Sometimes forever is too long

Rating: 8/10 (5 November 2004)

A remarkable cast for a remarkable tale, set in this stunning masterpiece of a film. I have always enjoyed the Hopkins/Pitt chemistry and this was no different. The entire cast was beautifully poignant, and thought I went into this movie not expecting to be impressed, I cried, moved by the profound depth of honesty this movie portrays.
The eloquence of the narrations, Alberta so glorious, the music haunting and sweeping like an arc, or eagle's wing across the open sky.
Legends of the Fall musical score is some of the most beautiful, and inspiring music to ever grace the silver screen. Every movie James Horner conducts rivals nearly anything I have ever heard next to the glorious sunrise of little birds, to the chirping of midnight crickets, he captures the essence of the heart as it flies. He elevates a film with majestic genius.
Legends of the Fall is true to it's name. Confusing times beget confusing emotions beget loss, sorrow, destruction. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and the wind blows the dust to the four corners, and no one remembers the memory is all that remains, behind the candle flame, in our eyes.
The perfect cast, the perfect music, the perfect story. The problem with perfect is, it tempts God to take it away... and in this movie, it all gets taken away. And we are left with a poem. And that is why this movie won an Academy Award for best cinematography. The poetry was visual, but everything else elevated the poem to a muse, and a muse is forever, and forever turns out to be such a long time, sometimes forever is too long.
Legends of the Fall is that parallel universe where everything falls into the wrong place. Squares fall trying to fit into circles, and we are cut by the sharp edges of the plot. Our hearts ache for the sandpaper of sense to save us, but we are only burned deeper by the memory of such folly. Cut deeper by it, until even hope lays scattered amongst the rock, like old bones.
And one day when the sun rises at the end of your days, when you have lost everything but your soul, you might be fortunate enough to take a leap of faith for love, and in so redeem a lifetime forever more.