Legends of the Fall (1994)

Anthony Hopkins: Colonel William Ludlow

Photos 

Quotes 

• Colonel Ludlow : Indians! Indians were the issue in those days. I can assure you, gentlemen, there is nothing quite so grotesque as the meeting of a child with a bullet; or an entire village slaughtered while sleeping. That was the Government's resolution of that particular issue and I have seen nothing in its behavior since then that would persuade me that it has gained either in wisdom, common sense, or humanity.

• Alfred : I don't know what to say. Tristan's always been wild. You love him for that.

  Susannah : Do I? Yeah, I suppose I do.

  Alfred : Susannah, he does love you.

  [holds her as she cries] 

  Colonel Ludlow : Alfred! She's to be your brother's wife.

  Alfred : Yes, though you might better remind him of that.

  Colonel Ludlow : He's not here to defend himself.

  Alfred : No, he's not but I see you are here to defend him and what is his. Even though he's abandoned her and you. And I won't even speak of who else he abandoned.

  Colonel Ludlow : Damn you, boy. Don't you blame my son for Samuel's death! Samuel chose to be a soldier and soldiers die. Sent to be slaughtered by the men in the government. Parasites like you! Damn and blast you!

  [turns to Susannah] 

  Colonel Ludlow : Damn you too!

  Alfred : Shut your mouth! You leave her out of this!

  Colonel Ludlow : You get out of my house and off my land.

  Alfred : Why? Because I want to serve my country like you did? Or because, like you, I love a woman who doesn't love me? He used her and he deserted her. Your darling Tristan.

  Susannah : Alfred, don't, please.

  Alfred : I loved her! I love her still. And he stole her from me. If you want to know the truth of it he stole her from Samuel before the war.

  Colonel Ludlow : God help me, I'll kill you.

• Colonel Ludlow : Don't talk at me boy as if I've never seen a war!

• Young Isabel Two : Tristan calls me a half breed.

  Colonel Ludlow : Tristan calls you a half breed?

  Young Isabel Two : He says I'm half gopher and half hawk.

• Alfred : What is he wanted for, Sheriff?

  John T. O'Banion : That would be of a private nature

  Colonel Ludlow : A private nature? That's a public office you hold, isn't it, Sheriff?

• Tristan : Alfred's going to do well wherever he is.

  Colonel Ludlow : Except here with us.

  Tristan : That's my fault.

  Colonel Ludlow : I didn't say that.

  Tristan : I couldn't bring Samuel back home alive either, could I?

  Colonel Ludlow : Don't you dare say that boy! That was in God's hands.

  Tristan : Was it?

• Tristan : You know when Samuel died... when Samuel died, I cursed God. Did I damn everybody around me as well as myself?

  Colonel Ludlow : No. You are not damned, Tristan... I won't allow that.

• Colonel Ludlow : Screw'm! Screw'm all! Screw the gov'm'nt!

• Colonel Ludlow : There will be no more talk of wars in this house, DAMN IT!

• [going off to war] 

  Samuel : I'll bring you back the kaiser's helmet.

  Colonel Ludlow : Bring yourself back. That'd please me more.

• [Regarding Tristan's departure] 

  Susannah : Will he come back?

  Colonel Ludlow : I don't know.

  Colonel Ludlow : [One Stab speaks Cree]  Stab says yes.

• Samuel : The men who served under you worshipped you.

  Colonel Ludlow : And they were damn fools, all of them, weren't they?

• Colonel Ludlow : What did I know of children? I was trained to lead men. This is infinitely harder.

• Colonel Ludlow : Ah, Isabel, I have tried to shelter our sons from all the madness, and now, they go to seek it.

• Colonel Ludlow : I spoke in plain English, sir. What do you want for yourselves should my son be elected?

  Alfred : Father, I really don't think that these gentlemen...

  Colonel Ludlow : Did you ask that question yourself, Alfred, or do you honestly believe these good gentlemen back you simply out of the sense of patriotic duty in your own inestimable worth?