The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)
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| The Last of the Mohicans | |
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 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Michael Mann |
| Produced by | Michael Mann Hunt Lowry |
| Written by | Michael Mann Christopher Crowe |
| Starring | Daniel Day-Lewis Madeleine Stowe Wes Studi Russell Means Eric Schweig Jodhi May Patrice Cheréau Maurice Roëves |
| Music by | Randy Edelman Trevor Jones Daniel Lanois |
| Cinematography | Dante Spinotti |
| Editing by | Dov Hoenig Arthur Schmidt |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox (USA) Warner Bros. (UK, Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina) |
| Release date(s) | September 25, 1992 |
| Running time | 112 min |
| Language | French English |
| Budget | $40,000,000 USD |
| IMDb profile | |
- This article is about the 1992 film. For other uses, see The Last of the Mohicans (disambiguation).
The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation than the source novel.
The main cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig and Jodhi May.
The Washington Post, who called the movie "glam-opera" and "the MTV version of gothic romance". Howe added that "Day-Lewis doesn't act so much as bare himself, fire flintlocks, and pose in picturesque positions". The Washington Post's Rita Kempley also recognized the heavy drama, writing that the film "sets new standards when it comes to pent-up passion", but she comments positively on the "spectacular scenery".
The film is set in upstate New York, but was shot in or near North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains. The soundtrack features music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, and a song by Clannad.
The film won an Academy Award for Sound. (Credited to Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith & Simon Kaye.)
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[edit] Synopsis
The film is set in 1757 during the French and Indian War, in which the British and French battle for control of the North American colonies. Though they are bound by law to aid the British Armies, many colonial settlers are reluctant to leave their homes along the frontier for fear of attacks by Huron Indians.
As Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe) and her sister, Alice (Jodhi May) are traveling to Fort William Henry, north of Albany. They have received word from their father, Colonel Edmund Monro, to meet him there. A native guide, Magua, has been sent to escort them safely, along with a detachment of British soldiers, commanded by Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington). On the trail they are attacked by a small Huron band. Magua himself initiates the attack and is aiming his rifle at Cora and Alice when they caravan is rescued by Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his Mohican companions, Chingachgook (Russell Means) and Uncas (Eric Schweig). The Mohicans agree to escort the survivors to Ft. William Henry. Along the way, they discover that a homestead belonging to a friend of theirs has been razed and burned and everyone has been killed.
When they arrive at William Henry they find that the fort is under heavy attack by French forces. They manage to sneak inside and Munro scolds his daughters for joining him. They also surmise that the note Munro supposedly sent to Alice and Cora was a fake, intended to make them targets for Magua. Munro gravely tells Heyward that the French are quickly approaching mortar range and that the fort will ultimately fall.
Munro is confronted by Hawkeye, who tells the Colonel that settlements are being attacked by Huron war parties. Hawkeye demands that Munro let the colonials aiding in defending the fort return to their homes. Munro refuses and Hawkeye agrees to cover for his friends so they can leave the fort. Hawkeye is arrested.
The fort falls to the French and Munro and his army are forced to leave. As they march back to Albany, they are attacked by Hurons, lead by Magua. Munro himself is killed by Magua, who, just before cutting out the Colonel’s heart, promises to kill his daughters so his family line will not continue. Magua’s motivation for personally killing Munro is revenge; Munro is responsible for decimating Magua’s village and family years before.
Hawkeye, Cora and Alice escape with Heyward to a cave behind a nearby waterfall with Magua close behind. With all their gunpowder wet from their escape down the river, Hawkeye leaves after telling Cora that she’ll be taken north to Huron country. He also tells her to stay alive at all costs and that he will track and find her. Hawkeye makes a dramatic leap into the falling water.
Alice, Cora and Heyward are captured and taken to a Huron village. Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook track them there. Magua demands recognition from the Sachem, the village shaman, in exchange for Heyward and the Munroe sisters. The meeting is interrupted when Hawkeye approaches, despite being physically attacked by several men of the village. With Heyward translating in French to the Sachem, Hawkeye convinces the old man that Magua is acting according to his own selfish plans rather than following Huron tradition. The Sachem agrees and decrees that Cora will be burned alive, Alice will be given back to Magua and Heyward will be returned to the British. Hawkeye demands that he be sacrificed in Cora’s place, however, in his translation, Heyward offers himself instead. The Sachem agrees and Magua curses him and leaves, with Uncas following to rescue Alice, whom he has fallen in love with. Cora is given to Hawkeye and Heyward is tied up to be burned. Before leaving the village to join Uncas, Hawkeye shoots Heyward while strung up to keep him from suffering.
Uncas is able to head off Magua and his band. The two fight briefly, with Magua the victor. Alice, not wanting to become a slave to Magua, throws herself from a nearby cliff. Hawkeye and Chingachgook catch up, killing several of Magua’s scouts. While Hawkeye holds the last man at bay, Chingachgook engages Magua in hand-to-hand combat. Chingachgook wins the fight.
The last scene of the film shows Chingachgook and Hawkeye engaging in a spiritual ritual.
[edit] Differences from the novel
As the case was with all the film adaptations of The Last of the Mohicans, several changes and cuts had to be made from the original material for a feasible movie. Other than a markedly more concise story, the major change to the story was that Alice and Cora Munro's roles were partly swapped: the main romantic plot features Cora and Hawkeye falling in love with each other, rather than Alice and Major Heyward. (Hawkeye has no romantic role in the novel.) In the novel, Alice attracts the attention of Major Heyward, which is transferred to Cora in the movie; conversely, Magua in the novel shows an interest in Cora, which is transferred to Alice in the movie. Consequently, other changes included Alice and Uncas playing out the roles that Uncas shared with Cora in the novel—with Alice, prisoner of Magua, dying in response to Uncas' death, and Cora surviving along with Hawkeye. Magua was killed by Chingachgook, not Hawkeye, and the characters of Colonel Munro and David Gamut largely removed from the main storyline. (Colonel Munro appears briefly; David was cut entirely.) The film also had considerably more focus on the romantic relationship (of Cora and Hawkeye), than the novel, which was mostly action-based.
[edit] Historicity
While the film, like the novel, is more of a historical romance, much care was taken with recreating accurate costumes and props and the film features a Fort William Henry reconstructed based on historical documents and the siege of the fort is a good representation of the siege warfare of the 18th century epitomized by General Montcalm's investment of Fort William Henry and the large scale military actions that marked the latter phase of the French and Indian War.
[edit] Trivia
- The character of Hawkeye was renamed Nathanial Poe in the film since producers thought they might get laughter from audiences from the name Cooper gave him - Natty Bumppo.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Last of the Mohicans at the Internet Movie Database
- On the Trail of The Last of the Mohicans
- Roger Ebert's review
- Rita Kempley's review
- Desson Howe's review
- Entertainment Weekly profile
| The Films of Michael Mann |
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| Thief • The Keep • Manhunter • The Last of the Mohicans • Heat • The Insider • Ali • Collateral • Miami Vice |
