Legends of the Fall

Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond, Henry Thomas, Karina Lombard, Tantoo Cardinal, Gordon Tootoosis
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
1994

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the Ludlow family through the early 1900s as their secluded life in rural Montana is upended by war, romance, and the progression of civilization.

Review:

Tim: It took me a long time to finally watch Legends of the Fall. This is one of those films that firmly stood on the list of "I can't believe I haven't seen that!" for far too long. When I finally did make the time, I was pretty excited. Directed by Edward Zwick, it had an incredible cast, looked to tell an epic familial story rooted in history, and it won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. All indications pointed to something truly special. It took me a while to realize something was off. This is a good movie, to be perfectly clear, but it's a film that feels less than the sum of its parts. It has great strengths, but it's the webbing that ties everything together that ultimately becomes too frayed. This might be a good movie, but all the elements were in place for a truly great movie. It's a film that I enjoyed, but continually scratched my head because it absolutely should have been better.

Part of the issue here is that the movie is far too long at 2 hours and 13 minutes. That makes it feel epic, but so much of the movie drags. So much of it isn't as interesting as Zwick thinks it is. There's never a sense of urgency, which ultimately drags the movie down. It's not just the length, but the length exposes the lack of substance. The movie looks beautiful, but it never manages to reach in and tug at our heartstrings. It's interesting, but shallow. It takes too long to get where it's going and by the time it gets there, we're fatigued and ready for the whole thing to be over. I like Edward Zwick as a director, but he's inconsistent. He's delivered so many really good movies (and one great one, in Glory). Here, the excess of the film hurts his ability to tell a powerful story. That's the central issue here.

Now, I will state that one reason for the movie's run time is Zwick gives ample time to the cinematography. This was obviously a good investment of time. The film is beautiful, the landscapes of Montana the most vivid image that remains. However, the scenes of World War I, the bustling of the big town in Montana, these are all gorgeously captured as well. John Toll won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and it's obvious why he did. I loved the cinematography in this film. It's one of the biggest reasons to see it. However, I'd probably have traded a few of these shots for an overall better film.

The cast greatly helps this movie, too. In the ensuing years, I've come to respect Brad Pitt more and more as an actor. I don't think he was great in 1994, but he puts a ton of effort into his role here. I enjoyed him in the role and he makes for a worthwhile protagonist. His performance isn't as polished as it could have been, but Pitt certainly makes the movie better. He was well cast here. The same can be said for Anthony Hopkins, an actor who greatly adds to every single movie he's in. Hopkins is very much supporting here, but he makes his presence felt. I loved what he did with the character (mostly, there's a few times Zwick lets him look silly) and Hopkins is as reliably good as you would expect. His interactions with the rest of the cast elevated their performances, too. You can't overstate how important Hopkins was here. Aidan Quinn gives a strong performance, too. Quinn can do a lot of things, but he's at his best when there's an edge to his character, when you're not sure if you should like him or loathe him. He taps into that just a tiny bit here, but it makes his character interesting. Julia Ormond was fantastic. I don't know if the later parts of her career lived up to her early promise, but she brings youthful energy and vibrancy to her role. Your eye just follows her as she commands our attention. It's one of the best performances of the film. I really enjoyed what Ormond did here. Henry Thomas is solid in a smaller supporting role, and Karina Lombard gave a nice performance- I just wish she had more screen time. Gordon Tootoosis added a terrific supporting performance- his contributions far exceeded what you'd expect from his limited screen time. He makes a lasting impression.

The film was also nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Direction and Best Sound. Technically, it's definitely impressive. I loved the music. James Horner is a genius and that brilliance shows up throughout the entire film. I can't stress how beautifully poetic the soundtrack was, perfectly capturing the right emotions at the right time from beginning to end. It has some of the best music in a film I've ever seen.

So, you have a gorgeously shot film, an all star cast giving great performances, brilliant musical accompaniment, an epic subject matter that spans years and is intertwined in American history. You would expect nothing less than greatness. As I said, however, Zwick can't quite deliver. The movie is good, I enjoyed it from start to finish. But, it weighs on you. It's meandering pace grows tiresome. The drama eventually feels too melodramatic. You become less invested in the story as the movie goes on. The end result is Legends of the Fall is a good movie that has so many great elements that you can't help but be frustrated with the total quality of the movie. Everything was in place for an all-time classic, but Zwick only delivers a good film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Glory, Amistad, Meet Joe Black, A River Runs Through It, Seven Years in Tibet