Legends of the Fall - Collectors Edition [1995]

Amazon.co.uk Review

A box-office hit when released in 1994, this sprawling, frequently overwrought familial melodrama may get sillier as its plot progresses, but it's the kind of lusty, character-based epic that Hollywood should attempt more often. It's also an unabashedly flattering star vehicle for Brad Pitt as Tristan--the rebellious middle son of a fiercely independent Montana rancher and military veteran (Anthony Hopkins)--who is routinely at odds with his more responsible older brother, Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and younger brother, Samuel (Henry Thomas). From the battlefields of World War I to his adventures as an oceangoing sailor, Tristan's life is full of personal torment, especially when he returns to Montana and finds himself competing with Alfred over Samuel's beautiful widow (Julia Ormond), whose passion for Tristan disrupts the already turbulent Ludlow clan. Under the wide-open canopy of Big Sky country, this operatic tale unfolds with all the bloodlust, tragedy, and scenery-chewing performances you'd expect to find in a hokey bestselling novel (in fact, it's based on the acclaimed novella by Jim Harrison), but it's a potent mix that's highly entertaining. Not surprisingly, John Toll won an Academy Award for his breathtaking outdoor cinematography. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Brad Pitt's Big Break.......2007-06-27

I really like this movie. It tells a unique story about 3 brothers during their entire life. Brad Pitt stars in this movie, and does a great job. He is the youngest brother with a rebellious streak. Great music by James Horner and a very memorable ending; One of the best films of the 1990's.

Beautiful landscapes.......2007-03-07

This film is worth buying just for the fantastic scenery and all round beauty of Montana. But it also happens to be a very entertaining film too. It's one of Brad Pitt's most underrated performances, and the scene in the war with Tristan rushing to save Samuel is one of the most moving moments in cinema history. Good solid entertainment for the whole family. This would have been a great mini series.

A True Classic..........2004-08-16

This has got to be one of the best love stories I have ever seen. Heart-wrenching to say the least. Perfect cast, perfect look and a beatifully written storyline that doesn't allow you to leave it without that deep throb in your heart.

Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt have such a rapport and it's so pleasing to see them bouncing off eachother with their unique acting skills. You leave the film not believing that it wasn't real or at least based on a true story...the mark of a true classic!

Something I haven't seen mentioned here (forgive me if I'm wrong, of course) is the music in the film...the score is a masterpiece and some of the best classical music I have ever heard. It no doubt makes the movie what it is and it could not have been the same without it. If this is your thing then I also suggest buying the soundtrack - it takes you to so many places and is well worth having in your collection if you fancy a 'Ludlow' moment or just want to relax. It deserves to be heard on it's own as it raises so many feelings of your own - not just that of the film.

I hope this has been helpful. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to have found this movie - it's definitely a 'can't stop watching' film.

Brad's best performance yet...........2004-04-22

I would never get bored of this film. I have to say that the combination of actors was superb and I wouldn't cast it any other way. Aidan Quinn was inspirational as a man trapped in love. After marrying the woman he loves, he's stuck with the thought that she doesn't love him. Both him and Julia Ormond work beautifully together even though I hate her character for getting with every brother. Can't blame her for loving Brad though!

Brad and Anthony are always a good combination. 'Meet Joe Black' was a let down as far as their careers go. But here the duo are just damn cool. I love Brad and Anthony's eyes are so gorgeous! That's a little irrelavant I admit, but as an actor I think he is amazing. He raises his voice in the right places and creates tension that you could cut with a knife. When he banishes Adian from their ranch it is heart wrenching. He shows the most beautiful love for Brad as a father to a son that you could ever imagine in a film. Their relationshiop was believable and moving.

Brad is at his best here and I have to say it was probably one of the most challenging role he has played. With a character that grows and changes in such a dramatic way, I have never seen such a great performance. In addition to all of that he shows the most amazing emotion.

Fantastic film and I would tell everyone to watch it. I never realised I could feel such emotion when watching a film. I love this film and i couldn't fault it.

Griity, loving, emotional and fabulous........2003-11-12

It is very easy to understand why the people who cast Meet Joe Black chose Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. It is blatantly obvious that they had seen Legends of the Fall and had fallen in love with a fabulous male on screen partnership. Brad Pitt manages, as he has done in so many films to be both an aloof and carefree character, while at the same time showing deep signs of tenderness and caring. At the same time you have Anthony Hopkins, the older wiser father, who watches his famliy of sons begin to detiorate before his eyes. If I was to recommend any film which will make you laugh, cry and become angry in the space of two hours, then this is it. A must see film with a fabulous soundtrack which only adds to all the feelings that this film manages to portray. A definite film which must be put in anyones top 10 films of the 90's!

Customer Reviews:

Lovely surroundings, needs more instruction.......2004-05-23

The first discovery I made was that this DVD is identical, or almost identical to the tape I bought a couple of years ago entitled "Discover the Spirit of Yoga". Both share an (almost) identical description on the back of their boxes and the photograph on the back of this DVD is the same picture used on the front of my tape. Where the photograph on the front of this DVD comes from I do not know, it does not appear anywhere in the sequence of poses which is also the same or almost the same as on my tape, except that you can use the menu to choose each.

The yoga postures are set in the most beautiful scenery of any Yoga DVD or tape I have ever seen. Performed in Sedona, Arizona, each posture is depicted in an appropriate setting - Camel pose in some dusty scrubland, Eagle pose on the edge of a cliff. The lying down positions are performed over running water. Each asana is introduced with a small inset photo depicting the finished position and a phrase setting the scene, such as "be an eagle, be visionary".

I found the second half of each position difficult to follow. Having taken you through one side, you are told simply to repeat the sequence on the other side. It is not always possible to view the screen and there are no verbal cues, even through two minute of the Sun Salutation. Looking at the screen may not help, as you may find that the asana is being performed on one side by one student and on the other side by the other; visually appealing but difficult to follow. There is little attempt to co-ordinate movements with breath, just the instruction "and breath", when appropriate.

The postures are beautifully performed but rarely flow one into the other, since each is shown in its own, appropriate location. There is a long and beautifully filmed relaxation section at the end, which takes you on a journey through your body, taking off and flying like an eagle while listening to some yoga philosophy. This is a lovely tape but needs a more continuous soundtrack taking you through the poses.

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