Michael Mann, The Last of the Mohicans: Old School Reviews

Last of the Mohicans, The (1992)

Director: Michael Mann

Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig

Release Company: Morgan Creek Productions

MPAA Rating: R

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I was set up to relate to any workable rendition of The Last of the Mohicans. I really got into James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales when I was in high school and would have read the whole series if my English teacher hadn't stopped me after my second Cooper book report. Then, back in my Boy Scouting days, much of our Order of the Arrow lore was based on Cooper's tales of the Leni Lenape with Chingachgook and the noble Uncas. Finally, I lived on the Navajo reservation for over 20 years. So, you could say I was primed to enjoy Michael Mann's version of The Last of the Mohicans.

From the opening credits, I sensed that the 1992 film version was going to be special. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Hopi dances that I am familiar with. It begins with a soft drumbeat that symbolizes a heartbeat. We observe a few historical facts: The year is 1757 and the French and British are at war with various Indians taking part on both sides. Trevor Jones' romantic score begins.

And romance is what Cooper's novels were all about. I'm not talking about the sleazy paperbacks you'll find at the checkout line at Safeway or anything—the ones with the shirtless guy embracing the buxom lady from the back. Cooper painted an idealistic picture of the original American frontier, where a pioneer could learn the Indian ways, live by a strict moral code, and he would always win.

Director Michael Mann remains faithful to the essential spirit of Cooper's work, and actually improves upon it. The original name of the hero would have been laughed at, so Natty Bumppo becomes Nathaniel (Daniel Day-Lewis), who actually becomes more human than the stereotypical hero in Cooper's romance does. In the film, the hero actually does fall in love and curses a tiny bit. But that independent American spirit remains intact, and gives a clue why the colonies would revolt against the Crown in another 20 years.

There are also many touches of authenticity that are good to see portrayed on the screen. Much has been made about the way the cast learned survival skills and how the canoes and weapons were crafted traditionally, but I was more impressed with other details, such as the way Mann captures images that demonstrate Native Americans and whites mingling equally.

We see Nathaniel and his adopted family visiting the Cameron family in the beginning; we witness a lacrosse game that has both Indians and whites cooperating together. These are not unusual occurrences. There were numerous positive relationships formed during these early days. We just hear more about the hostile encounters.

For historical purposes, the story is set in upstate New York as the French and Indian War is going on. The British are easily identifiable in their redcoats and organized fighting-style, where they all line up and wait for a command before firing simultaneously. At least they do this in the beginning, until chaos breaks out. On their side are the good Indians—the six Nations of the Iroquois, which includes the Mohawks. Opposing the British are the French, who wear mostly blue colonial garb and mix in more easily with their Indian allies, the Huron.

With this backdrop we find Nathaniel (Daniel Day-Lewis) a superb frontiersman raised by Delaware chief Chingachgook (Russell Means) along with Uncas (Eric Schweig). This trio comprises the perfect wilderness team—they can track anything by noticing scuff marks on moss-covered rocks and broken twigs, and they can anticipate the enemy's movements through these signs and knowledge of their psychology.

True to the spirit of Cooper's writings, we find the beautiful Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe) dressed in her finery for tea in the middle of the wilderness. British Major Heyward Duncan (Steven Waddington) joins her and asks for her hand in marriage, but Cora is startled. She has only thought of Duncan as a friend. We know she is destined for another.

Duncan leads Cora and her sister, Alice, along with a troop to meet up with their father, Colonel Munro, at Fort William-Henry. Unfortunately, the treacherous Magua (Wes Studi) is their guide, and Magua has issues with the gray-haired colonel. The contingent is ambushed, and we see some of the most realistic and bloody Indian battles ever filmed.

Realistic, I should say, until our trio of heroes arrives and mows through the Hurons with a spectacular combination of pinpoint shooting, deadly axe-throwing, and perfectly timed body blows and karate chops. (All without serious injury. But this is in the Cooper tradition—it's a romance!)

Soon, our suspicions are confirmed. Nathaniel shares a Delaware story about the stars, and Cora expresses her passion for the American wilderness: "It is more stirring to my blood than any imagining could possibly be." Though never expressed in Cooper's novel, we now realize that Cora and Nathaniel are soulmates. It's just a question of whether Cora will live long enough for them to cement their bond.

Things are going badly at Munro's fort. It is besieged and doomed for defeat at the hands of French General Montcalm. In a surprise move, Montcalm allows the British to surrender as long as they return to England, never to fight again. The French general does let on to Magua that he doesn't trust British General Webb to keep the treaty, and tacitly gives Magua the go-ahead to attack Munro's retreating army.

Though largely plot-driven, The Last of the Mohicans has numerous elements to admire. The soundtrack alone makes the movie worth the rental. It alternates between appropriate heroic, romantic theme-music to a lively Irish dance tune, which later reappears in a haunting version for the film's climax. The Academy Awards did recognize Mohicans for its Sound, but it was grossly overlooked for its musical score.

Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe are both very effective as strong, independent frontier-types. The passion they have for the frontier and for each other is believable. You've probably seen the trailer with the scene under the waterfall, when Nathaniel tells Cora to "Stay alive. Just stay alive! Survive! I will find you!" before he takes his slow-motion jump into the river. Most women tell me this scene is their favorite—that the idea of Nathaniel focusing on her and vowing to rescue her is ultimately romantic.

I suppose I can understand why women think this scene is so powerful. It didn't do that much for me. There's another romantic scene that is my favorite, and I've had men agree with me. Without giving away vital details: It involves a cliff, the noble Uncas, and Alice—all with a lyrical Irish style tune in the background.

Additionally, most of the supporting characters are very effective. Most notably, Wes Studi treats us to a multifaceted portrayal of the bad Huron, Magua. Studi reveals the reasons behind his bitterness and hatred towards the gray-haired Munro and shows us his thinking processes along the way.

I was also struck by the beautiful cinematography with its many variations of green. Mann chose an ideal spot in the Great Smoky Mountains to represent the 18th-century landscape of upstate New York. The opening shots of the fog misting through the Smokies are breathtaking, and there�s still another 120 minutes to go! Another shot I'd love to have a painting of is near the beginning, when the carriage passes over the bridge as it is reflected in the water.

I have heard some people complain that they had a difficult time following the history. It didn't bother me, but I can understand how a prior knowledge of the French and Indian War would be a plus. If you are not into the history of this period and don't want to work at it, enjoy what you do see. You will soon be on the side of the good guys, so root for them whenever they are attacked.

One quibble is with the supposed love story between Uncas and Alice. I realize they are not the leading characters, but the love story plays an important part and it seems to arise from nowhere. All we see is a "look" and later a "grab" to keep Alice from going over the waterfall.

I have more problems with Russell Means playing Chingachgook. It was a little embarrassing watching him running after the deer in the opening scene along with Nathaniel and Uncas, who appear to be in good shape. Means is not; you can see him huffing and puffing as he chugs up the hill. Means is an authentic Native American, but he carries some radical and controversial political baggage that can interfere with the character as well.

These are minor annoyances. Mohicans is a romance that takes place when America was young—an idealistic time when there was the potential that men like Nathaniel and Uncas could grow up and forge a life in the wilderness while living in harmony with nature and with the Europeans, who were a "breed apart and make no sense." There was the hope that these Europeans would be influenced by the new American frontier dominated by the Indians. We know the history though. The title reveals the sentiment: The Last of the Mohicans.