Plot hole: During the war sequence, when Samuel dies, how necessary was it for the two Germans to go through the trouble of setting up a machine gun to shoot him? I find it hard to believe they had no other weapon but that. It seems to have been done only to build suspense. (00:42:45)
Legends of the Fall (1994)
1 plot hole
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Henry Thomas, Julia Ormond, Christina Pickles, Gordon Tootoosis, Karina Lombard
Continuity mistake: Just after Samuel and Alfred say that they are going to enlist, Samuel has a weird looking face and notice Alfreds shoulder right behind him, then Susanna takes a few steps up the stairs very sad and Samuel walks a couple of meters towards her and then she leaves and then it switches to Samuel with the same funny looking face and Alfred is again right behind him. (00:24:20)
One Stab: Tristan died in 1963. The moon of the popping trees. He was last seen up in the North Country, where the hunting was still good. His grave is unmarked, but it does not matter. He had always lived in the borderland anyway, somewhere between this world and the Other.
Trivia: The title refers to the fall from innocence. However the Swedish title, "Höstlegender", refers to the season (Legends of the Fall/Autumn).
Question: Before committing suicide, why did Susannah cut her hair? I've seen this behaviour in other films but have never known the psychology behind it.
Answer: I think Susannah cut two locks of hair, one for her husband Alfred and the other for her true love Tristan. They were mementos in some respect, but also a clue for her suicide - being married to one brother while loving the other who no longer wanted to be with her. Susannah was torn apart, in pain over losing Tristan and probably felt she could not be true or faithful to Alfred if/when Tristan came around again. She would also have guilt over violating her marriage vows if she were to be with Tristan again while married to Alfred.
Chosen answer: To give a definitive answer would be misleading because there's no one specific reason why someone does this type of thing. People considering suicide often start exhibiting odd and/or uncharacteristic behavior such as suddenly cutting one's hair. In Susannah's case, it could be a form of self-mutilation, an attempt to change who she is by altering her appearance, or it is a way of controlling something in her life while other events spiral out-of-control, and so on.
Answer: I always thought it was she wanted people to know. She didn't want the wound to be covered.
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Answer: Cutting locks of hair is often done in memory of the deceased. Knowing of her impending death, she cut two locks so as not to have them tainted by blood, but dropped one on the floor. I imagine it was the one for Alfred, but it is just my opinion.
I have goosebumps with this interpretation. I always thought that it was related someone with "scalping." She kills herself. She is her own victim. I don't know.