Such a Mixed Bag

It's really rushed. Would've been better as a 3 - 4 hour movie. At a little over 2 hours it only has time to move from one tragic event to the next. There's not enough time to build or organically develop characters. I like some parts of it but 'Legends of the Fall' always seems 'incomplete' to me. I'm guessing the studio wanted a shorter run time, but it would've been better served to have room to run like 'Giant' or 'Gone with the Wind.'

It is unrealistic and wrong in many parts too. In reality a Tristan would not be like they made him out to be. I have found braveheart, last of the mohicans, titanic, a river runs through it and the note book all succeeded where it failed. They were more realistic and did not make a mockery out of real love.
James horner, good casting, cinematography and I guess the first half and even final scenes were good. But other than that it was awful. I'm glad many films like this don't exist. If they did I am sure people would get an idea that it is acceptable to become awful human beings.

I would love to see this film with most of the score deleted. Regardless of its musical merit (or lack thereof, depending on your perspective) the score is way too overbearing for me. It's as if the director concluded that the script, the lines, and the actors could not effectively communicate the essence of every scene, so he had to use the heavy handed soundtrack to further manipulate us. Even in scenes where there is important dialog the ubiquitous music dominates. I found it intrusive and manipulative in the worst way. In practically every scene the soundtrack screamed, "THIS IS EPICALLY POIGNANT AND ROMANTIC." I wondered how I might have responded to the story in the absence of such musical bombast. Some day DVDs will be released with an interactive feature that will allow viewers do dispose of the schmaltz and let actors convey the story.

John 3:16