravagance, makes matters more confusing by involving her with all three.

The woman is Susannah (the graceful Julia Ormond), first spotted by one of the brothers "at a Harvard tea for Amy Lowell." Her arrival at the ranch is filmed with typical fanfare, as if it were an advertisement for outdoor life. Father and sons Samuel (Mr. Thomas) and Alfred (Mr. Quinn) arrive, looking shy and dashing; warm glances are exchanged all sides. Then Tristan (Mr. Pitt) thunders up on horseback, exuding the brash cowboy arrogance and giving Susannah, who is his brother Samuel's fiancee, one of the film's most meaningful looks. If we've seen "East of Eden," we know what it means.

But "Legends of the Fall," which opens on Christmas Day, has lots of other business to take care of. The story is heavily plotted, which turns Mr. Zwick's reliance on soggy wordless effects into a huge liability. And in such a relentlessly picturesque film, it's hard to accommodate Mr. Harrison's most macho flourishes, like the idea that after one of the brothers is killed in World War I, Tristan, the hunter and free spirit of the story, will cut his brother's heart out so it can be brought home for burial. No Kodak moment there -- though not for lack of trying.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Legends of the Fall (United States, 1994)

Legends of the Fall is the sort of epic melodrama that only Hollywood can do this well. It's a spectacle more than a show, with soaring moments of triumph and tragedy. Words like "restraint" and "subtle" are meaningless in this context. The latest offering from Edward Zwick, the director of Glory , is the kind of movie that doesn't require much effort to surrender to and enjoy.

At the center of Susan Shilliday and Bill Wittliff's script are the three Ludlow brothers: Alfred (Aidan Quinn), the oldest and most straightlaced; Tristan (Brad Pitt), the middle child with a special affinity for nature; and Samuel (Henry Thomas), the youngest and most idealistic. The family's patriarch is Col. Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), an officer who left the U.S. army when he disagreed with the treatment of the Indians. The four men, along with an assortment of friends, live in the Montana Rockies, away from the trappings -- if not the presence -- of civilization.

It would be difficult to find any more affectionate and caring brothers than Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel -- until one woman turns all three lives upside down. Hailing from Boston, Susannah (Julia Ormond) is engaged to Samuel. However, the impending marriage can't prevent both of his brothers from falling for her, and she for at least one of them.

America's entrance into World War One -- and the consequential bloody price -- concludes the introductory portion of the film and unwraps the real meat of the drama. Beyond this point, tangled passions rise in a tide of betrayal and jealousy. Few crimes, whether of the heart or the body, are left unavenged. There are deaths -- some expected and some sudden -- and births. Lost opportunities give rise to mournful reflections on what might have been. And, at the end of it all, exists one final catharsis.

There is nothing deep about Legends of the Fall . Its few themes (such as the innate corruption of government) are kept in the background, giving prominence to characterization and storyline. Needless to say, this is an extravagant production, with sumptuous visuals (credit cinematographer John Toll) and a rich score (by James Horner). In look and feel, it is much like Dances with Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans .

Brad Pitt, a modern-day James Dean, brings a wealth of melancholy to his role of Tristan, the fulcrum for at least three of the film's major tragedies. The character's comings and goings represent the openings and closings of chapters. Even when Tristan isn't on screen, the movie is invariably about him. It takes little guessing to realize that his love affair with Susannah is central to everything that transpires.

Supporting Pitt is a fine cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, and newcomer Julia Ormond, whose role here offers a taste of things to come (she's in a lot of upcoming films, including a remake of Sabrina and the latest Camelot retelling with Sean Connery and Richard Gere). However, all of these actors, regardless of how respected, must (and do) surrender center stage to Pitt when he's on hand. The spotlight is his.

Manipulation is a part of any melodrama, and Legends of the Fall is no exception. In this case, however, the entertainment offered far outweighs any momentary recognition that the director is tweaking our emotions. A film maker who can pull this off once -- not to mention twice (here, as in Glory ) -- deserves both respect and admiration.

It seems that there are perennial attempts at this sort of grand-scale motion picture, each with ambitions as big as the mountains that form the backdrop. Because it's so easy to overdo melodrama, successes are rare. Thankfully, there are few missteps in Legends of the Fall . You don't have to be a critic, or even have a critical perspective, to be entertained by this film.

Comments Add Comment

• Bridge to Terabithia, A (2007)
• Society of the Snow (2023)
• Mission, The (1986)
• 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)
• Ben-Hur (2016)
• Book of Eli, The (2010)
• Fight Club (1999)
• Inglourious Basterds (2009)
• Babel (2006)
• Meet Joe Black (1998)
• Counselor, The (2013)
• Troy (2004)
• Michael Collins (1996)
• Flipped (2010)
• Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1994)
• Nine Lives (2005)
• Blacklight (2022)
• Jonah Hex (2010)
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The (2008)
• Sabrina (1995)
• My Week with Marilyn (2011)
• I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
• (There are no more worst movies of Julia Ormond)

Get the Reddit app

The goal of /r/Movies is to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions.

Can we talk about *Legends of The Fall*? I just finished watching it and it is one of the best movies I have seen. How does it have a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes?

I just finished watching this film and I can honestly say it is one of the best films I have seen. I did a search for the film here and there's very little discussion about it.

I don't think another movie has put me so completely into a time period the way this film did. It really does a good job of making you lose yourself in the early 20th century. You can almost smell the Montana mountains and taste the moonshine.

The performances were absolutely stellar. You can feel and empathize with each character. Julia Ormand's character should be terrible- a woman who enters a family and eventually destroys it. But she sells her performance so well that you don't see it this way. You can really empathize with her and know that none of the actions she took were intentional- that she had no real control over falling in love with Tristan.. Because everyone who watches also falls in love with him. You get why she did the things she did- and just how broken she was by her circumstances.

Brad Pitt's character is an asshole- but his character is so goddamn magnanimous that you understand why everyone around him falls in love with him. Alfred is probably the most pure character- but it's hard to like him. Which is the real tragedy of the character.

I really don't understand why this film has such low ratings on IMBD and on Rotten Tomatoes. Can someone more well versed in film making help me understand what is wrong with the film?

It's going to be thirty years old pretty soon- but it holds up so damn well.

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

Screen Rant

Legends of the fall.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Edward Zwick

Reviews (0)

Have You Watched It?

Be the first to leave your review.

Your Rating

Tristan Ludlow

Anthony Hopkins

Colonel William Ludlow

Aidan Quinn

Alfred Ludlow

Julia Ormond

Susannah Fincannon-Ludlow

Henry Thomas

Samuel Ludlow

Karina Lombard

Seasons (4).

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2018), season 3 (2022), season 4 (2026), users reviews (125).

We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the review below and remember to keep it respectful.

Your comment has not been saved

Related Titles

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

BABY REINDEER