A perfect love story

Rating: 10/10 (14 July 2005)

This is not a huge movie that goes down in history, but still loved by people watching it, including myself. The story, written by Jim Harrison, is a very strong, sad and all the way beautiful story about brotherhood, jealousy and most important: Love - dangerous as it is!
The acting in the movie is perfect. Brad Pitt fits perfectly in the role as Tristan Ludlow - the wild brother who's loved by everybody, but loses so many people around him, which gets him to the edge of insanity several times. Henry Thomas is doing a fine job as Samuel Ludlow - the young and naive brother who's killed in war. Aidan Quinn is doing the best performance he has ever made in Legends of the Fall as Alfred - the old brother, who seeks love, but loses it all. Julia Ormond had a difficult role as Sussanah - the girl in the family that all the brothers fell in love with, but still she did a very great job. And finally Anthony Hopkins as the father Colonel Ludlow, who has to experience all the pain around him which hits him very hard. He's really giving a good impression of the father in all the situations - anger, sadness, love and illness.
The movie is very good directed by Edwark Zwick. I didn't notice anything to criticize about the direction. Actually I'm extremely impressed by the perfect direction of it. There's not much more to say about that.
We watch the life in Montana in the early years of the 20th century. Of course there's the ranch in the mountains, but also the city Helena and the first World War. It must have required great producing, and the production turned out great. The houses, the clothing, the weapons, the train... All of it makes a great impression of the years we're following.
But there is another very important person who makes this movie so good: James Horner. He did it again! We've heard his music in many movies, such as "Braveheart", "Titanic" and "Troy", but I think this is by far his best job. The melody ("The Ludlow") is a very sad, but beautiful one, that keeps spinning around in your head as a memory of the movie. The other scores are great too, but it's this one I remember the movie best for.
I love this movie very much, and I know that many people feel the same way. It's a movie you'll remember in a very long time, and it certainly doesn't end, when the credits have rolled, because you will spend a lot of time thinking it all over. If you haven't seen it - do it! You wont regret it.