Continuity mistake: When Susannah comes to the ranch she takes a photograph of the three brothers. Alfred is holding a glass and has both legs up. At the end of the movie Tristan looks at the picture, and Alfred's glass is missing, and one leg is stretched out. (01:54:00)
Continuity mistake: In the end when they have killed the bad guys you can see the indian singing and dancing over them with a knife and he throws his hat off and it lands on the ground at the car but then there is a wide shot off the whole scenario and the hat is gone. (02:00:30)
Continuity mistake: When Tristan, Alfred and Suzanna run into each other at the fair, the baby is asleep in one shot, then awake in the next and back asleep once again in the next shot.
Factual error: During the battle scene the voiceover says that it is February 1915. The battle being portrayed is obviously the Second Battle of Ypres because it involves Canadian troops and it's the first time that gas was used in the war. The actual battle didn't take place until the end of April 1915.
Factual error: Prior to WW1, Colonel Ludlow picks up Samuel and Susannah at the train station in an all steel Model T Ford. This style of car did not come out until 1917. The correct car would have brass lights and radiator.
Continuity mistake: When Alfred confronts Tristan on the porch, the morning after Tristan has done the deed with Susannah, the buttoning of Alfred's shirt becomes reversed, then changes back again.
Continuity mistake: When Samuel is dying and Tristan is sitting over him, from one angle Tristan's hand is covering his mouth, but in the reverse angle it's down.
Factual error: It has already been mentioned that, although the war scenes are set in early 1915, gas was not used until April of that year. There are further inaccuracies regarding this particular scene. The mask worn by the German cavalryman is not the sort of mask that was in use in 1915. It looks like a late WW1 or WW2 gas mask. Furthermore, since horses can also suffer from gas, a cavalry horse taking part in an attack in which gas was used would also be equipped with a gas mask. However, by early 1915, when both sides were dug into trenches, cavalry would not have been used anyway.
Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene, when the COL is sitting in front of the cabin, a modern pickup or van can be seen in the background.
Continuity mistake: In the scene of Alfred and Tristan at Susanna's grave, when shots of Alfred show him speaking to Tristan, he looks to his right, as if the two men were side by side and facing the grave, and they seem to have been side by side in the last shot in that scene, when they leave the grave-site. However, the sun lights the left side of Alfred's face, and in the alternating shots, which show Tristan listening to Alfred, the sunlight is on the right side of Tristan's face.
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.
I agree, I always thought it was a symbolic scalping.