The Last of the Mohicans (1992) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, Adventure, Drama (original) (raw)
1h 52m
Three Mohican trappers agree to protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.Three Mohican trappers agree to protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.Three Mohican trappers agree to protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.
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Last of the Mohicans was one of the most surprising films I have seen in a long time, The reason for it being such a surprise is because it has never gotten the credit in which it deserves. Michael Mann the director, definately went through each and every step of the film and knew exactly what he wanted and he did this to perfection. Not only is the cinemetography absolutly amazing and quite possible one of the ten best looking films of all time, but the soundtrack and music backing up the pictures are absolutly amazing. I found myself getting into the music and in fact have gone to sleep many times to the soundtrack. On top of all of the wonderful music and scenary, the story and entertainment level of this movie is amazing. I love this movie and recomend it to any one who loves watching nearly perfect films.
Restoration of Dignity to Native Americans, Long Overdue
James Fenimore Cooper's trusty old nineteenth century novel 'The Last of the Mohicans' has provided a surprisingly sound springboard for a film that tries and succeeds in restoring a profound respect for the Native Americans. Yes, it is a story about the Indians and their culture desecrated by the arrival of European entrepreneurs and colonists all relating to Hawkeye/Nathaniel Poe (Daniel Day-Lewis), who as a child was taken by the Mohawk tribe and raised by wise Chingachgook (Russell Means) with the graceful skills and philosophy of the Native Americans. And it is through his eyes that we are brought into the universe through the eyes of the Indians.
The story is well known and needn't be elaborated once again. Suffice it say that Hawkeye becomes the scout who leads British family Munro including Colonel (Maurice Roëves) and his daughters Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Alice (Jodhi May) into upstate New York and along the way find altercations with the French and with the Huron Indians, especially one Magua (Wes Studi) whose loathing for Munro's devastation of his village drives him to vengeance against the entire Munro family. Hawkeye and his ally Uncas (Eric Schweig) protect their lieges while steadfastly holding to the honor of their heritage. And of course during the harrowing events Hawkeye and Cora fall in love and Hawkeye takes great risks against his own life to ultimately defend Cora and her family.
Yes, there are many battle scenes, great reenactment of the scenery of the novel, and villains in all camps that provide the stormy progress of the novel. But it is in the quiet moments where Chingachgook speaks about the Great Spirit, the sanctity of nature, and his waiting to join the Great Council in the sky as the last of the Mohicans that the film's power is best communicated. The acting is very fine and the cinematography is splendid. This is a film worth seeing, one whose 117 minutes fly by leaving the viewer with a renewed respect for Native American philosophy. Grady Harp
The Last of the Mohicans is a timeless tale of the 18th century frontier and the virtue and tragedy that results when the uniquely different cultures of the French, English, Native Americans, and colonists collide. Based on James Fenimore Cooper's literary genius, The Last of the Mohicans transports the viewer back to a time of America's youth in a brilliant, mesmerizing fashion.
The story centers on an eclectic band of travelers, thrust together by fate and their attempt to escape danger and reach the besieged British fort, William-Henry. Deep within the western forests of colonial New York, Hawkeye, the white, adopted son and brother of the Mohicans, tries desperately to avoid an ever-increasing war. He is forced to act when, along with his Mohican father and brother, he encounters two endangered sisters trying to reach their father, a British colonel in command at the fort. Hawkeye, the rustic tracker, and Cora, the refined, eldest daughter, are naturally drawn together (much to the dismay of Major Heyward, an intriguing character who also vies for Cora's affections). Tensions and passions arise between the characters as a whirlwind of conflict and violence rages around them. In the end, each character must face heart-wrenching decisions that will affect their very lives, and the lives of those around them.
I especially love the way that the film depicts the perspectives of each of the groups involved. Whether the group is competing for military superiority or simple existence in their homeland, the viewer is given a true sense of their mindset in the midst of a great conflict. It is difficult to say one side or the other is completely to blame for the events that take place. Even the story's main antagonist, Magua (wonderfully portrayed by Wes Studi, Dances with Wolves) draws in a fair amount of empathy.
The Last of the Mohicans is a marvelous, visual adventure that thoroughly reveals the horrors of warfare, the wildness of a chaste frontier, and the fated and ill-fated romances of the characters involved.
The ultimate early Western romance.
This film, for reasons that are not completely obvious to me, struck a chord. It was in part the amazing location shots, partly the characters, partly the music and the action sequences. As for the (relatively) under-developed romance between the hero and heroine - all I can say is that the line that Hawkeye delivers when Cora Munro challenges this rough colonial who has the temerity to gaze upon her (a colonel's daughter) and says (essentially): 'Who are you looking at?' Hawkeye answers: 'You, Ma'am. I'm looking at you.' Priceless.
Interestingly, archeologists have recently excavated the site of Fort William Henry and discovered many interesting things, none of which contradict the events described by Fenimore Cooper. The attack on the defeated column in the woods also appears to be historically accurate.
This film, though imperfect, ranks with me as one of the best action movies of all time.
A cut above the other historical epics
The Last of the Mohicans is by no means your mainstream box office smash. But released in a year of disappointing films, Alien 3, Far and Away, Patriot Games and Lethal Weapon 3 to name but four, it remains one of the most intellectually stimulating flicks of the early nineties.
And if that sounds a little highbrow for you, then there is the added bonus that Daniel Day Lewis and Madeleine Stowe are bursting with more sexual chemistry than a Viagra factory.
James Fenimore Cooper's most famous novel has received at least 10 film and TV interpretations over the years but none have been as brutal and unforgettable as Michael Mann's blockbuster.
Day-Lewis stars as the legendary frontiersman Hawkeye who rescues, and falls in love with a British officer's daughter during the Anglo-French war.
With some beautiful landscapes, meticulous period detail and a breathtaking score by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, this is one of the most watchable adventures of the Nineties.
Stowe co-stars as Hawkeye's love interest, Cora Munroe, and delivers a near-perfect English accent amid the exploding cannons and gunfire.
If you only catch a minute, make sure it's the scene where DDL assures his love interest that surrendering to the enemy may be the best chance of them being reunited in the long run.
"No, you submit, do you hear? You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you."
If the hairs don't rise on the back of your neck, somebody check your pulse as you may be dead. In case you didn't know it, Mann is one of America's most acclaimed directors with movies such as Heat, The Insider and Manhunter doing little to dent his reputation. It took quite a while to secure the talents of his leading man for this movie but the determination paid off dividends.
Day-Lewis, as with all of his movie roles, went to extraordinary lengths to achieve a degree of credibility. He spends much of the film running around so had to be in tip top condition for the arduous shoot. He also became adept with knives and guns to give the illusion of a trapper who can more than take care of himself in the wild.
So, a cracking tale well told then.
However, as with The Fugitive a year later, there is the annoying cliche of our hero jumping into waterfall hundreds of feet from the plunge pool - and surviving.
Divers in Acapulco may manage such a stunt but both Day Lewis and Harrison Ford stretch credibility to breaking point when they try it.
The movie was released with a modest certificate, yet contains such gut-wrenching scenes of brutality that it's a wonder it didn't buck an 18 rating. But this being violence of the more literate kind, it was little wonder the British Board of Film Censors let much of the bloodshed go through untouched by the editor's scissors.
If it does prove too graphic for you then feel free to turn the brightness down but leave the glorious soundtrack on. It remains a treat for the ears; rousing, lyrical and beats the Titanic score into a cocked hat: Little wonder TV companies have been using it for the last nine years while plugging historic dramas.
Aside from the leads, Russell Means, Wes Studi, Maurice Roeves and Eric Schweig also give fine performances while Jodhi May is unforgettably haunting as Alice, the screen sister of Stowe.
A drop-dead gorgeous film which is not for the squeamish but just oozes the sort of class most film-makers would die to recreate.
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