You have to be impressed with the honesty of a film that gives writing credit to a 1936 screenplay adaptation, in addition to James Fenimore Cooper's novel. Cooper was the first successful American novelist, helping to create the legend of the American man as a rugged individualist and frontiersman.
The image survives, but the prose has largely been abandoned. Most of the source novel has been junked, with inevitable romantic subplots added. Still, we have Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) as the white adopted son of Mohican chief Chingachgook (Russell Means). It is 1757, and the story takes place during the French and Indian War.
Together with Chingachgook's son Uncas (Eric Schweig), the three travel aimlessly through Western New England. They mix easily with English colonists, who are threatened by British and French imperialists and hostile Mohawk Indian tribes. Rather than go to Can-Tuc-kay to hunt deer with Daniel Boone, which would make for a less interesting story, Hawkeye foolishly decides to play escort and savior to a pair of gorgeous English-born sisters.
As would be the case with Braveheart, the saving grace is the battle scenes and the production values. The cinematography and sets are first rate, and the costumes and wigs seem authentic.
The roles are well cast for Mann's fixation with close-ups, with Wes Studi particularly making an impact as the zealous Huron Indian Magua. Although he doesn't need to refer to himself in the third person all the time, as in "Magua will see hatchet red with blood of grey-haired one". Schwarzenegger got by with just "I'll be back".
The young actresses Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May have obviously been selected for their beauty, but then their characters require little besides poise and vulnerability. Last of the Mohicans bucks the 1990s trend towards pro-active female roles.
The love triangle between the virginal, statuesque beauty, the hunky adventurer, and the pompous fop suitor is familiar film formula dating back to the silent era. While we know who will end up with who, once the requisite rescues have all been played out, there are a few surprises along the way. Which I won't spoil.
Despite being an American production, and villifying the British as being indifferent towards the massacres of innocents, The Last of the Mohicans (1992) was nominated for seven British Academy Awards. These included Daniel Day-Lewis as Best Actor.
The film did not do as well at the American Academy Awards, winning in its sole nomination for Best Sound. However, it did boffo business at the box office, grossing over seventy million dollars. Day-Lewis seemed to have a promising future as a Cruise/Gibson/Travolta-styled romantic action hero, but instead returned to highbrow drama with The Age of Innocence (1993). (68/100)
DVDS. Director {$Michael Mann} based this lushly romantic version of the {$James Fenimore Cooper} novel more on his memory of the 1936 film version (s...More at DeepDiscount.com
Cora Madeleine Stowe and her younger sister Alice Jodhi May both recent arrivals to the colonies are being escorted to their father Colonel Munro Maur...More at Family Video
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.