Moving masterpiece of family bonds ripped asunder

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2006)

When I tuned in to this movie, I fully expected to see Hollywood trash, having heard that the story revolves around three brothers who all have relationships with the same woman. Much to my surprise, I found a captivating epic well presented and a very moving depiction of the close father / son and brother bonds torn apart by the unfolding emotions involving this woman.
The legend begins with Colonel Ludlow, who is disgusted with the government and chooses to raise his three sons (Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel) in the Rocky Mountain wilderness of Montana. His wife and the boys' mother, Isabel, has retreated off to civilized city life, having no fondness for the wilds. The three brothers enjoy very close and loyal fraternal bonds until the youngest, Samuel, brings his fiancé, Susannah Fincannon, back from college with him to meet his family. The oldest brother, Alfred, falls in love with his brother's fiancé, while Susanna herself develops passionate feelings for the middle brother, Tristan. Meanwhile, World War I has begun and all three brothers enlist to go off overseas into battle, with the disapproval but blessing of their father.
This movie is notable partly for its absolutely spectacular and majestic mountain wilderness scenery, filmed in the Canadian Rockies not far from Calgary. You can really see what they mean by the phrase "big sky". I love the bear scenes! Also, it features beautiful musical scoring, totally appropriate to the dramatic and heartbreaking events.
The brothers are very disparate individuals, each a sympathetic and tragic figure with his own unique virtues. Samuel, the youngest, is innocent & naive but also tender & idealistic. As the baby of the family, his two older siblings seem especially protective of him even during war. The eldest, Alfred, is a responsible and honourable man of integrity who 'follows all the rules, man's and God's'. He later pursues a political career for worthy and noble reasons, though incurs his father's estrangement for doing so. The middle brother, Tristan, is wild and passionate, very tuned in to nature with a Native American foster father. His own father's favourite, he is a tempestuous and troubled individual who is haunted by his own personal demons but has many amazing strengths. Alhough Tristan is admittedly the obvious hero of the piece, I actually prefer and identify more with his two brothers.
All three Ludlow brothers are well cast. The handsome Brad Pitt, though he doesn't make me swoon personally, nevertheless gives a compelling performance as the long haired, wild, and tormented Tristan. Aidan Quinn plays the much less exciting but reliable Alfred, while Samuel is portrayed by Henry Thomas, who (to my surprise) is the ET kid all grown up. As always, Anthony Hopkins is masterful as the boys' father, Colonel Ludlow. It is especially touching later in the tale when he exhibits the infirmities of old age.
The lovely, well spoken Julia Ormond plays Susannah, the woman who unwillingly causes so much grief in the Ludlow family. Before watching this movie, I anticipated finding her a reprehensible character with loose morals and no concept whatsoever of loyalty. However, this beautiful & spirited young woman with no family roots of her own (her parents both having died), comes across as a very sympathetic character. I personally wouldn't judge her, seeing the way events unfold in her relationships with these brothers. Susannah herself certainly suffers greatly for any mistakes she makes.
Two of the brothers' different attitudes are revealed quite dramatically in a scene early in the movie where Samuel confides in Tristan his fears of being unable to satisfy his future bride. Note the different phrases employed by these two young men for sex with Susannah, I think it reflects their underlying different emotions and values, not merely wording. As for Alfred, he genuinely cares deeply for Susannah and wants to see her treated respectfully. Upon realizing that Tristan has been intimate with her, he demands that his brother marry this lady he himself loves in order to make an 'honest woman' of her. As I see it, Susannah's tragic flaw lies in falling for the wrong brother. The unsettled Tristan is unable to return her love in the stable & committed way she seeks, especially at such a traumatic period in his life. After Tristan's abandonment, Susannah marries Alfred, whom she (alas) does not love, because he can offer this stability and commitment.
Other interesting characters in these legends include the Native American One Stab.The viewer cheers for Tristan's dramatic defense of his friend's rights when a bigoted bar owner refuses to serve him. There's also the cute and endearing young half native Isabel Two, who blossoms into such a beautiful young woman.
The threatened family ties are brilliantly depicted in this epic, the interactions between father & sons and especially between the brothers riveting and wrenching. It is a tragic and heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting tale of war, loyalty, love, betrayal, grief, and especially the unshakable bonds of brotherhood.