LEGENDS OF THE FALL

US, 1994, 133 minutes, Colour.
Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aiden Quinn, Julia Ormond, Henry Thomas, Karina Lombard, Tantoo Cardinal, Gordon Tootoosis, Christina Pickles.
Directed by Edward Zwick.

Legends of the Fall is often very beautiful. It is also frequently grim and pessimistic. The setting is Montana, 1913 to the early 1920s. Anthony Hopkins portrays the ex-army family patriarch who has three sons who bond together very closely. Their mother, Christina Pickles, has left them with their father.

Brad Pitt has the central role as the wild, instinctive man whose life is mainly a-wandering; Aiden Quinn is the oldest son, banker and politician; Henry Thomas is the educated idealist who goes off to war, with his brothers trying to protect him (a bit like the traditions of Beau Geste) but who is killed in fighting in France. Julia Ormond is the tragic woman whose life intertwines with each of the sons.

The film was directed by Edward Zwick, the creator of Thirtysomething, director of About Last Night and the excellent Civil War drama Glory. He went on to make Courage Under Fire, The Siege and the acclaimed The Last Samurai. Legends of the Fall is based on a novella by Jim Harrison, adapted by writer-director Bill Wittliff. It is entertaining, though sad, beautiful to look at but grim and often grim in its emotions. Sometimes it seems more like the material of a miniseries than the epic that it intends to be.

1. The impact of a film as a spectacle? A family saga? A piece of Americana? A portrait of an American family, the domination of the patriarch, the sons scattered? The western frontier and its untamed nature at the beginning of the 20th century?

2. The colour photography, Oscar-winning? The beauty of the Montana locations? The re-creation of life at the period, 1913? The towns, the wider world as Tristan sails around the world? The re-creation of the war in France, the trenches? The musical score?

3. The title and its intention and scope? The background of Indian myths and rituals, the native American legendary heritage? The legends of the west, the white settlers of the west, the dynasties, their success and failure? The epic tone of the film?

4. The portrait of the family, the patriarch and his experiences of the Spanish War, becoming a pioneer? His sons, his wife and her decision to leave and live in the town? The patriarch, his relationship to each of his sons, to Susannah? The portrait of the sons and their relationship with their father, to Susannah? The youngest going to war and the other two brothers going to support him? The youngest dying, the oldest injured, Tristan and the psychological damage? His viciousness and his scalping the Germans? The issues of marriage, Susannah and her different relationship with the three sons? The old man's illness, the stroke, difficulty in communicating? The portrait of the generations? The restless son and his wanderings? The respectability of the oldest son and the lack of respectability of Tristan? Tristan's life in the woods, his death, the end of a dream

5. The older generation: Ludlow, his war experience, settling, his relationship with his wife, her departure, the effect, having his sons with him? The work on the farm? The Indian husband and wife, their daughter, their presence on the farm? Susanna's arrival and his response to her? Illness, stroke, communicating via the slate? The dying out of his family? The failure of the dynasty?

6. The Indian husband and wife, Pet and One Stab? The 19th century history of the Indians, their heritage, relationship with the whites, the relationship with the family, their loyalties, working in the home, on the farm, One Stab and his teaching the sons, especially Tristan? Isobel Two, as a little girl, growing up, the promise to marry Tristan, his eventually actually marrying her?

7. The brothers and their relationship to their parents, life on the farm, the bonds between the three, the differences in character in each of them? Their being together, especially in the war? The aftermath?

8. Samuel as the youngest, going off to study, his return, some sophistication? His bringing Susannah with him? The preparation for the marriage? His being unaware of the other brothers' attraction towards Susannah and her attraction towards them? His patriotic decision to go to war, the camaraderie, the grim scenes of battle, his death, Tristan taking out his heart, bringing it back to the United States, the Indian ritual burial?

9. Alfred as the more sombre and sober older brother, abiding by the law? His conscientiousness, work on the farm, business sense? Banker? His father relying on him? Going to war, his being wounded? His courting Susannah but her not accepting him? His becoming a banker, congressman, respectable? His family? Upholding the law, the difficulties with Tristan and his bootleg operation, the thugs? His keeping to his responsibilities? The continuing of the family in him and his children?

10. Susannah, coming home with Samuel, being accepted in the family, her sensual nature, sexual attractions? Her relationship with each of the brothers? Her response to Samuel's death? Staying with the family, Alfred's attentions and her rejection? Her relationship with Tristan? His leaving, her staying? The aftermath, the poignancy of her death and disappointment in life?

11. Tristan as the central character, as portrayed by Brad Pitt? Wild as a young boy, with the Indians, riding, hunting, learning the traditions? His bonds with his two elder brothers, the attraction towards Susannah? The decision to go to war, the effect, the scalps and the authorities and their response to him? Taking Samuel's heart, the return, the ritual burial? The relationship with Susannah, his becoming restless, travelling the world, the discoveries, the wild places he went to, seeing the animals, still the hunter? His letters? The narrative of his travels? His return, not marrying Susannah, marrying Isobel? Becoming involved with the racketeers, the bootleg operation, the clashes with Alfred? His killing one of the thugs, the decision to leave the family? The legend of his riding in the forests, the confrontation with the bear and his death?

12. The portrait of life on the open range at the beginning of the 20th century? Interrupted by the devastation of World War One? The American heritage of the frontier, settling families, the wild aspects of family, the growing respectability? The American heritage?