Despite its flaws, a film one can admire for its ambition

Rating: 7/10 (15 September 2011)

Edward Zwick is not the most prolific of directors; in a career which to date has lasted a quarter of a century he has only made ten films. He is, however, one of the few modern directors with a taste for the grand epic manner, evidenced by films like "Glory" and "The Last Samurai" which show the influence of earlier directors like David Lean and William Wyler.
"Legends of the Fall" is another epic drama in the same vein. Like the more recent "There Will Be Blood" it can be seen as falling within the Western tradition, although it is not normally described as a Western. Apart from the final scene, which is set in 1963, the action takes place during the years 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, and centres upon the Ludlow family of Montana. The family patriarch is the Cornish-born Colonel William Ludlow. Ludlow served with distinction in the US Army for many years, but has become disillusioned with war after seeing atrocities committed by troops against the Native American population. He has become not only a pacifist but also something of an anarchist who distrusts all governments and their works. He has come to admire the Native American peoples and the film is narrated by his friend One Stab, a member of the Cree nation.
Central to the plot is that Ludlow's three sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel, all fall in love with the same woman, Susannah Fincannon. Susannah is originally the fiancée of the youngest son, Samuel, but their romance is interrupted when he and his two brothers (much to their father's displeasure) all go off to fight in World War I. The old man's displeasure is increased by the fact that, because America is still neutral, they are not obliged to fight, but volunteer to join the Canadian Army to aid Britain in her fight against Germany. Samuel is killed in action, and when Alfred and Tristan return home both fall in love with Susannah.
The two men are very different in character. The cautious, conformist Alfred goes into politics, becoming a member of first the Montana state legislature and then of the US Congress. Tristan, by contrast, is a wild, rebellious free spirit, but haunted by guilt over what he sees as his failure to protect Samuel during the war. He roams the world before becoming a bootlegger during the Prohibition era. Susannah and Tristan become lovers for a time, but their relationship is a doomed one, and she eventually marries Alfred. (It is perhaps significant that Tristan is named after the hero of a romance about doomed love).
There are two particularly good acting performances. One comes from the normally excellent Anthony Hopkins as the ageing Colonel; the other from Brad Pitt as Tristan. Pitt is not always my favourite actor. In his more commercial ventures such as "Troy", "Mr and Mrs Smith" and the "Ocean's" franchise he often seems content just to stroll his way through the movie without putting in any real effort. Give him a more challenging role, however, and he often rises to the challenge, as in "Fight Club" and "Babel". Here as Tristan he brings a passionate intensity, as well as a suggestion of an underlying unhappiness to the role. Julia Ormond may have largely disappeared from sight since 1994, but here as Susannah (her first major starring role) she does enough to show just why she was regarded as one of the rising young stars of the mid-nineties.
The film has its faults; it is overlong, at times moves too slowly and the plot, which is considerably more complex than my brief summary above might suggest, is a loose, sprawling one which does not always hang together well. And yet, despite its flaws, it is a film one can admire for its ambition. The photography, especially of the Montana landscapes is striking; the Academy Award for "Best Cinematography" was well-deserved. It is a film which combines an epic grandeur and sense of scale with a passionate family drama and some touching moments. It is not quite the masterpiece which Zwick and the producers seem to have been aiming for- they were, apparently, hoping for several more Oscars- but it is an honourable attempt at one. 7/10