Legends of the Fall: 30th Anniversary (4K UHD Review)
- Review Date: Mar 12, 2025
- Format: 4K Ultra HD
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Director
Edward ZwickRelease Date(s)
1994 (December 3, 2024)Studio(s)
TriStar Pictures/Bedford Falls Productions/Sony Pictures (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A+
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
Based on the 1979 novella of the same name by Jim Harrison, Edward Zwick’s Legends of the Fall is an epic family drama set in the foothills of the Montana Rockies in the early 20th century. U.S. Army Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), tired of his government’s endless betrayals of Native Americans, retires there to ranch and raise a family. But Montana is not to his wife Isabel’s liking, so William raises his three sons Alfred (Adian Quinn), Tristian (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) with the help of his Cree friend One Stab (Gordon Tootoosis), a hired ranch hand and former outlaw named Decker (Paul Desmond), and Decker’s Cree wife (Tantoo Cardinal).
Years later, when Samuel returns home from Harvard University, he surprises his father and brothers by bringing his fiancée Susannah (Julia Ormond) with him. But before they can marry, Samuel declares his intention to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force to fight with Britain against Germany in the First World War. Determined to keep their brother safe, Alfred and Tristian sign up as well, all of them going to war against their father’s wishes. What happens next will divide the Ludlow family, and ultimately set brother against brother in a simmering conflict of guilt, envy, and madness.
Legends of the Fall is not a perfect film by any means and it contains more than its share of melodrama. Still, its emotions are heartfelt and the ensemble cast gives the material its all. Brad Pitt does his level best to carry the film and mostly succeeds, though Adian Quinn delivers a strong performance too. But as even as the drama loses energy and momentum in its third act, and Pritt’s Tristian makes ever more implausible choices, the film’s sheer sweep and stunning cinematography nearly makes up for it. And I must confess to a genuine fondness for composer James Horner’s moving and epic score, which captures both the grandeur of the film’s expansive landscapes and the melancholic sense of a world and family in transition. For my money, it’s one of Horner’s most compelling yet least appreciated works.
Legends of the Fall was shot on 35 mm photochemical film by cinematographer John Toll (Braveheart, Wind, The Adjustment Bureau) using Panavision Panaflex Gold II cameras with Panavision Primo and Canon spherical lenses, and it was finished at the 1.85:1 “flat” aspect ration for theaters. For its release on Ultra HD (and in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary), Sony has scanned the original camera negative in 4K, conducted a digital remastering, and graded the image for high dynamic range (available here in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision). What’s more, it’s been encoded for release on a 100 GB disc to ensure maximum quality (with video data rates in the 70 Mbps range). The result is spectacular, a finely detailed and refined presentation with superbly nuanced and accurate color, delicate texturing, genuinely deep shadows (that hold impressive detail), and bold, luminous highlights. The image exhibits a remarkable depth and dimensionality, with light-medium to medium organic grain. The image is optically soft on occasion, and a few shots hint at the use of netting or soft filters. Either way, this is a truly gorgeous 4K image.
Newly-created for this release is a fine English Dolby Atmos mix, that’s tonally rich and full sounding, with exceptionally clear dialogue and pleasing fidelity. Bass is robust indeed, while the overall soundstage is big, wide, and expansive. Subtle immersion cues abound, particularly in exterior shots—wind, insects, birds. And there’s lovely depth to the staging—some objects seem to be closer to the listener, while others are more distant. Once the setting changes to the front lines in Europe, the dynamics are muscular with bombs, gunfire, and flares all around. The score envelops you from the midrange with warm strings and sweet piano notes. This is as good a lossless mix as you’ll ever hear for a non-action dramatic film. Additional sound options include English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, while optional subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Sony’s Ultra HD release includes the film in 4K on UHD only—there’s no Blu-ray edition in the package. But the 4K does at least include some interesting special features, as follows:
- Audio Commentary by Edward Zwick and Brad Pitt
- Audio Commentary by John Toll and Lilly Kilvert
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Edward Zwick (Upsampled SD – 3 scenes – 5:29 in all)
- Original Making-of Featurette (Upsampled SD – 5:59)
- Production Design (Upsampled SD – 4:43)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:12)
All of these extras are carried over from Sony’s original 2000 Special Edition DVD release, which means the video features are modest and upsampled from SD with a good deal of aliasing in evidence. The two featurettes are EPK-style promotional pieces, while the deleted scenes are interesting but not significant. The commentaries are the best of the lot and both are worth your time. Zwick and Pitt discuss the production thoughtfully and share candid anecdotes, while Toll and production designer Lily Kilvert cover the technical aspects of the film, as well as the emotions they attempted to convey with their work. Sadly missing from the DVD is the isolated score feature, so if you have that disc you may wish to keep it. A Movies Anywhere Digital code is also included on a paper insert.
It’s not as good as Zwick’s earlier Glory (1989) to be sure, but Legends of the Fall is a good drama with much to recommend it. And Sony has delivered it in exceptional quality on Ultra HD. If you’re fond of the film, it’s certainly a worthy upgrade of the existing Blu-ray release. And if you appreciate great 4K AV quality, this disc is worth a look for that reason alone.
- Bill Hunt
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