Americas 250th Birthday Cinemathon #4: The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

 

The Last of the Mohicans is the best known of James Fennimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales. Cooper was the first American novelist to achieve international popularity, and for an author writing in the early 19^th Century was notably fait and complex in portraying American Indian characters, though sometimes slipping into noble savage tropes. Last of the Mohicans has been widely adapted onto screen, but Michael Mann’s 1992 offering is the most popular and enduring, thanks to its great cast, good music by Trevor Jones, and well-shot scenery.

The setting is the French and Indian War, which was a colonial theater of the global Seven Years War. The British and French fought each other with a mix of regular troops, militia, and Indian allies. Last of the Mohicans in particular focuses on events around the Siege of Fort William Henry. Colonel Edmund Monro put up a dogged defense against the Franco-Native force under General Louis-Joseph Montcalm. Reinforcements failed to arrive, so Munro surrendered under generous terms from Montcalm. However, the French’s Indian allies then set upon the disarmed soldiers and the civilians (women and children included), massacring them in one of the most controversial moments of the war.

On the fictional side of things, young British Major Duncan Heyward is tasked with escorting Cora and Alice Munro (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May playing fictional daughters for a real figure) to Fort William Henry. They are tricked into a trap by Huron guide Magua (Wes Studi in his most famous role). Fortunately the Mohican Chingachgook (Russell Means) and his two sons Uncas (Eric Schweig) and the adopted Nathaniel “Hawkeye” Poe (Daniel-Day Lewis) arrive to save them. A bond forms between Munro’s daughters and the frontiersmen trio as they try to avoid the vengeance of Magua.

Cool shot of Magua in warpaint

Michael Mann is a great director. His many crime films are known for their realistic portrayals of gunplay and complex lead characters. His craftsmanship is very evident for his solo historical epic. The cinematography concerning the American wilderness is great, with some wonderful wide shots of mountains and hills. The Siege of Fort William Henry also looks great and is perhaps the only major cinematic representation of a real French and Indian War battle. Even the decisive Battle of the Plains of Abraham hasn’t been seen outside of documentaries. The controversial massacre also occurs, though it’s less horrifying because in the movie the British are allowed to keep their weapons and can put up a fight. Surprisingly, considering how he had his actors train with modern firearms in other flicks, Michael Mann doesn’t get into all the details of 18^th century weaponry. I don’t think we ever see anyone load a gun. I guess Mann either isn’t into 18^th century guns as much or thought the reloading would slow things down. Regardless, the action scenes are thrilling, and there’s plenty of vicious melee combat, too.

I should devote a little time to the actual historical characters. Colonel Edmund Munro (Maurice Roeves) is accurately shown as a heavily determined officer who’s holding out in hopes that General Webb will send relief. In real life he was unmarried without children, which is probably why Fennimore Cooper felt free to give him two fictional daughters. General Montcalm (Patrice Chereau) is sure to invite more historical criticism. Montcalm was a great general who pretty much won every battle until the Plains of Abraham (interestingly, both he and opposing general James Wolfe were both killed in the same battle). By all accounts he was an honorable man, even in the original novel. Mann, however, has him give Magua implied assent to massacre the surrendered column, making him a war criminal.

My biggest criticism from a historical standpoint is the added friction between the regular British Army and the American settlers. Mann has most of the British officers acting like elitist and oft incompetent snobs. They dismiss the militia’s concerns about their families being raided by enemy Indians, blunder into ambushes, and get verbally owned by frontier-wise characters like Hawkeye. Mann is obviously trying to show growing fissures that lead to the Revolution. In reality it was the post-war period that started the troubles, as Britain imposed taxes to pay for the war and also restricted westward migration.

The British form a field battle line during a forest ambush (https://armourersbench.com/2021/06/25/fighting-on-film-last-of-the-mohicans-1992/)

My other criticism concerns the characters, though this is more from a book-to-movie adaptation standpoint. I’m okay with some changes, but Mann decided to turn Hawkeye from an old, cool guy into a younger male romantic lead. In the novel Uncas and the tougher Cora have a thing for each other, with Major Duncan naturally falling for the more gentle and ladylike Alice. Instead Duncan and Hawkeye get into a love triangle with Cora. Mann tries to retain Uncas’ original sub plot by having him fall for Alice. This makes no sense. In the book Uncas likes Cora because she’s a woman who can tough it out on the frontier with him. Aside from being pretty, Alice is completely unsuited for him. An additional problem is that Uncas gets little to do besides action scenes, and Alice is pretty much not even a character.

I want to talk a little more about Daniel-Day Lewis. This is the second of the four movies on my list to have him and I was both awed and amused to learn that he literally went into the woods to prepare for his role, even building his own canoe (he built his own house for The Crucible as well). This is also the second of four films on my list for Wes Studi. His portrayal of Magua is great and the most book-accurate characterization of the film. His oft-stoic Indian villainy (with rage bubbling beneath) allows for a couple wonderful deadpan snarker moments, my favorite being when he speaks in his native language to insult a snobby British officer’s elevated view of white women.

Left to Right: Cora Munro, Alice, Munro, Major Duncan, and Hawkeye

Overall I have a mixed opinion of this adaptation of Last of the Mohicans. From a filmmaking standpoint everything clicks, from the acting to the music. My main problem is the rearranged romantic subplots and the Revolution-inspired caricatures of the British soldiers and officers.

Rating: 6/10

If you don't mind some spoilers, here's film's take on the infamous massacre.