User reviews

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.

In this 1992 version of "The Last of the Mohicans", Day-Lewis plays a long-haired version of the Deerslayer--a white man raised by Mohican tribesmen. He and his adopted father and brother are reluctantly pulled into the battle between the Brits and French during the French-Indian War (also called the Seven Years War). This is because the Brits have no idea what they were doing in the war and so it's up to these three men to save the day...or at least rescue a couple women from certain death.

It is interesting to note that when the film began, it did NOT say it was based on the original James Fenimore Cooper story but on the 1936 version of "The Last of the Mohicans" (which starred Randolph Scott). Much as I hate to admit it, the original story is very difficult reading and the decision to 'spice it up' by changing the story around (such as killing off folks who survived in the original story) worked well--making for an exciting story. It also helped that the film was made on location in the Blueridge Mountains of North Carolina--providing nice scenery you couldn't get in the more stagy (but exceptional) 1936 version. And, to top it off, the musical score was quite rousing and complimented the story well. All in all, a very well done and enjoyable film.

The Last Of The Mohicans

This is turning out to be one of my most favourite romantic epics of all time. I know most people do not see this as romantic as it is a classic battle movie. As a matter of fact, seeing the trailer and the posters left me with the impression that this is indeed a war movie, what with the battle scenes and all; something along the lines of `Braveheart'. But upon seeing the movie, I was awed by the unexpected change in genre. The movie is a masterpiece, and all the actors and actresses certainly do amazing jobs. Daniel Day Lewis is simply amazing as Hawkeye. Though I usually try to read some of the more interesting books based on which movies are made, I haven't read the book in this case. But I sincerely doubt whether the book can be as good. Plus, I am told that the movie and the book have little in common.

Madeline Stowe is stunning as Cora Munro, and Jodhi May was certainly impressive as the frail dependent younger sister. Nathaniel, or ‘Hawkeye', is the adopted son of Chingachgook, played by Russell Means, whose real and lone son Uncas contributes to the team's claim of being the last of the Mohican clan. The British recruitment of Militia from its colonies during a time of war against France brings about a certain unrest. And it is further deepened by the character of Magua, who is a Huron warrior bent on a personal vendetta against British Colonel Munro, and his family. Magua is bent on the utter destruction of Colonel Munro and his two daughters, hence ‘wiping his seed from the earth'. Chingachgook and his two sons become entwined in between all this. To top that, Nathaniel falls in love with Cora and their love story takes the show from there. It is sensually and emotionally stimulating, and we as the audience feels engulfed in the mastery.

The love story I liked better was the one played in the background, an story that is absent, yet strongly felt throughout the movie. I am referring to the love story between Eric Schweig's character, Uncas and Alice Munro, played by Jodhi May. It is the subtleness and the overtone-nature of the love that builds in us a sense of involvement. To the best of my memory, they never spoke a word to each other, but the passion is strongly felt. And the climax really takes us to another level of appreciation.

Wes Studi is probably the fiercest villain I have seen on screen. His mere presence builds an acute level of intimidation. The character portrayal is flawless, and the casting done is excellent. I do not believe that anybody…, anybody at all, could have replaced Wes in this movie. The fierceness, the anger, the viciousness, the… the everything required to build up the character… He has done all that. Probably his best performance yet.

The music is sort of unconventional. Usually, the pace of the music is in sync with the pace of the action on screen. But in this case, the same slow music floods the scenes whether the pace on-screen is fast or slow. If I had heard somebody else say that, I certainly would have thought that it would not be effective. But amazingly, this unconventional approach works. And how! The music is probably the most addictive feature about the movie. After the first time I saw it, the music lingered in my mind for a month. All my waking moments, my mind was echoing that brilliant piece of work. I am a very very huge fan of Hans Zimmer, but I doubt if even he could have done a better job.

I have seen the movie eight times to date. And I will definitely see it again. The climactic scene is so moving that I have lost count how many times I've seen that.

This movie won the Oscar for best sound. I have little respect for the Oscars. Best score ever, some of the best photography ever. Day-Lewis gives a powerful performance whose only fault is that he has done better. Copper's sprawling story comes to life with powerful action scenes and emotional close-ups. The final chase is stunning to watch. 10/10

I'm not an expert on US history, but I think I can say that this film, as far as historical accuracy is concerned, is one of the best I've seen. The uniforms, combat tactics, clothes, scenery, everything fits perfectly in the time and historical context that the film seeks to portray, and this is extraordinarily pleasing to people like me, who like to see a historically realistic film.

The screenplay is based on an extremely famous novel by James Fenimore Cooper, although it did not faithfully follow the book. This may be good for dramatic effects, but it inevitably leads to choices and decisions that each viewer can judge good or bad. I, in particular, saw nothing that shocked me. Actors' work is very good, particularly Daniel Day Lewis, in the role of Hawkeye, a European who was adopted by a Mohican elder and grew up in Native American culture. We can consider this to be one of the most remarkable works of his career, opening the doors to a series of other projects where the actor would come to shine ("Gangs of New York", "There Will Be Blood" etc.) Madeleine Stowe was equally well in the role of Cora. Finally, a note of praise for the soundtrack of the film, of excellent quality.

"The Last of the Mohicans" was one of the most popular and acclaimed films of 1992. Its vision of early America, as it was during the French and Indian War, is captured in its utter brutality and beauty, complete with the many driving ambitions and clashing cultures of everyone involved.

This movie has a bit of everything, including action, romance, war, and passionate drama. The director, Michael Mann, knows the story well and does all but completely discard James Fenimore Cooper's source material, which some have dubbed as being racist and totally unfair in its portrait of Native Americans.

The story (and what a story) is all over the place, with three frontier scouts - Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis), Chingachgook (Russell Means), and Uncas (Eric Schweig) - escorting a British colonel's daughters - Cora and Alice Munro (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May respectively) - to safety at the besieged Fort William Henry. Major Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington) rivals Hawkeye for Cora's affections and a vengeance-driven Huron named Magua (Wes Studi) seeks to have both daughters killed in retribution for the loss of his own children.

This is by far Mann's best film yet (it ranks #15 on my all-time favorite movies list) and he uses the lush wilderness settings to great effect. He also makes good use of the editing, which actually comes in handy when showcasing the brutal violence that dominates much of the film's action sequences. The film's last 20 minutes are a definite stunner that can only be described as classic and vicious.

This is a great movie that shows America in its infancy, complete with the rivalries, intrigue, and violence that I'm sure was an everyday part of life during this hectic time period.

10/10

Daniel Day-Lewis and the supporting cast do a fine job in this visually stunning romantic adventure. The production design, action scenes and sound effects were all first-class. Sadly the story was too weak and the slow pace of the film in some places felt not motivated. I liked the powerful score, but it was used too much and became repetitive. Still a decent film by Michael Mann with many memorable scenes.

This was one of those movies I didn't expect that much when I first saw it so I was pleasantly surprised. Since then, it has skyrocketed to nearly the top on my list of all-time favorite films. I can't think of too many other adventure films that are better. Just a great, great movie.

It boasts an interesting story filled with intense characters, beautiful scenery, a fantastic score, good action and a nice romance. So....there is a lot to like about this Michael Mann-directed film.

The action scenes are quite realistic, and border on being almost too prevalent, to be fair. However, even if it may be a little too intense or frequent, the action is always interesting and varied, from all-out assaults to individual battles.

The story takes place in Eastern New York State but, in reality, was filmed in beautiful Smokey Mountain areas in Asheville, N.C. This movie looks spectacular and with an epic, sweeping soundtrack is quite a feast for the eyes and ears.

The eye candy includes a handsome leading couple: Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe. Wes Studi is mesmerizing as the "bad guy." If you liked him in "Geronimo: An American Legend," you'll like his work here.

If you are fairly young and only know Michael Mann through his crime movies like "Heat" or "Collateral," please check this earlier film out. It could be Mann's best, which is saying a lot.

Michael Mann's take on J. F. Cooper's famous novel stick to the original story and characters very nicely, and brings together a great cast for some great performances. Daniel Day Lewis, Russel Means and Madeleine Stowe get the leads, but I have to mention the stand-out performance from Wes Studi (as Magua) - stunning! The story takes place during the "French and Indian War" and centers around the ill-fated British Fort William Henry. It is about a young white man (Day-Lewis) who has been adopted into the Mohican tribe and is a member of the last Mohican family (headed by Means). Hawkeye, his father and brother, side with the English almost accidentally, and Lewis falls for a spirited daughter of the fort's pompous and authoritarian commander. The story is loaded with action, subtle and more powerful dialog, minor plot twists, and a penetrating analysis of cultural dissonance and conflict.

The love story, at times, is over-dramatized and allowed to distract from the story, but this minor problem is overlooked in this fine film.

The film features beautiful landscapes (many of which I recognize from hiking the Adirondacks), a strikingly interesting-looking and nicely talented cast, and a refreshingly Native American cast playing Native Americans. The cinematography is delicious, and aside from the minor directorial/editing issue mentioned above, this is one of the better directed versions of The Last of the Mohicans.

Recommended.

What a beautiful and sad film, the heroes decimating peoples, aborigines and Indians, in favor of a fight between whites for land that they don't even belong to, very sad... Very well produced, a novel to lighten the massacres, a great one close, the real heroes being heroes...

The cinematography is amazing in this movie. The shots are well-thought out and almost every scene has its own beauty, especially the waterfall scenes. This isn't enough to save it, but it's nice.

The main problem is that there is no chemistry between Lewis and Stowe. Lewis seems so intent on creating an inner world for his character that he forgets there are other people around him. Stowe was OK, Studi was good, Steven Waddington was very good and may be the best thing about it. But all of the characters are flat and uninteresting.

It's a good story, and I'm saddened to see it mangled by this attempt. It's as if the makers of this movie wanted us to know this was LITERATURE and must be taken SERIOUSLY, and therefore everything is BIG and DRAMATIC and STENTORIAN. There is precious little subtlety, which is odd for an adaptation of a classic novel. I always cringe when a good battle scene is placed in an inferior movie, because all the work that went into that scene to make it look so good could have been put into the rest of the movie.

This film is a must see, and despite what some people say about the directing style being 'offensive', I couldn't disagree more. First of all, I truly appreciated the more balanced portrayal of the native American tribes. Previous films often displayed the tribes as bumbling savages with no moral sense and the 'white man' always taking the moral high ground. Michael Mann showed the equal amount of savagery that men from all walks of life are capable of and the universal lack of compassion often abundant in times of war.

The directing style is rich and Mann knows how to affect the audience's mood with his use of perspectives. The acting and music was superb. My only issue with the whole film was the limited shots of Uncas, whom I thought was just as interesting a character as Hawkeye!

9 of 10

I cannot believe I have waited so long to watch this move... granted it was made two years after I was born, but regardless I wish I had seen it long ago! I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe this movie or the effect it has had on me. Incredible. Soul-stirring. Heart-rendering. Amazingly hopeful. Gloriously Sad. It has two of the greatest love stories ever seen on screen- both yearning, smoldering and heart wrenching, and yet so different and subtle- I won't say more. The battle scenes are violent and brutal, but not gratuitously; realism is no issue here- you are transported to another world, and the actors have clearly thrown themselves into it as well. The period is meticulously and perfectly recreated in incredible detail. The scenery is almost as engaging as the action itself; and the score is so perfectly descriptive of the stunning visuals that your spirit actually soars with it. Sorry to be so corny but nothing else justifies it. The final 25 minutes are, in my opinion, the greatest 25 minutes ever filmed. Without spoiling it, let me just forewarn- get the tissues. I have watched this movie 6 times in the past 48 hours. Don't wait, get hooked now!

Three trappers protect a British Colonel's daughters in the midst of the French and Indian War.

I must not have been paying attention or something while watching this film. I love Daniel Day-Lewis, and I think Michael Mann is certainly an above average director (if not top tier, at least within reach of it). But I really just found this film to be rather boring and without much to hold my interest.

I also love historical films, and while I understand this is a fictional story, I appreciated the attempt to show the motivations of the British and British-Americans. I feel like the film needed more of that to really drive the context home.

And I should be interested by Mohicans, since the last of the Mohicans (their descendants) live within an hour of me in Shawano, Wisconsin. But this film just did not sell that.

Policier specialist Michael Mann steps way off his usual beaten path with this adaptation of that hoary old James Fenimore Cooper tale of frontiersmen, Indians, Redcoats and the French -- the latter back when they knew how to fight.

Chameleonic actor Daniel Day Lewis is totally convincing as Hawkeye, tracker, warrior, and adopted white son of Chingagchook, last of the Mohicans tribe. Along with adoptive brother, Uncas, the three are swept into the French and Indian war of 1757, treading lightly between the antagonists: French and Hurons on one side, British and colonials on the other, each faction potentially treacherous and deadly.

Mann doesn't waste time on exposition or character development; he just hurls us into the fast-paced, brutal action and the effect is like snagging the tail of a galloping racehorse and trying to hang on to the finish line. Madeline Stowe and Jodhi May, as sisters of the British major Munro, provide love interest for Hawkeye and Uncas, respectively. Steven Waddington is another Redcoat officer infatuated with Stowe, and he too shines as a 'bad guy' who's more complex than he at first seems. But the movie's almost stolen by Wes Studi as Magua, a Huron warrior who's allied himself with the French solely as a means to avenge himself on the white man. He's as mesmerizing and lethal as a cobra.

Technical qualities are exemplary, with special mention to the magnificent scenery of old-growth forestlands and mountains in North Carolina, and a superb score by Trevor Jones, with an assist by Randy Edelman.

Mann might not be the first guy you'd think of to stage an 18th-century period action/adventure/romance. But after seeing what he does here, no one can fail to be impressed by his range and bravura. This is a must-own.

The movie has great music. Before I knew this movie, I knew the music. If there's D. D Lewis, acting is on the top.

I saw this movie for the first time when I was 14. For some reason it stuck with me and I'm assuming it was the score. I've seen it probably 30 times since and it gets better every time. There are so many parts of the movie that are historically accurate of the studies I've done. There aren't a lot of books or movies that depict the history of the United States based off of the French and Indian War and it's too bad because it's a massively important part of our history as a nation. There are so many captivating moments but the last 20 minutes are mesmerizing. The music, scenery and strength can't be topped. If you watch this movie and can't be moved, I feel bad for you.

This movie had the potential to be one of, if not THE greatest movie of all time; The script/writing, as well as the score, were absolutely brilliant. You can clearly see/feel how good this movie could have been, but ultimately it fell flat..

Again, the script itself was great, but the execution/directing and the acting was pretty bad.. Virtually every dialogue comes off as extremely corny and the actors look and sound like they had a gun held to their head whilst reading their lines. Even the brilliant Daniel Day Lewis had some cringy & corny performances in this movie, which is baffling.

Overall, the movie is still enjoyable and not at all bad, per se. It's just kinda sad seeing what "could've been". So much wasted potential. Pretty overrated movie all things considered. Still, a solid 7.5/10 from me.

I'm in a small minority on this picture as I gave it a 5 when 77 percent of everyone else gave it a 7 or greater.

My problem with "Last of the Mohicans" starts with the fact that director Michael Mann made it difficult to follow plot developments. I found myself guessing every 10 minutes about what had happened.

Secondly, it wasn't clear until late in the movie that Hawkeye's Mohican companions were his step-father and step-brother. Since these characters weren't developed, one feels next to nothing when the step-brother is killed.

Thirdly, the romance between Hawkeye and Cora seems to spring fully-grown from a five-minute conversation under the stars one night. When it was clear to me that the two were supposed to be in love, my reaction was, "Gee, that was fast."

Fourthly, the director (and probably the writers, too) pretend that the smooth-bore muskets used at the time were as accurate as rifles. Hawkeye fires at moving targets and never misses. At one point he clearly takes a long range shot to put a man being tortured out of his misery. Even 50 years after the time the film is set muskets were next to useless beyond 100 yards. They also delivered a substantial kick when fired, and Hawkeye performs the impossible by firing two at once, from the hip, on the run. No way in hell that's possible.

Lastly, I was surprised to find Daniel Day-Lewis' acting so wooden and unconvincing, considering his reputation.

The best thing about this movie is the special effects, which is a compliment I seldom make. I think Mann accurately reproduced the sound and the amount of smoke that muskets produce in battle. And the scenes of the fort under siege were well done, particularly the shot from long range when the sights preceded the sounds.

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.