I am writing a paper for my summer film class on Legends of
the Fall so I was looking for inspiration and info on the web,
and was of course lead to your site. First let me say it is a very
well done site, easy to navigate and visually appealing. I was
not surprised to read that you are a web designer :)

I have to write a paper on the theme of Legends of the Fall. I was
delighted this was one of the films our teacher chose for us to see
this summer as it is indeed one of my very favorites. I have seen
it so many times I know it quite well and feel very comfortable
about writing on it.

Of course there is not just one theme in this movie, it has so many
layers which is one of the things I love most about it, no matter
how much I watch it I discover something new each time. I had
several themes in mind already b ut your website has given me
several ideas for more. I think for my paper I will stick with my
original thought, one that occured to me the very first time I saw
the movie and was asked by a friend what it was about, and that is
"Finding Home"...each character in there own way is trying to find
or get back to their home, their sense of place and family. I have
many ideas for developing this theme.

But other important themes are "knowing your own destiny",
"being true to your inner voice", "the heroes journey" (as defined
by Joseph Campbell), and even your idea of "guilt and regret"....
guilt and regret play a HUGE role in this film.

I also wanted to comment on your section involving reckoning. I
agree, what happened in the movie was far more about reckoning...
settling accounts and making things right, then it was about revenge.
Tristan acted in the only way he knew how, as One Stab had taught
him. One Stab says early on that ALfred and Samuel often visited
their mother in the east, but not Tristan, "His world was here with
me." Tristan was a man who lived outside his time, followed not
only the bear's voice, but the true Warrior's voice that also lived
inside him. When he killed the Germans who had murdered Samuel
just for the thrill of it, it was to make things right. He did it in the
way he did because that was what he knew. One Stab had taught
him so well it was second nature to him to respond that way, but
of course in light of the times when he lived it seemed crazy to
others. Had it been even 50 years sooner it might not have
seemed so.

The dynamic between Tristan and Alfred is something it would take
a whole paper to discuss...but it interests me greatly. Their relation-
ship ran through so many phases, yet at the heart of it all they truly
loved each other in a way only brothers can I think. I have heard
some compare the story to East of Eden by Steinbeck and the two
share many elements, though I think the resolution of the story in
Legends of the Fall is much better, certainly more satisfying to me :)

Also, I could write a long paper on the idea of Tristan and the Bear
becoming one and how that played out in the movie. While that is a
continual reference in the movie I don't think it is really a major
theme....

Well, I have taken enough of your time. Thanks for sharing your
resources and insight with other fans of the movie. By the way,
I too live about 45 minutes from LA/Hollywood...which direction
are you? I am south, in Orange County.

Take care, I hope some day you do get that ranch :)

Beki Reese

JustBeki2@aol.com