Legends of the Fall is a captivating tale written by Jim Harrison and adapted into a film. It revolves around three brothers named Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel residing on a Montana plantation. Upon reaching adulthood, they embark on a journey to war as a united front. Samuel, the cherished family member, receives exceptional care from his older siblings who enlist in the military to safeguard him. Tragically, Samuel falls victim to both mustard gas-induced blindness and machine gun fire.
Tristan, the middle brother, was deeply affected by Samuel’s death, causing many other characters to perceive him as completely insane. Upon returning home from the war, Tristan and Alfred took divergent paths. Tristan left behind his beloved Susannah and embarked on a journey to foreign lands in search of solace for the void left by Samuel. Gradually, a peculiar love triangle develops, leading the characters into greater levels of turmoil and conflict. Upon analyzing both the film and text, one discovers discordant elements that do not align precisely.
The film Legends of the Fall is primarily set at Ludlow’s ranch in Montana. Additionally, there are shorter scenes that depict the brothers at war in England and Tristan’s journey following Samuel’s death. A notable difference between the film and text is that in the film, Tristan actually witnesses Samuel’s death during the war, whereas this does not occur in the text. Nevertheless, Samuel’s death still profoundly affects Tristan.
The text places a greater emphasis on Tristan’s journeys after Samuel’s death. The film briefly shows scenes of Tristan traveling to different places. In the film, Susannah was engaged to Samuel before meeting his family. Samuel brought Susannah home one summer to introduce her to his father and brothers and stay at their ranch. They had planned to marry and had a promising future, as Samuel was excelling at Harvard. However, their plans were disrupted when Samuel revealed his intention to join the war. This upset Susannah greatly, leading her to sob and seek Tristan’s help in persuading Samuel not to go. In this vulnerable moment, Tristan tried to comfort her, and there was a strong chemistry between them, surpassing any seen with Samuel. Just as they were about to kiss, Alfred entered the room and became furious.
Yet, Alfred remained silent about what he had witnessed as he did not want to shatter young Samuel’s heart, and in truth, he was even more devastated because he secretly harbored a profound longing for Susannah. The news of Samuel’s demise in the war shook Susannah to the core, leaving her utterly crushed, yet she could not deny her strong attraction to Tristan. Eventually, Tristan and Susannah fell deeply in love and made the decision to become engaged. However, even Susannah could not fulfill the void within Tristan that had previously been filled by Samuel, prompting Tristan to embark on a journey to other countries. Upon revealing his plan to Susannah, she pledged to wait for him eternally.
Susannah initially fulfilled her pledge, but eventually discovered that eternity was too lengthy, prompting her to wed Alfred in order to assuage her solitude. This union between Susannah and Alfred did not perturb Tristan as their affection for one another continued to be apparent. Nevertheless, Tristan encountered Isabel II and began to cultivate emotions for her. They subsequently fell in love, entered into matrimony, and bore offspring; their firstborn was named Samuel. Only at this point did Tristan genuinely experience a sentiment of love for his younger sibling.
The text focuses more on Tristan’s adventures rather than the love story between Tristan and Susannah. In the text, Susannah and Samuel were never engaged; she was already engaged to Tristan from the beginning. There is no indication of any romantic feelings between Samuel and Susannah, and her reaction to his death is not as strong as depicted in the film. Alfred’s love for Susannah remains unchanged in both the film and the text. Additionally, Susannah promises to wait indefinitely for Tristan as he sets off on his adventures, but it turns out forever is too long.
