This epic tragedy is the tale of the Ludlow family and how it was brought together, yet torn apart by one woman. Susannah - first love of Samuel, the youngest Ludlow - entered the family engaged to him. From the beginning however, she captured the hearts of both Alfred (the entrepreneurial son, destined to be a star business man in a growing town nearby) and Tristan (the wayward son apparently ruled by the harsh country side rather than by any living being).
It was evident however, that a passion between Susannah and Tristan was ignited from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Therefore, after Samuel died under extremely tragic circumstances, it seemed only natural for Tristan and Susannah to finally turn to each other and consummate that chemistry which had been brewing between Brad Pitt and Julia Ormond so far into the movie. The passion between these two characters was undeniable and it set the screen alight.
Alfred, also in love with Susannah, begrudged Tristan this woman. He knew he would hurt her and could not give her the loved she deserved - the love she felt for him; unfortunately he was right. The pair married however, but soon afterwards Tristan became restless again, and took off for the wild of the sea and unexplored lands far away.
Susannah was distraught, knowing that he would have stayed if only she had been able to conceive a child. She waited for months and months and did not even receive a letter from Tristan. She finally gave in to Alfred's persistence and married him in the hope that some kind of happiness might evade her.
Taking this movie to a personal note, I loved this movie up until Tristan broke Susannah's heart and left her. The passion between the pair was unbelievable and after his departure, her life, and the chemistry dissolved. She did not love Alfred and when she next sees Tristan, who visits Alfred's estate just to catch a glimpse of her, we see one final spark between the two, but tragedy strikes because we know they can never be together again.
I will not go into the rest of the movie as it is *way* to sad, yet it is an epic tale which can not be missed. Susannah's end is devastating and it would have been avoided if Tristan had not left her. Tristan realised he made many mistakes, and it seems he paid for every single one of them. His demise is appropriate as he is taken by the wild of which his life was such a part.
This legend of a family - its loves and demise - is a wonderful but tragic story abounding with many passions, and is well worth a peek.
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