Legends of the Fall : Superbit (UK - DVD R2)
Legends of a Fall was one of the big holywood blockbuster releases of 1994, starring both Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins this epic ...
Huge epic movies attract a lot of funding from studios and are often relied upon to bring in vast quantities of cash to push a studio ahead of the rest. So many people have an interest in them that they often follow the same tried and tested formula - only set in different locations. Some do very well whilst others fail drastically and totally screw up a studio’s future plans. One such epic was Edward Zwick’s Legend’s of a Fall staring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.
Movie
Tristan (Brad Pitt) is the overbearing middle brother of three and central character of Legends; his father (Anthony Hopkins) was a colonel for the US government and has seen many bad things – mainly as the result of his own government. As such he decided to uplift the family roots and move to a rural spot in Montana. Life was hard, especially in winter – the colonel’s wife Isabel (Christina Pickles) couldn’t cope with the conditions so regularly headed off to civilisation in winter. Eventually Isabel opted not to return and he was left to bring up the kids on his own. Tristan in particular was affected by his mother’s refusal to return by purposefully isolating himself.
One day the younger brother Samuel (Henry Thomas) arrives home with future bride-to-be Susannah (Julia Ormond) and this initially brings the family barring Isabel back under the same roof. Everyone is happy and getting along with each other, Susannah gives the place a new lease of life.
Before the wedding gets anywhere near happening Samuel and the older brother Alfred (Aidan Quinn) decide they should serve for the country by enlisting to fight in the war over in Europe. Their father doesn’t approve of this after himself leading a life in the military only to discover how corrupt and immoral the whole system was; he realises that they are going to go with or without his blessings so lets them go. Tristan decides to follow suit since he and Alfred have always looked after their beloved younger brother whenever he got into any sort of trouble. Tristan promises his father that he will do his best to protect Samuel whilst away from home. The remainder of this epic (and there is a lot of it!) centres around what happens after they return back from the war and what they get up to. There are quite a few deaths, a wedding and arguments aplenty.
This movie is absolutely massive in terms of what happens in it, there are so many plots and subplots that it almost feels like watching a television series that has somehow been magically condensed into a little over two hours. I think this is its biggest downfall; there is so much going on that it feels almost too much. It doesn’t have a focus other than Tristan’s goings-on, and this is the second big flaw; Tristan isn’t that stable of a character and acts like he suffers from a multiple personality disorder throughout the film, you just never know what he’s going to be like twenty minutes from now and cannot fully identify with him. One minute he’s peaceful, later he’s vengeful, then he is totally distant and cold, happily breaking the law and putting his family at risk. There’s also the bear persona from a childhood experience that is his excuse for his undesirable actions. It would have been better focusing on one of the other characters like Alfred or Susannah – maybe even the colonel. Legends of the Fall just doesn’t have a strong central glue to hold all the ideas together and for that reason it unfortunately somewhat fails.
That aside, everything else seems fine. Cinematography is breathtaking, John Toll did a great job; choosing Calgary in Canada for much of the location shots, they really gave the movie that epic feel it so obviously wanted to exude. The soundtrack may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is ideal for the dramatic style of movie. Acting wise, both Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins are splendid, particularly the latter as his character progresses and becomes older and darker in nature. As already stated, Julia Ormond’s character could so easily have been the centre of attention which says a lot about the performance.
Video
Legends of the Fall has always been afforded a magnificent DVD transfer, even the very early versions have stood time very well. This 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer suffers from no obvious compression artefacts and there was no sign of edge enhancement. About the only problem was the odd occurrence of what appeared to have been very minor print damage – and I mean very minor. Colour balance is fine with solid blacks.
Audio
Available in both Dolby 5.1 and DTS, these tracks are very aggressive at times. In particular when the three brothers end up in the war and we join them on the battlefield, the tracks go quite literally nuts. Director Edward Zwick demonstrates a flair for mixing dramatic action sequences within drama orientated movies without making the scenes feel out of place, Legends is no exception. Both the Dolby 5.1 and DTS tracks sounded very similar though the DTS track did seem somewhat quieter. The soundtrack is clear and precise, and dialogue is always audible.
Extras
This is a Superbit, so no extras other than the DTS soundtrack. Menus are your standard Superbit affair and there are plenty of subtitle options available. If you are after either of the commentaries available in previous DVD incarnations of Legends of the Fall then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Overall
Legends is a wonderful movie that has been given an excellent transfer to DVD with a dynamic yet delicate soundtrack. Featuring top notch cinematography and an expert cast it is a shame that the story wasn’t at the same level.
For all those Brad Pitt followers, this could be a worthwhile purchase. It demonstrates another side to Brad’s acting career before he progressed onto the more gritty and intelligent thrillers such as Seven and Fight Club. The way in which his character changes so much in this movie demonstrates his range of abilities. As for the other principal actor, Anthony Hopkins pulls off an expect character driven performance.
Overall I would recommend this movie, by its very nature it has been designed to appeal to a mass market of varying interests. I’m sure elements will appeal to different people, whether or not you will enjoy the film in its entirety is another matter.
Review by Malcolm Campbell
Movie
Tristan (Brad Pitt) is the overbearing middle brother of three and central character of Legends; his father (Anthony Hopkins) was a colonel for the US government and has seen many bad things – mainly as the result of his own government. As such he decided to uplift the family roots and move to a rural spot in Montana. Life was hard, especially in winter – the colonel’s wife Isabel (Christina Pickles) couldn’t cope with the conditions so regularly headed off to civilisation in winter. Eventually Isabel opted not to return and he was left to bring up the kids on his own. Tristan in particular was affected by his mother’s refusal to return by purposefully isolating himself.
One day the younger brother Samuel (Henry Thomas) arrives home with future bride-to-be Susannah (Julia Ormond) and this initially brings the family barring Isabel back under the same roof. Everyone is happy and getting along with each other, Susannah gives the place a new lease of life.
Before the wedding gets anywhere near happening Samuel and the older brother Alfred (Aidan Quinn) decide they should serve for the country by enlisting to fight in the war over in Europe. Their father doesn’t approve of this after himself leading a life in the military only to discover how corrupt and immoral the whole system was; he realises that they are going to go with or without his blessings so lets them go. Tristan decides to follow suit since he and Alfred have always looked after their beloved younger brother whenever he got into any sort of trouble. Tristan promises his father that he will do his best to protect Samuel whilst away from home. The remainder of this epic (and there is a lot of it!) centres around what happens after they return back from the war and what they get up to. There are quite a few deaths, a wedding and arguments aplenty.
This movie is absolutely massive in terms of what happens in it, there are so many plots and subplots that it almost feels like watching a television series that has somehow been magically condensed into a little over two hours. I think this is its biggest downfall; there is so much going on that it feels almost too much. It doesn’t have a focus other than Tristan’s goings-on, and this is the second big flaw; Tristan isn’t that stable of a character and acts like he suffers from a multiple personality disorder throughout the film, you just never know what he’s going to be like twenty minutes from now and cannot fully identify with him. One minute he’s peaceful, later he’s vengeful, then he is totally distant and cold, happily breaking the law and putting his family at risk. There’s also the bear persona from a childhood experience that is his excuse for his undesirable actions. It would have been better focusing on one of the other characters like Alfred or Susannah – maybe even the colonel. Legends of the Fall just doesn’t have a strong central glue to hold all the ideas together and for that reason it unfortunately somewhat fails.
That aside, everything else seems fine. Cinematography is breathtaking, John Toll did a great job; choosing Calgary in Canada for much of the location shots, they really gave the movie that epic feel it so obviously wanted to exude. The soundtrack may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is ideal for the dramatic style of movie. Acting wise, both Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins are splendid, particularly the latter as his character progresses and becomes older and darker in nature. As already stated, Julia Ormond’s character could so easily have been the centre of attention which says a lot about the performance.
Video
Legends of the Fall has always been afforded a magnificent DVD transfer, even the very early versions have stood time very well. This 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer suffers from no obvious compression artefacts and there was no sign of edge enhancement. About the only problem was the odd occurrence of what appeared to have been very minor print damage – and I mean very minor. Colour balance is fine with solid blacks.
Audio
Available in both Dolby 5.1 and DTS, these tracks are very aggressive at times. In particular when the three brothers end up in the war and we join them on the battlefield, the tracks go quite literally nuts. Director Edward Zwick demonstrates a flair for mixing dramatic action sequences within drama orientated movies without making the scenes feel out of place, Legends is no exception. Both the Dolby 5.1 and DTS tracks sounded very similar though the DTS track did seem somewhat quieter. The soundtrack is clear and precise, and dialogue is always audible.
Extras
This is a Superbit, so no extras other than the DTS soundtrack. Menus are your standard Superbit affair and there are plenty of subtitle options available. If you are after either of the commentaries available in previous DVD incarnations of Legends of the Fall then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Overall
Legends is a wonderful movie that has been given an excellent transfer to DVD with a dynamic yet delicate soundtrack. Featuring top notch cinematography and an expert cast it is a shame that the story wasn’t at the same level.
For all those Brad Pitt followers, this could be a worthwhile purchase. It demonstrates another side to Brad’s acting career before he progressed onto the more gritty and intelligent thrillers such as Seven and Fight Club. The way in which his character changes so much in this movie demonstrates his range of abilities. As for the other principal actor, Anthony Hopkins pulls off an expect character driven performance.
Overall I would recommend this movie, by its very nature it has been designed to appeal to a mass market of varying interests. I’m sure elements will appeal to different people, whether or not you will enjoy the film in its entirety is another matter.
Review by Malcolm Campbell
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Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date:
7th July 2003
Discs:
1
Disc Type:
Single side, dual layer
RCE:
No
Video:
PAL
Aspect:
1.85:1
Anamorphic:
Yes
Colour:
Yes
Audio:
English (Dolby 5.1, DTS)
Subtitles:
Dutch, English, English for the hard of hearing and Hindi
Extras:
None
Easter Egg:
No
Feature Details
Director:
Edward Zwick
Cast:
Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond and Henry Thomas
Genre:
Drama
Length:
127 minutes
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The narration by Colonel Ludlow's old Lakota Sioux friend, "One Stab", is priceless; it sets the tone of impending sadness and a sweeping saga, yet simply. It was also necessary, since the book was SO incoherent and frankly, not very good. Zwick wisely chose, rather than chronicle the "Adventures of Tristan", as the book did, to make him a pivotal character, but ultimately NOT the center of the story, only of its many tragedies, however unwittingly. As One Stab says, after Tristan's death (he lives longer than almost anyone!), "He was the rock they broke themselves against".
Though Tristan IS deeply flawed, I would hardly call him "overbearing"! "Willful", as his parents put it, is a better word. He lives life on his own terms, deeply scarred by his mother's rejection. Alfred is also cut by his his FATHER'S favoritism toward Tristan, but rather than rebel, he seeks approval throughout his whole life, unsuccessfully, even throwing in his lot with corrupt businessmen, bootleggers and law enforcement types, who ultimately kill Tristan's wife over illegal whiskey.
The bitter divide in this family SEEMS at first to be caused, years before, by the swirl of longing and attention around Julia Ormond's character, the alluring Susannah Fincannon, a beautiful, but frail-souled orphan. And yes, the trouble re-ignites as the brothers, and even, to some extent. Col. Ludlow, vie for her attention, or try to get it back for themselves.
However, we can see that their problems started long before, with Ludlow's seething resentment against the government, his decision to shun society, his mistaken match to a "cultured woman" and her selfish desertion of the whole family. Though One Stab seems to gloss over this, any reader who has taken a Psych 101 class knows this is a deeply troubled family.
Only the youngest brother, Samuel, is more or less immune to the resentment and anger that flickers between his older brothers. He might have been a peacemaker, as often happens in families like this, but his untimely death merely aggravates things, with Alfred actually blaming Tristan for "not watching" over him better during the war. His statement to this effect results in a huge row with the Colonel, and his banishment from the family.
One part of the film that doesn't really "track" is Tristan's total breakdown, once he and Susannah become lovers. He sees a cow, stuck in a barbed wire fence and must shoot it. This sends him into depression, then madness, recalling his brother's death in a German barbed wire trap.
It doesn't make much sense that someone as carefree and self-contained as Tristan would suddenly go nuts, because he's now got the woman his brother would have had. Everyone EXCEPT Samuel seemed to realize immediately that he and Susannah were as improbable a couple as Col. Ludlow and his wife, Isabel.
Another thing that is TOTALLY off is the time line. The story begins in the summer of 1913, but it seems that the boys all wait until World War I is well underway before enlisting, and Samuel's first letter to Susannah is dated in 1918. After his death and Alfred's return, Tristan says he can't come back, "After many moons", says One Stab. Still, he shows up the same year, since his brother will vote for the Volstead Act (Prohibition)...in 1918.
Then, after he goes bonkers and leaves again, One Stab stretches time into "many years", while the ranch goes bust and falls into disrepair (the servant, Pet Deckard, stops cleaning, for some reason!). However, Tristan returns, now apparently "cured", after sailing around the world, hunting "everything that can be hunted", having sex with other women and smoking opium.
And...what year is it? 1919! How do we know? He falls in love with Pet and Deckard's daughter, Isabel Two, now NINETEEN, and marries her, much to Susannah's despair. So, he's been gone, again, for less than a year!
Still, all this aside, the ending is beautifully tragic. In particular, Tristan's and Deckard's revenge for the killing of Isabel Two is choreographed flawlessly, alternating between Tristan stalking one of the villainous O'Banyon brothers in town, and Deckard, up in the hills with a rifle, calmly picking off the evil cop who shot his daughter.
In the end, when the Sheriff and other "authorities" come to kill Tristan, it seems all family squabbles can be solved by the outcast (in this case, Alfred) showing up and plugging a bad guy with a shotgun. The Colonel takes care of the other two, despite his stroke "years ago". Stab does a fake scalping dance around the bodies ("How much I wanted to take scalp that day, but it were not my kill". ) and the camera rises up above the ranch, the afternoon sun behind the mountains, while the two brothers and their father, pensively stare out across the plains.
In closing, despite its many flaws, this is a wonderful story, beautifully filmed and ranks right up there as one of the few costume dramas that both men and women can watch and enjoy.