Last of the Mohicans

Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Director: Michael Mann

Writers: James Fenimore Cooper (novel), John L. Balderston (adaptation), Paul Perez (adaptation), Daniel Moore (adaptation), Phillip Dunne (1936 screenplay), Michael Mann (screenplay), Christopher Crowe (screenplay)

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeline Stowe, Russel Means, Eric Schweig, Jodhi May, Steven Waddington, Wes Studi, Maurice Roëves, Patrice Chéreau, Edward Blatchford, Terry Kinney

Synopsis:

In 18th century North America during the French and Indian War, Hawkeye (Day-Lewis), a white man adopted by Chingachgook (Means) and his son Uncas (Schweig), the last member of a dying tribe called the Mohicans, unwittingly becomes the protector of Cora (Stowe) and Alice (May) the two daughters of  British Colonel Munro (Roëves). The sisters have been targeted by Magua (Studi), a sadistic and vengeful Huron warrior who has dedicated his life to destroying the girls' father for past injustices. When the girls are kidnapped, it is up to Hawkeye and his adoptive family to rescue them amongst a gruesome military conflict of which they wanted no part.

First Impressions:

I'm often asked by people what my favorite movie is. That's a question that I find difficult to answer because I've seen many movies, and comparing them amongst each other is a lot like comparing apples and oranges. However, the answer I usually give in response to the question is Last of the Mohicans. Why is that, you ask? The reason is that this is the movie that really got me interested in the actual craft of movie-making. The film came out when I was 16, and I ended renting one Sunday afternoon mostly because, as I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of films set during this period. Anyway, I was engrossed not just by the action taking place on screen but also the beauty of the cinematography and the music. This was the first film that made me aware of the director and made me seek out more of his films. Honestly, if it wasn't for this movie, I probably wouldn't be writing this blog. It's been quite a while since I've seen this, and I sure hope it holds up well because it would suck if it didn't.

Story/Direction: 

"Someday I think you and I are going to have a serious disagreement."

 The story in this film is interesting because it's not really an adaptation of the famous novel, so much as it is an adaptation of the 1936 film of the same name. I have read the novel, though it's been many years, and the film is quite different. With that out of the way, onto the story. On the surface, this film is a pretty cut and dry revenge flick. Magua seeks vengeance against the British officer whose actions resulted in the loss of his family. He seeks not only to kill Col. Munro but to destroy his lineage by killing his daughters. 

That alone makes for decent viewing; however, there's some subtext here as well. Like Dances With Wolves before it, Last of the Mohicans also explores the impact of European colonization on First Nations people and the Americas. While this theme is much more prevalent in Dances, it's pushed a bit to the side a bit more, but it's still there. Also, unlike the previous film, we see different first Nations characters take different approaches to the situation. For example, Hawkeye and his family want no part of the white man's war and merely seek to head to Kentucky to live out the winter. Meanwhile, we see Mohawk leaders commit to helping the British struggle against the French and hold to that commitment even at the risk of their own families. Of course, the most extreme of positions is Magua's, who plays both sides of the conflict to further his own ends. It's an interesting take on the subject and paints the First Nations people as less passive than they usually are portrayed in such films.

As for direction, I've mentioned in my review of Heat that I'm a big fan of Michael Mann. He's one of the first directors, outside of Lucas and Speilburg, that I became a fan of. This film was one of his early directorial efforts, with 1986's Manhunter being his biggest film up till that point. He really does rank up there as one of my favorite filmmakers. He's great at moving a story along at a good pace and frames the action quite well. Top marks, as always.

Acting:

Well, of course, the big name in this film is Daniel Day-Lewis, who was still making a name for himself as an actor at this point in his career. He plays Hawkeye as a fairly enigmatic character. There are times that he seems distant and somewhat nonchalant but there are also times where he exhibits extreme intensity. It's a little odd at first but this is a character who spends most of his time in the wilderness, rarely interacting with anybody other than his father and brother. It's certainly not the best performance Day-Lewis has given but, let's face it, an okay performance from him is still way better than a great performance by anybody else.

One of the other things this movie did was introduce me to one of my favorite character actors, Wes Studi. Wes is one of those "hey it's that guy" actors who appear in movies, usually as a secondary character. Due to his First Nations heritage, these are usually westerns or period pieces but he's far from being typecast as he's been cast in a number of non-period films such as Heat and Mystery Men. I think Wes' turn as Magua is one of the better villain roles to come out of the 90s. He plays the role as a man who has lost his humanity after what he's been through and the only thing left is his desire for vengeance. Despite the character's viciousness, I felt sympathy for the character because his experience was very much common among other natives people.

The rest of the cast range from good to great. Some standouts include Steven Waddington's arrogant young Officer Maj. Duncan Heyward and Maurice Roëves' no-nonsense Col. Munro. Kudos also to Madeline Stowe's Cora Munro and Patrice Chéreau's turn as the flamboyant French Gen. Montcalm.

Visual/Special Effects:

Most of the SFX here were devoted to pyrotechnics, which normally isn't all that interesting except for that the filmmakers were trying to emulate explosions from weaponry that haven't been in use on centuries. To me, though, the real visual treat in this movies is the backdrop. With North Carolina's Dupont State Forest filling in for New York's Appalacians, this film is gorgeous to look at. From the opening scenes with Hawkye, Chingachgook and Uncas pursuing a deer in the forest to the fabulous mountain vistas, this film is a joy to look at. The production design and costume departments also deserve a lot of credit for giving this film an authentic feel.

Score/Music:

As I mentioned above, this film helped give me an appreciation for music in film, I still don't know shit about music but I appreciate it. The score was composed by Trevor Jones and it fits the setting and the subject matter perfectly. It's all just very sweeping and epic. It's one of those scores that have me whistling it for days after watching the film.

Action:

There a good deal of action in this film, even though I wouldn't describe it as an "Action" film. There's a bunch of large-scale battle scenes, as well as a few more intimate fights between the characters. There's also a really neat depiction of a siege, as well as a few good chases. The final duel against Magua is also very satisfying, if a tad short. Overall, I'd give it top marks for the action. 

Final Verdict:

Thankfully, my opinion of this film remains high after my most recent viewing. It's still probably my favorite movie. Objectively, it's not the best movie I've ever seen (not even sure what that would be) but it's my favorite. Well worth a look for fans of Micahel Mann or fans of beautifully-shot movies with terrific scores.