A Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (13 May 2001)

From the sweeping cinematography, to the haunting James Horner score, Legends of the Fall stands out as one of the finest films of 1994. Rather than focus on a linear plot, with one protagonist and several supporting players, it weaves in and out of the various Ludlow family members' interconnected dramas over several decades. The brothers' loss of innocence, and divergent paths is paralleled to the United States tumultous change between the 1890's and FDR, as it "grew up", from an isolationist state concerned only with westward expansion, to a superpower. Their father, Colonel Ludlow (played by Anthony Hopkins in one of his finest performances), grounds the story in the past, reminding us that Montana of 1920 was the wild west, a place set back in time where the Indian wars were still a very recent memory. The story contrasts the brothers' forward-thinking visions of future opportunity, to Colonel Ludlow's regret at past mistakes and his growing mistrust and trepedition as he sees the frontier he helped to forge become corrupted by money and greed. Brilliant acting and direction, flawless script, music, cinematography... a movie that is unforgettable!