Legends of the Fall” is directed by director Edward Zwick, Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt and Julia Ormond and other influential co-star in the blockbuster, the film with its excellent audio-visual language and soaring emotions loved by fans, the film with excellent color and images won the 67th Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.
The film tells the story of a war-weary cavalry colonel who is discharged from the army in the early 20th century and lives alone with his three sons in seclusion on a farm. The eldest son, Alfred, is loyal, ordinary and responsible; the second, Tristan, is reckless and debauched; the third, Samuel, is loved by everyone and is an idealist. The calm and indifferent life of father and son changed completely with the arrival of Samuel’s fiancée Suzanne and the enlistment of the three brothers in the army after the outbreak of the World War. The beautiful Suzanne brings life and vitality to the purely male world of the family, and also leaves a deep impression on the two brothers, who become emotionally entangled with the three brothers from then on, thus triggering a series of subsequent events.
Unlike most Hollywood cowboy films, “Legends of the Fall” is not intended to promote individual heroism and satisfy the dreams of heroes of ordinary people, but to awaken people to the impermanence of life and the eternity of emotions through the depiction of a family’s sorrow and happiness. The film’s music is scored by Hollywood masters.
The film’s music was composed by Hollywood score master James Horner, who once said: “This is a classic aesthetic film, I am obsessed with Irish music, I love the melancholy atmosphere, this form does not appear to fade and deteriorate over time. Unlike other composers, I don’t think of composing as a job. I think of it as art. So, in “The Burning Years,” I gave it the most expressive sound.”
In the film, more than a dozen pairs of independent scores developed from the theme, sometimes played by the symphony orchestra, as if horses galloping on the grassland, magnificent; sometimes echoed on the piano, like the whispers of lovers, singing and whispering. The film’s soundtrack, because of the plot’s prompting and picture guidance, allows the audience to feel the emotions emanating from the play in a more consistent manner.
As the film says, “Some people can hear the voice of their own hearts clearly and live after it. The hero in “Legends of the Fall” is the embodiment of the powerful forces of nature and a symbol of the free spirit. He rode his horse in the wilderness of the American West, his blood flowed with the breath of freedom, his heart let out a suppressed roar, so he became an icon loved and worshipped by people. His long flowing hair, deep eyes, hot tears and watery tenderness all moved the audience.
Legends of the Fall” is an emotional story, which is written in a perfect epic with great skill and profound mood. In the film, Colonel William’s three sons have a deep love for each other, one passionate, he dedicated his life to passion, one brave, he dedicated his bravery to freedom, one wise, he relied on wisdom to achieve his “American dream”, and the love between them and Susannah is unforgettable. The film shows the softest affection of the human heart, the most sincere love and the most touching friendship. In the film, the emotions continue to sublimate, condensed, until the final pour, its emotions show a surging tension, adding a more evocative. The epic plot of the film, the sad and sentimental soundtrack, and the beautiful images are all one, making “Legends of the Fall” a timeless classic.