The title refers to the fall from innocence. However the Swedish title, "Höstlegender", refers to the season (Legends of the Fall/Autumn).

When shooting the scene where Isabelle Two is shot and Tristan gets beat up by the policemen, the actor playing the policeman accidentally really hit Brad Pitt on the head with the baton, giving him a black eye. Shortly after that, they shot the tennis scene that's near the beginning, and Brad Pitt still has his black eye. They had to make up a couple of lines about his "shiner" to explain it.