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The Last of the Mohicans, based on the novel by James
Fennimore Cooper, is a beautifully filmed adaptation. Though I
have not yet read The Last of the Mohicans, the cinematography
really captures the vivid, natural feel of Cooper’s writing.
The story takes place in frontier America while the British are
trying to defend their American forts against the invading French.
The British are led by Col. Edmund Munro (Maurice Roeves) and
Maj. Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington), who is love with one
of Munro’s daughter, Cora (Madeline Stowe). One day, as
Heyward is leading some troops, along with Cora and her sister
Alice (Jodhi May), to the fort where their father is, they are
ambushed by some Indians who are allied with the French. Though
most of the soldiers die, Heyward and the two sisters are saved
by Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and a few men who make up the last
of the Mohican Indians.
Hawkeye and Cora fall in love with each other, and the greater
part of the rest of the film comprises of Hawkeye's attempts to
protect Cora from the dangers of the Indians or the French army.
There are a few things that the film never answers or addresses,
such as what it is that leads Heyward to make the decision that
he does in the end. Daniel Day-Lewis does a great job portraying
the Indian-raised American, but the character struggles to maintain
our interest. His motivations are hard to follow and seem to be
only for Cora in the latter half of the story. I have to believe
there’s something more to him that we’re missing.
It’s really amazing that Day-Lewis does as good a job as
he does, considering.
Mohicans’ cinematography allows for a large part
of the film’s success. The woods are lush and a beautiful
waterfall sequence makes up what becomes the most intense scene
of the film, both visually and dramatically. The battle scenes
are also fun and tastefully done.
The Last of the Mohicans makes some attempts at a “look
at what we have done to the Indians” type message that feels
more like an afterthought to the battle scenes and romantic tensions.
In fact, you get a definite feeling that you’ve been shorthanded
a lot of significant ideas in favor of more superficial dramatic
ploys. Nevertheless, the whole of the film is sufficiently enjoyable,
however short of Cooper’s text it may be.
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