Legends Of The Fall 4K Review (Sony Pictures)

Legends of the Fall is a 1994 drama produced and directed by Edward Zwick (About Last Night, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and Glory). It was written by Susan Shilliday (I Dreamed of Africa, A Wrinkle in Time, and Thirtysomething) and William D. Wittliff (The Perfect Storm, A Night in Old Mexico, The Cowboy Way, Lone Justice franchise, and Lonesome Dove). It’s based on the novel from author Jim Harrison (Wolf, Revenge, Cold Feet, and Carried Away). It took this project 17 years to get made. The budget was $30,000,000 and it grossed $160,638,883 worldwide at the box office. A passionate journey into the darkest secrets of love, betrayal, war, tragedy, and the unbreakable bonds of blood. Colonel William Ludlow (played by: Anthony Hopkins from The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hitchcock, Nixon, Magic, Thor franchise, and The Elephant Man) fights to keep family strong after so many dreadful situations. The three Ludlow brothers which includes Tristan (played by: Brad Pitt from Fight Club, Se7en, 12 Monkeys, Snatch, and Once Upon a time in Hollywood), Alfred (played by: Aidan Quinn from Benny and Joon, Frankenstein, Practical Magic, Michael Collins, and In Dreams), and Samuel (played by: Henry Thomas from E.T., Gangs of New York, Doctor Sleep, Psycho IV, and Suicide Kings) are struggling to get along when a new woman named Susannah (played by: Julia Ormond from Sabrina, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, First Knight, and Inland Empire) comes between all of them. Will this destroy the Ludlows forever????Legends of the Fall is one of the better dramas from the 90’s. Director Edward Zwick fought for so long to get this book adapted to the big screen. It was his dream project and it really shows after experiencing it. The script takes the Ludlow family and it really puts their bond to the test during so many difficult scenarios. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic as Colonel William Ludlow, he’s the glue of the family. He will do whatever it takes to fix this. He is forced to get involved with his boys and their current beef. Henry Thomas is really good as Samuel. He’s the one that brings Susannah into their world. She’s originally with him when she is introduced to everyone. Aidan Quinn is the most responsible brother. He’s great as the ambitious Ludlow that never gives up until he has success. I still think he’s messed up for being the first one that wanted to steal his own brother’s girlfriend. Brad Pitt is top notch as the wild Tristan. He never holds back and he is always getting into something. He’s just as screwed up as Alfred. He wants to steal Susannah from Alfred after taking her from Samuel. Legends of the Fall is one of his most underrated performances. This once loyal group turns into monsters when it comes to this mysterious woman. Julia Ormond is very shady as Susannah. She knows exactly what she’s doing with these men and she plays them against each other. It’s ironic considering the other main role that I know her for is the Sabrina remake where she basically does the same thing. She definitely knows how to be that scandalous role. The rest of the supporting cast includes Karina Lombard (The 4400), Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves), Gordon Tootoosis (Pocahontas), Christina Pickles (Friends), Robert Wisden (Watchmen), John Novak (Wishmaster franchise), Kenneth Welsh (Twin Peaks), Nigel Bennett (The Shape of Water), and Ken Kirzinger (Freddy vs. Jason). Legends of the Fall is more than a drama. When the Ludlow brothers go to war, it’s action packed and it has some brutal moments. I would have liked to see more of that here. Legends of the Fall gives you a little bit of everything such as drama, war, betrayal, action, romance, and family. It’s been more than a few years since I last watched Legends of the Fall and I must admit that it’s much better than I actually remember. It’s always entertaining with really strong replay value to it. It’s awesome to see it get some proper home video treatment, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and list the special features from Sony Pictures! This 2160p (1.85:1) transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is from a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. I’ve owned Legends of the Fall in several different formats but this UHD blows them all away. It’s the highest quality that you’ll ever see for it. The cinematography, production design, and locations really stand out in this. It has a few different audio options which includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 on this UHD. The audio is top notch especially during the war scenes. All of the dialogue is crisp, the drama is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director Edward Zwick and star Brad Pitt. It has an additional “Audio Commentary” with cinematographer John Toll and production designer Lilly Kilvert. It has a little over 5 minutes of “Deleted Scenes” with The War, The Asylum, and Grandfather Ludlow. They come with optional commentaries. It has the almost 6 minute “Original Making Of Featurette”. It has the almost 5 minute “Production Design Featurette”. It has the “Theatrical Trailer”. It comes with a slipcover and a digital code. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!