Aaron McLellan--Legends of the Fall

In the Movie “Legends of the Fall” I found it interesting to see theme of sacred and profane time.  This movie is about a Colonel, disgusted with the government he serves, who takes his wife and three sons out to Montana to “get away from the madness”, as the narrator states it.  The brothers grow up in the most beautiful breathtaking place, away from corruption, greed and evil.  They live in sacred time, away from the destruction that the world brings on human life.  But when the youngest son, Samuel brings home his fiancé Susanna after being away at college, everything changes.  Not only does she love Samuel, but she takes a liking for the middle brother Tristan, while the oldest brother Alfred falls in love with her also.  The narrator calls Susanna the water that goes in between the rock, then freezes, which breaks the rock.  The rock he speaks of was the three brothers.  When the Samuel dies in World War I, the Tristan and Susanna fall in love.  Alfred is extremely jealous and hates his brother.  But Tristan, who is deeply troubled by his past and loss of his brother Samuel leaves Susanna and goes traveling for years.  Susanna is the profane time that has come in between the brothers and unintentionally destroyed the close bond the three brothers had.  Profane time has ruined sacred time.