The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

A Woodland Journey

"The Last of the Mohicans" is a film which combines fine cinematography, good acting, an excellent musical score, and very well filmed battle scenes. Both the modern film and the nineteenth century novel were set in the French and Indian War and have some of the same characters. However, anyone who has read the book will quickly realize that the film is very different. That said, the movie is actually very good and an excellent tale of adventure, love, courage, and brutality. There are some historic errors (the massacre in the film looks more extensive than what actually happened and Col. Monroe actually survived the real massacre). As far as I remember, this film has relatively little cursing and no nudity. It is a very violent film, especially in its last quarter. However, the violence is realistic and actually less than some of the things which actually happened on the frontier (see some of Allan W. Eckart's books). The natural scenery (filmed in North Carolina) is beautiful and makes an ironic though scenic backdrop to the chase scenes as well as battles that occur in the film. Particullary memorable scenes include the bombardment of a British fort (Fort William Henry), a large massacre of retreating British soldiers, a canoe chase, and the final pursuit along rocky cliffs. I should mention that some of Hawkeye's shots seem a little far fetched considering rifles of the time, but that doesn't take away from the film. Overall, I enjoyed it considerably. June 25, 2008

This is the movie I am taking to a deserted island...

We all know that retarded question: what movie/book/poem/appliance would you take with you if confined to a solitary exile for life?... Well, if I ever have to answer that question, this as true as it gets... This movie comes with me - hands down and no competition (well, provided that the deserted island is equipped with DVD/VCR player and enough reliable electricity to run it - oh, hell - forget that: I would pedal a stationary bike to generate electricity...).
This movie is as perfect as perfect gets. The script, the actors, the breathtaking scenery and the music that brings it all together. Yes, I read the book. It probably sucked, but I could not care less - I was 12 and forever infected with the romanticism of the last frontier (that was before "Star Trek", mind you...). When the movie came out, I was much older, somewhat wiser and more discriminating, and no less a romantic fool. I fell head first, and it was not till I watched it for the tenth time or so, before I started to get pass the overwhelming gut feeling and into the details that make this movie a masterpiece. OK, there is Daniel Day - Lewis as Hawkeye (very different from Cooper's asexual scout hero...) - visually enticing, to be sure and a competent actor - no more, no less. Than, there are others: Wes Studi as savage and cruel, yet compelling Maqua. Eric Schweig as Uncas - casted as stereotype, managed to overcome it and more: packed an entire romantic story of love and ultimate sacrifice into few stolen glances... Opposite him, Johdi May as Alice - timid British girl overwhelmed and bewildered by the carnal reality of the Frontier - facing the cruel odds, she grows up in matter of days if not hours. The final scene over the cliffs is a masterpiece: Alice moves away from her captor, horrified and shocked, she glances away into unimaginable abyss, and when she looks back, her face is transformed in a matter of seconds - from uncontrollable fear to serenity of understanding and acceptance... The final moment, when she looks away, almost like a girl shying away from lover's glance is so breathtaking when one realizes it's the world she shies away from, in such a soft and sweet, yet final gesture...
And of course - Madeleine Stowe as Cora. One might not consider her role such an outstanding accomplishment (as it is, to be sure...) - if not for the remainder of her movie career so far. Madeleine Stove managed to portray characters who border on timid and forgettable - characters who try to be pretty, seductive, memorable, and who never quite manage it... She seems always that bland girl on the brink of attractiveness - by intention or accident, she never seems to find the groove that would make her shine. Until she became Cora - and she shines indeed! Fragile and demure, yet strong and irresistibly beautiful she is positively radiant!
All of that - and then there is the music score by Trevo Jones and Randy Edelman - absolutely genius.
Yes, yes - if I have to pedal a stationary bike on that deserted island - please, let it power the DVD player that plays "The Last of the Mohicans"... June 24, 2008

Simply Beautiful.

This is one of my all time favorite movies. There is practically nothing wrong with this movie. Michale Mann is an expert at his craft, and this is one of the early examples of this expertise.

The writing is superb. This is not that unexpected as it is based off of a quality book. The dialog is believable, and the love story seems real, something many movies have trouble with.

The acting is probably one of the high points. Daniel Day-Lewis is an actors actor. The man is a craftsman with very few equals. He is exciting and believable in the action scenes and captivating in the dramatic ones. Everyone else in the movie also perform to a demanding standard, and its hard to find any performances not to love.

The thing that I think the movie has going for it the most is its' look. This film is nothing short of beautiful. Much of it is shot in the Smokey Mountains, and when they are in the background, they almost steal the show. The night battles have a crisp feel to them, to the point you can almost feel the weather. This is still one of the prettiest films I have seen.

The only real complaint I would have about this movie is there are some pacing issues. There are sections of the movie that drag a bit. Not much, so this isn't a major issue.

All in all, I would recommend any one to go see this movie. It is a classic, and rightfully so. May 18, 2008

ahistorical garbage

I'm sorry but I like history too much to watch this film. First of all, most American colonists were quite enthusiastic to get off of the farm and fight against King Louis's France. Second of all, we beat them, France lost control of Canada and that was that. This movie has students walking away from the screen with the impression that the British/American forces lost the French-Indian war, which is simply not true, we kicked the tar out of the French. I know Daniel Day-Lewis has some complex about being British, which undoubtedly comes from his relationship with a certain Irish Catholic director, but to allow that get in the way of a "historical" peice is just childish. I have read the book and found the differences to be a bit much, and furthermore Daniel Day Lewis's American accent in this movie is so shmarmy as to render his character extremely annoying to me, the character Duncan is also a jerk and a weenie buy DDL is SO UNBELIEVABLY SHMARMY!! Last but not least, every white male in this movie is a either a weak-kneed fruitcake or (in the case of the protaganist) a limp-wristed hippie who is only good because he's been shown the "mystical way of the native". Hollywood's respect for history is just so...nonexistant. May 9, 2008

"Once, we were here..."

Wow...what a haunting last line! This movie is "based on" J.F. Cooper's book of the same title. The storyline doesn't follow the book exactly, and quite a bit of creative liberties have been taken by the writers/producers/directors. The movie is extremely graphically violent, frequently to the point of being stomach-turning. A little too much emphasis was placed on the steamy romance between Hawkeye and Cora (for my taste). Wes Studi was unforgettable as the revoltingly bitter Magua. Maybe if we lived in a little bit different world, he would have been nominated for an Academy Award (he should have been). The music is a bit lengthy at times but it is quite deep and haunting, and fits the action well. Daniel Day Lewis received most of the attention for this movie (for all of his bare-chestedness and breathless kisses, no doubt), but if you ask me it was Wes Studi who gave the most life and heart to his shocking character, and I never heard his name mentioned once. That's our world, I guess! April 21, 2008

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