Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Legends of the Fall 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"A world at war, a family torn..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 20, 2024

God, I love Legends of the Fall. I know, I know. Sappy. Sentimental. Melodramatic. I've heard it all and disagree with every descriptor that misses the heart and soul of Edward Zwick's western masterpiece. With terrific performances, gorgeous John Toll cinematography and soaring James Horner score (movie music rarely gets better than "The Ludlows"), it delivers every ounce of cinematic punch one could hope for, and the heartbreak alone -- which comes early and follows often -- is as devastating as any tragedy put to film. Hyperbole? Find another review. Between my colleague Martin Liebman (review linked below) and myself, I don't know if the site could contain the breadth of our affection and fondness for such a grand-scale, tears-on-its-sleeve epic. Read on...

The Ludlow family -- father Colonel William (Anthony Hopkins) and sons Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) -- have long lived in the Montana countryside. The Colonel's wife left him, but he's found peace in the presence of his three boys, all of whom have taken different roads towards adulthood but who share a common bond of love and kinship with one another and their equally loving and spirited father. When Samuel returns from college with his bride-to-be Susannah (Julia Ormond), the family outwardly celebrates, while Alfred and Tristan both grow fond of her, and not in a familial, brotherly way. Samuel's plans for marriage are cut short with the German advances across Europe in World War I. Though their father will not tolerate talk of war in his house, Samuel and Alfred vow to flee to Canada to enlist in the army and fight the Hun. Tristan accompanies them only to serve as a caretaker for his younger brother. The dangers of war, acts of foolish heroism, and unforeseen tragedy strike far away from the serenity and space of Montana, forever altering the Ludlow family's bonds of kinship and tearing apart their future, their entrance in war and the arrival of Susannah into the family bringing with them a decades-long string of events that will threaten to dear down all they've known and destroy everyone they've ever loved.

Click here to read Martin Liebman's review of the film, which he writes "might best be known for its superb casting, breathtaking photography and impeccable score, but at its heart is an important story about life and all of the hardships that come with it." Adding, "the film may rightfully be seen as too much, too sappy, too forced, but it would seem there's an equal case for hailing it as just the opposite, a film that hits hard and hits home as a slice of real life, an examination of life's difficulties and the way men cope with adversity on the largest of scales and the biggest of stages: within their own hearts."

Legends of the Fall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

You might think my love for Legends of the Fall would make me prone to biased high praise for its 4K debut, but you'd be mistaken. If anyone was ready to tear apart Sony's 2160p presentation pixel by pixel, it's me. I came to this release wanting perfection and nothing less. I was prepared to not only be disappointed, but to pour that disappointment into my review. Fortunately, that's the farthest thing from what Sony's immaculate transfer requires. Those who own the 2011 Blu-ray will immediately spot an obvious difference in color grading and saturation. (Take the following screenshots for example: 2011 and 2024.) Note the warmer skintones, the more naturally resolved grain and, above all, the boost the presentation's HDR colors bring to the table. Some may prefer the less sunny disposition of the 2011 transfer, but I found the new grading to be stunning, delivering a more nuanced and sumptuous image than before. The previous picture also struggled with a faint blue tint, one that became quite apparent in select shots. No such tint exists here, nor does anything that might hinder Toll's cinematography or prevent the image from being fully and wholly faithful to both Toll and Zwick's intentions.

Lush hues and earthtones nearly bleed off the screen, which only distracts in that it makes focusing on just the beautifully balanced contrast leveling and striking fine detail a bit more difficult. Edge definition is razor sharp, without a hint of artificiality or haloing. Textures are exceptionally well-resolved, with close-ups boasting a remarkably lifelike appearance. There's hardly a soft shot to be found, much less any print wear-n-tear, blemishes or encoding mishaps like banding or blocking. This is top tier 4K; a showstopper pure and simple. Note the fabric along Samuel's hat in the screen capture above. The gradients in the leather band. The lack of polish at the center of the gold snap at its end. The dirt smeared along his smooth face. The reddening of the tip of his ear. The grimy pores along his nose. I could go screenshot by screenshot doing the same, but I encourage you to do so and enjoy the bounty of flawless qualities that await. Fans and newcomers alike will be blown away by the results of Sony's 4K resurrection of Legends of the Fall.

Legends of the Fall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

And God said: let there be Atmos. I've already mentioned James Horner's score, but I'm quite certain you've never heard it like you'll hear it via Sony's extraordinary Dolby Atmos track; its melodies uplifting every channel, rising and falling within the soundfield, soaring and plummeting with every heartache and heartbreak it accentuates; its rumbling bass notes and expanding horns, to say nothing of the moments a single violin gives way to Horner's full orchestra. And that's merely the music. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and perfectly prioritized, even in the chaos of World War I or Tristan's most violent retributions. Dynamics are magnificent, while low-end support lends weight, presence and power to most every scene, even those that are quieter and more conversational in nature. Moreover, the side and rear channels are brimming with activity, particularly when the film moves outdoors into battlefields, vistas, mountainsides and valleys. The Ludlows' cabin sounds entirely different than other locales too, as spatial acoustics create unique environments just about everywhere. The track creates as immersive a soundfield and as involving a soundscape as any catalog Atmos mix I've reviewed, and again, I was ready to be hard -- really hard -- on the presentation of one of my go-to films. Effuse story short, I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I can't wait to rewatch Legends of the Fall without taking notes for a review.

Legends of the Fall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While a revisit or cast retrospective would have been welcome, you could do worse than Sony's original Legends of the Fall supplemental package, which actually includes a good deal of content. Among the extras are two engaging audio commentaries -- the first with director Edward Zwick and Brad Pitt, the second with cinematographer John Toll and production designer Lilly Kilvert -- a collection of deleted scenes with director commentary, two production featurettes (an original "Making Of" and a "Production Design" EPK), and the film's theatrical trailer.

Legends of the Fall 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'll spare you the additional adjectives as best I can. Legends of the Fall remains one of my favorite films from the '90s and, in my estimation, a timeless, sweeping classic that will continue to win audiences for decades to come. Thankfully, Sony's 4K release is outstanding, with a stunning 4K video presentation, an equally terrific Dolby Atmos audio track, and a solid selection of extras. Highly recommended.